三教平心論 2.21

2.21

Zhang Hengqu did not believe in the doctrine of saṃsāra, stating that the Buddha's assertion that the death of sentient beings leads to rebirth in saṃsāra was something unthought-of. This is just Zhuangzi's view of "giving me rest through death." His idea was that in death there is rest, and nothing further remains. Little did he realize that birth and death are boundless, saṃsāra is unceasing, and within the four modes of birth and six destinies beings receive retribution according to their karma. How could one say there is no saṃsāra? The History of the Southern Dynasties records that Emperor Wu of Liang dreamed of a one-eyed monk holding a hand-censer entering the palace desiring to be reborn into the royal palace; when he awoke, the imperial concubine gave birth to a son, Yi, who in childhood suffered from eye disease that could not be cured by medical treatment and ultimately ended up blind in one eye—this was Emperor Yuan. The Records of the Words and Deeds of Famous Ministers records that when Fan Zuyu was about to be born, his mother dreamed of a robust man standing beside her saying, "I am General Deng Yu of the Han." Upon waking, she gave birth to the child, and accordingly named him Zuyu, and because Deng Yu's personal conduct was pure and complete, she gave him the courtesy name Chunfu. Using this as proof, Confucian books indeed contain the doctrine of saṃsāra! To regard the Buddhist doctrine of saṃsāra as incorrect—how unobservant this is! Cheng Mingdao did not believe in the doctrine of hell, claiming that the Buddha established this false teaching for those of inferior faculties to terrify them into doing good. This is just the petty person's view that small evils cause no harm. His idea was that having committed transgressions in life, who will pursue and punish them after death? Little did he realize that the divine beings of heaven and earth are clearly and solemnly deployed, rewarding good and punishing evil as a shadow follows the form. How could one say there is no hell? The History of the Sui records that during the Kaihuang era, the Deputy of the Court of the Imperial Treasury Zhao Chang died and returned to life, saying that in the netherworld he saw Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou undergoing punishment. The Emperor said to Zhao Chang: "When you return home, my lord, tell the Sui Emperor on my behalf that the sin of my destroying the Buddhist Dharma is grave; let him perform meritorious deeds on my behalf so that I may leave hell." Zhao Chang memorialized the matter, and Emperor Wen thereupon decreed that monks and nuns throughout the empire chant the Diamond Sūtra for Emperor Wu of Zhou. The Records of the Words and Deeds of Famous Ministers records that Wang Jinggong's son was named Pang, whose conduct was unwholesome; whenever Jinggong acted contrary to reason and harmful to the Way, it mostly stemmed from Pang. After Pang died, Jinggong seemed to see Pang carrying an iron cangue and standing beside the door. Thereupon he gave up his residence at Banshan to become the Zhongshan Monastery, in order to seek post-mortem blessings for him. Using this as proof, Confucian books inherently contain the doctrine of hell! To claim that the Buddhist doctrine of hell is nonexistent—how unreflective this is!