折疑論 4.28

4.28

妙明曰。牟子云。渴者不必投江海而飲。饑者不必待敖倉而飽。道為智者設。辯為達者通。書為曉者傳。事為見者明。吾以子知其意故引而申之。若說佛經以答吾子。譬如盲者耀五色。聾者奏五音也。且師襄師文伯牙瓠巴叔夜。古之善鼓琴者。其學雖切。不能成無絃之曲（列子。瓠巴鼓琴而鳥舞魚躍。師襄乃師文之師也。但能撫琴。當春之時。扣商絃以召南呂八月之令。涼風忽至。草木成實。及秋而扣角絃以激夾鍾。乃二月節令。而溫風徐回。草木發榮。盛當夏而扣羽絃以召黃鍾。乃十一月節令。霜雪交下。川池暴烈。及冬而扣徵絃以激甤賓。五月節令。而陽光盛烈。堅氷立散。將終命扣宮而總四絃則景風翔慶雲浮。甘露降醴泉湧。然此善操而不能成無絃之曲調也）。

Miaoming said: 'Mouzi said: "One who is thirsty need not jump into rivers or seas to drink; one who is hungry need not wait for the Ao Granary to be sated." The Way is set forth for the wise; argument is communicated to the perceptive; books are transmitted for the discerning; affairs are made clear to those who observe. Because you understand their meaning, I have cited and expanded upon them. If I were to explain Buddhist sūtras to answer you, sir, it would be like displaying the five colors to the blind, or playing the five notes to the deaf. Furthermore, Shi Xiang, Shi Wen, Bo Ya, Huba, and Shuye were those of antiquity skilled at playing the qin; though their learning was exacting, they could not perform a melody without strings. (Liezi says: Huba played the qin, and birds danced and fish leaped. Shi Xiang was Shi Wen's teacher. He was able to stroke the qin: in spring, striking the shang string to summon the ordinance of Nanlü in the eighth month, a cool breeze suddenly arrived, and plants bore fruit; when autumn came, striking the jue string to arouse Jiazhong in the second month, a warm breeze slowly returned, and plants flourished; in the height of summer, striking the yu string to summon Huangzhong in the eleventh month, frost and snow fell together, and rivers and ponds froze and cracked; in winter, striking the zhi string to arouse Ruibin in the fifth month, the sunlight blazed fiercely, and hard ice instantly melted. Approaching the end, he struck the gong string and unified the four strings, whereupon auspicious breezes soared, propitious clouds floated, sweet dew descended, and sweet springs gushed forth. Yet though they were skilled in playing, they could not produce a stringless melody.)'