折疑論 4

English (machine translation) 4

Language: English

4.1

Composed and annotated by Siṃha Bhikṣu of the Western Regions, Dacien Monastery of Jintai.

4.2

14. Divergent Views (This chapter is entitled 'Divergent Views' because of the divergence and difference in what is viewed.)

The guest said: 'You have spoken of the Buddha's Way as revered and sublime, with no sage superior to it. (This question arises because in the second and third chapters it was said that the Buddha's dharmakāya is vast and his realization of sagehood is supreme.)

4.4

'Yet some people say: As for the Buddha's teaching, its texts are overly abundant, its explanations overly vast, its terms and phrases loose and sweeping, its import obscure and deep, and its expansive complexity hard to apply and hard to believe. Being defamed because of this, what can be done about it?' (This means that if the Buddhist teaching is like this, it is very hard to apply and even harder to believe. Because of this there are those who slander and defame it; what can be done about it?)

4.5

Miaoming said: 'The supreme flavor is hard to tune to every mouth; the great sound does not suit the ears of the multitude. Now, the earthworm eats soil and finds soil sweet; how could it know the harmony of the five flavors? Dogs and pigs eat dung and find dung delicious; how could they know the flavor of rich wine and sweet liquor? How lamentable that they do not know! Even if they knew it, it might not be their food. (A dog with hanging dewclaws is called a quan.)

4.6

'If an earthworm were placed in the five flavors, or a dog or pig were given rich wine and sweet liquor to drink, they would surely consider it poison. Why is this? Because it does not suit what nourishes them. If an earthworm is cast into a muddy pool, or a dog or pig is fed dregs and swill, it will surely wriggle and bend, wag its tail and kick its hooves, following along with delight. Why is this? Because it suits the way of what nourishes them. (Wriggling and bending is the appearance of an earthworm moving; wagging its tail and kicking its hooves is the appearance of a dog or pig being joyful.)

4.7

'Moreover, the Cloud Bearing (the music of the Yellow Emperor),

4.8

the Xianchi (the music of the Xia),

4.9

the Ninefold Shao (the dance music),

4.10

the Great Huo (the music of Tang),

4.11

and the Great Wu (the music of King Wu of Zhou)

4.12

are the utmost in music. If one tunes them with the harmony of the five notes, performs them with the beauty of the nine completions, and sings of the style and bearing of the former kings, auspicious phoenixes will soar, propitious clouds will float, sweet dew will descend, sweet springs will gush forth, the phoenix will arrive and conduct itself gracefully, and birds and beasts will dance together. (Yao had Kui oversee the music; when the sounding-stones were struck, all the beasts danced together. Shun performed the Shao flute music nine times, and the phoenix arrived to conduct itself gracefully.)

4.13

'If one seeks for someone to harmonize with them, there will surely be none who knows how to respond. Why is this? Because it goes against what they are accustomed to hearing. (If one seeks someone to harmonize with the five musical works mentioned above and finds none, why is this? Because it is discordant and alien to the listeners.)

4.14

'If one plays the music of Zheng and Wei and sings of worldly customs, with melodies matching contemporary habits and rhymes suiting the songs of Ba, those who hear it will surely know how to join in without waiting to be taught. Why is this? Because it suits what they know. (The songs of Zheng and Wei are licentious sounds; they suit worldly customs. Why is it that, like the songs of Ba, many know how to harmonize? Because it accords with what they know.)

4.15

'Furthermore, sovereigns like Shun and Yu may be called sages, yet Yang Zhu opposed and reviled them. (Reviling means slandering. Liezi says: Yang Zhu said, 'Shun plowed at Heyang and made pottery at Leize; his four limbs did not enjoy a moment's rest, his mouth and belly had nothing delicious or rich, his parents did not love him, and his younger brother and sister were not affectionate to him. At thirty years of age, he married without telling his parents. By the time he received Yao's abdication, his years were advanced and his wisdom was declining. Because Shangjun was untalented, he abdicated the throne to Yu, living sorrowfully until his death. This was a man afflicted and tormented by Heaven. Gun controlled the waters and land, but his achievements were not accomplished, so he was executed on Mount Yu. Yu inherited the task and served his father's enemy, merely surveying the landworks. When his son was born he did not name him, and when passing his door he did not enter. His body became half-paralyzed, and his hands and feet became calloused. When he received Shun's abdication, he kept his palace chambers humble and lived sorrowfully until his death. This was a man burdened with grief and hardship by Heaven.')

4.16

'The virtue of Zhongni may be called benevolence, yet Huan Tui sought to harm him. (The Analects says: Huan Tui wished to harm Confucius. The Master said: 'Heaven generated virtue in me; what can Huan Tui do to me?')

4.17

'Zang Cang of Lu slandered and blocked Mencius. (Mencius said: 'How could a son of the Zang family prevent me from meeting the prince?')

4.18

'Gongbo Liao accused Zhongyou. (To accuse means to lodge a slanderous charge. Gongbo Liao was a man of Lu; Zhongyou is Zilu. The Analects says: 'Gongbo Liao accused Zilu to Ji Sun.')

4.19

'Are these not like looking up and spitting at heaven, only soiling one's own face? (Using Yang Zhu reviling Shun and Yu, Huan Tui harming Confucius, Zang Cang defaming Mencius, and Gongbo Liao accusing Zilu to illustrate the guest's defamation of the Buddha—how is it different from looking up and spitting at heaven, only soiling one's own face?)

4.20

'One who listens to music and hears a clear shang yet takes it for gong or jue is at fault not because of the striking of the strings, but because his hearing is inaccurate. One who seeks jade and sees the jade disc of He yet takes it for mere fluorite does not do so because the supreme treasure is base, but because the viewer lacks discernment. (As for the jade disc of He, the Records of the Grand Historian says: Bian He obtained an uncut jade at Mount Jing. He presented it to King Wen and King Wu of Chu, and both kings had his feet amputated. Later he presented it to King Cheng, who ordered a lapidary to carve it, and indeed obtained a beautiful jade, calling it a treasure worth multiple cities. As for wufu, it is a stone resembling jade. If one mistakes the jade disc of He for wufu, it is not that the jade is base, but that the viewer lacks discernment.)

4.21

'A divine snake can reconnect itself when severed, yet it cannot keep a human from being severed. (The Records of Strange Things says the divine snake reconnects when severed.) A numinous tortoise discerns humans' misfortune and fortune, yet it cannot escape the calamity of being gutted and drilled. (Liezi says: Lord Yuan of Song dreamed of a man with disheveled hair who said, 'I was caught by a fisherman of the River Earl of the Clear River; please save me, my lord.' Awakening, he inspected outside and indeed saw that a net had caught a white tortoise five feet around. The lord wished to let it live, but the diviner said, 'The tortoise undergoes seventy-two drillings to divine good and bad fortune.' Thus, though it can divine humans' fortune and misfortune, it cannot itself escape the disaster of being gutted and drilled.)

4.22

'The utmost Way is grand; it is the ultimate utterance of the sages, a wondrous scripture transcending the world, not something the worldly can know. It is not made noble by those who praise it, nor made base by those who defame it. (The scriptures of the Great Sage are not noble due to praise, nor base due to slander.)

4.23

'Whether it is practiced or not is a matter of time. (Practicing it and not practicing it each has its time, just as Confucius did not obtain the position of ruler and teacher.)

4.24

'Whether it is believed or not is a matter of capacity. (Belief and non-belief lie solely in the opportune capacity, just as the Robber Zhi did not accept Confucius's transformation.)

4.25

'This is like shouldering a spade to level Mount Taihang, or holding a stone to dam a great flood—in terms of effort, is it not toilsome?' (A great flood means the ocean. The guest slandering the Buddha is like someone shouldering a spade and pickaxe wishing to level Mount Taihang, or holding a boulder wanting to dam and fill the ocean; for such an expenditure of effort, is it not laborious and difficult?)

4.26

15. Adapting to What Is Appropriate (This chapter answers in accordance with what is appropriate; hence it is called 'Adapting to What Is Appropriate.')

4.27

The guest said: 'You say that the Buddha's teaching has meanings as high as Mount Song and Mount Tai, principles as deep as the rivers and seas, text like overturned brocade, and phrases like sifted gold. Why do you not answer my questions using Buddhist sūtras, but instead use the Odes and Documents to harmonize differences into unity?'

4.28

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.)'

4.29

Gan Ying, Fei Wei, Ji Chang, Feng Meng, and Pu Qiezi were the expert archers of antiquity; though their art was marvelous, they could not draw a bow without a string (彀 is read as the fanqie 古侯; drawing a bow. Liezi: Gan Ying was an expert archer of antiquity; when he drew his bow, beasts crouched and birds came down. His disciple Fei Wei studied archery under Gan Ying, and his skill surpassed his master's. Ji Chang then studied archery under Fei Wei, subsequently advancing his art. Chang plotted to kill Fei Wei; the two shot at each other, and their arrows met midway, striking each other and falling to the ground. Fei Wei's arrows were exhausted first; Chang had one arrow left. When it was loosed, Fei Wei parried it with the tip of a bramble thorn without the slightest error. Though their art was marvelous, they could not draw a bow without a string).

4.30

Though fox and raccoon-dog fur (pronounced he)

4.31

is warm, it cannot warm a person who has no breath (though fox and raccoon-dog furs are warm, they cannot warm a dead person who has no breath).

4.32

Though water and soil are fertile, they cannot make a rootless tree flourish (though water and soil are moist and fertile, it is difficult to make a rootless tree flourish).

4.33

Though the Buddhadharma is sublime, it does not pour into the ears of one whose faith is shallow (though the Buddhadharma is sublime and excellent, it cannot transform and lead into the ears of an unfaithful person).

4.34

Your faith in the Way is not yet staunch, which is why your mind has so many doubts. How could I dare answer your questions with the profound intentions of the Great Sage? Of old, when Gongming Yi played the melody of the 'Clear Horn' to a cow (the 'Clear Horn' refers to a cow's ears; it cannot hear sounds and listens only with its horns, hence it is said to play the melody of the 'Clear Horn'),

4.35

it bowed its head and grazed as before; it was not that the cow did not hear, but that the sound did not suit its ears (the cow bowed its head and grazed on grass as before).

4.36

When he changed to playing the sound of gadflies and the bleating of a calf (changing to playing the buzzing sound of gadflies flying, and the sound of a calf calling for its mother),

4.37

why did the cow at once switch its tail, prick up its ears, and pace about listening? It was because the sound suited what it knew (蹀躞 is the appearance of hooves moving. Upon hearing this sound, the cow then switched its tail, pricked up both ears, and moved all four feet. Why did it listen like this? In general, it accorded with what it knew. 蹀 is pronounced 牃; 躞 is pronounced 泄).

4.38

For this reason, I instructed you by means of the Odes and the Documents (not answering with Buddhist sūtras; because you understand the Six Classics and the various masters, I therefore cited them to make it easy for you to understand).

4.39

Chapter 16: Superiority and Inferiority (this chapter compares the superiority and inferiority of Wang Qiao and Xiao Shi to Moteng and Zhu Falan, hence it is called 'Superiority and Inferiority').

4.40

The guest said, 'Wang Qiao and Xiao Shi were immortals (Wang Qiao was a man of the Later Han who served as the magistrate of Ye County. He often manifested divine wonders, traveling to and fro riding wild ducks. Xiao Shi lived in the time of Duke Mu of Qin; he was skilled at playing the panpipes. Husband and wife flew away following a phoenix).

4.41

Moteng and Zhu Falan were monks. Were their Ways equal?' (The guest meant: did these two immortals and two monks have ranks in their Way and virtue?)

4.42

Miaoming said, 'Hold on! (Just stop).

4.43

Fortunately, we are at peace. I do not wish to stir up waves of a thousand fathoms upon level ground' (getting what one ought not to get is called 'fortune'. Fortunately we are sitting without incident, yet to discuss their superiority and inferiority, high and low, is precisely to stir up waves where there is no wind).

4.44

The guest said, 'I wish for you to give a brief presentation to clear away the weeds that block my mind' (啟 means to open. The guest said, give a brief presentation of the dharma, wanting to open the weeds blocking his chest).

4.45

Miaoming said, 'Now, one who steers a boat must recognize the shallowness and depth of the water (one who steers a boat must recognize the shallowness and depth of the water's currents).

4.46

One who drives a chariot must know the height and level of the ground (one who drives a chariot must know the windings, straights, heights, and lows of the ground).

4.47

One who studies the Way must comprehend the superiority and inferiority of men (a person who studies the Way must comprehend the strengths and weaknesses of those who serve as masters. If one does not distinguish superiority and inferiority, one will not be clear about the heterodoxy and orthodoxy of men).

4.48

I am merely an ordinary monk in square robes (I am just an ordinary monk wearing loose robes).

4.49

Looking through a tube, my vision is narrow (just like the light seen through a brush-tube, it is narrow and insufficient for thorough understanding).

4.50

Facing a wall, I lack knowledge (one who is unlearned and without knowledge is like facing a wall).

4.51

Relying merely on the faint light of a torch, my illumination does not reach far (a 爝火 is a small torch. Speaking humbly: I am like a torch, using a little light to illuminate the night, so its bright illumination cannot reach far).

4.52

How would I dare evaluate the Way of the ascendancy and decline of past virtuous ones? (Ascendancy and decline mean high and low. Since I am like looking through a tube or a torch, how could I dare evaluate the predecessors?)

4.53

Yet, when the pulao holds its resonance and the great whale strikes it, its sound cannot be muffled (in the sea there is a great fish named whale; on the sea islands there is a beast named pulao. The pulao fears the whale; whenever the whale leaps, the pulao lets out a great roar. Therefore the shape of a pulao is cast on bells, and the wood used to strike the bell is shaped like a whale. Thus the questioner is like the whale, and the respondent is like the responding sound of the pulao).

4.54

Alas! The dogs of Jie and Zhou are enough to bark at Yao (the Rules of Posthumous Titles: one who assists goodness and is broadly sagacious is called Yao; also, one who practices virtue and righteousness well is called Yao. 'Alas!' is an exclamation of lamentation. Jie and Zhou were benighted rulers, while Shun and Yao were sage kings. Though the dogs of Jie and Zhou recognized their masters, they did not know their masters' benightedness. Even though Yao and Shun were wise, the dogs did not know their sagacity and wisdom, and so barked at them. The Buddha is compared to Yao, and slanderers are compared to the dogs).

4.55

The followers of Yang and Mo are enough to slander Shun. Yet people living in today's customs mostly run with the pack chasing clods of earth, failing to examine whether the sage's Way has higher and lower stages, and whether there is overcoming and weakness (戡 is read as the fanqie 苦耽; it means to conquer; it means to slander and destroy. The Rules of Posthumous Titles: one who is benevolent, sagacious, awe-inspiring, and wise is called Shun. Liezi: Yang Zhu slandered Shun. Here the Buddha is compared to Shun, and slanderers are compared to Yang Zhu. People living in common customs today are compared to a pack of dogs: when dogs see someone throw a clod of brick or earth, they chase after it. This means the guest is incapable of assessing whether the sage's Way has stages of higher and lower that are not identical, or the inequality of overcoming strength and inferiority).

4.56

They are utterly bewildered, without discrimination (懵 is read as the fanqie 莫紅; the mind is dark and benighted, unable to discriminate between high and low).

4.57

Even if someone possesses a discerning judgment and assesses things to their reality, amid the entangled delusions, how could people accept it? (藻 means clean; 鑑 means mirror. 叢 is pronounced 從. Even if someone today were as clear and discerning as a clean mirror, evaluating and reaching the place of truth without falsity, yet the crowded masses are all deluded—how could they faithfully accept the Great Way of the sages?)

4.58

Sit, and I shall tell you (bidding the guest to sit and telling him).

4.59

Now, as monks, Moteng and Zhu Falan exhaustively realized the Four Truths in their Way, and their wisdom was luminous with the Three Knowledges (their wisdom was luminous and clear, possessing three knowledges: first, the true knowledge of past lives; second, the true knowledge of death and birth; third, the true knowledge of the destruction of contaminants).

4.60

They obtained the six supernormal powers and possessed the eight liberations; they could fly back and forth and alter their bodily forms (flying back and forth refers to supernormal powers; altering refers to transformations; bodily forms refers to bodily shape and appearance).

4.61

Sometimes they became old and senile (the Shuowen says: seventy is called 'old'; the Quli says: eighty and ninety are called 'senile'),

4.62

or displayed the form of an infant (the Shuowen says: able to walk and sucking milk is called 孺; just born is called 孩),

4.63

or disappeared, or appeared (sometimes manifesting death and extinction, sometimes manifesting survival and birth),

4.64

extending or shortening at ease (延 means long; 促 means short. Having supernormal powers, long or short was at their will).

4.65

They could also shake heaven and earth (shaking and trembling moved heaven and earth),

4.66

move mountains and peaks (altering and moving mountains and peaks),

4.67

capsize rivers and seas (overturning rivers and seas),

4.68

and enter water and fire (entering water without drowning, entering fire without burning).

4.69

Their thousands of changes and myriad transformations could not be fathomed (Xunzi says: altering one's old substance is called 'change'; modifying one's shape and appearance is called 'transformation'. Such thousands of changes and myriad transformations are inexhaustible).

4.70

Supported by the power of concentration, there was nothing they undertook that they could not accomplish (克 means able. Their supernormal powers and wondrous functions were due to the power of concentration and wisdom; among all their actions there was nothing they could not accomplish).

4.71

If any living beings happened to make offerings to them, in the present world they could bestow wealth, long life, and nobility (with such wondrous functions as Moteng and Zhu Falan, if any living beings happened to make offerings to them, they would grant them wealth and treasures, and even long life and nobility in the present life).

4.72

How could they ever be spoken of in the same breath as those who ride wild ducks and straddle phoenixes? (With such divine sagacity, how could they ever be compared and discussed in the same breath as ghosts that ride ducks or mount phoenixes and do not die for a thousand years?)

4.73

Now, consider the Three Huan families compared to the Three Kings (comparing them like this. Shiji: the Three Huan were Mengsun, Jisun, and Shusun; all were descendants of Duke Huan. The Three Kings were the sage rulers of the three dynasties: Xia, Shang, and Zhou. Wang Qiao and Xiao Shi are compared to the Three Huan; Moteng and Zhu Falan are compared to the Three Kings).

4.74

Or the Five Hegemons compared to the Five Thearchs (Shiji: the Five Hegemons were Duke Huan of Qi, Duke Wen of Jin, Duke Mu of Qin, Duke Xiang of Song, and King Zhuang of Chu. The Five Thearchs were Shaohao, Zhuanxu, Gaoxin, Tang Yao, and Yu Shun. The Five Thearchs are used to illustrate Moteng and Falan, while the Five Hegemons illustrate Wang Qiao and Xiao Shi).

4.75

These were all rulers, yet were there no gradations between them? (Yet the Five Hegemons and Five Thearchs all assumed the ruler's throne; how could there not be gradations of high and low?)

4.76

Consider Yang Huo compared to Zhongni (Yang Huo was a retainer of the Ji family; Confucius was the ancestor of letters for a thousand ages, the teacher of emperors and kings for ten thousand generations).

4.77

Or Yang and Mo compared to Xun and Meng (Mencius says: Yang Zhu only knew self-love and did not know the duty of dedicating oneself, hence he acknowledged no ruler. Mo Di had universal love without distinctions, viewing his parents as no different from the multitude, which is to acknowledge no father. Therefore, acknowledging neither father nor ruler cuts off human relations).

4.78

These were all scholars, yet were there no steps between them? Consider Xu Fu compared to Heshang (Qin Annals: Xu Fu was a Daoist practicing immortality. The First Emperor of Qin ordered him to take virgin boys and girls out to sea to seek the elixir of immortality from the divine immortals; the boats roamed the sea and ended up drowned. Heshang refers to Heshang Gong; Emperor Wen of Han honored him as a teacher).

4.79

Or Guan Yin compared to Lao Dan (Shiji, Liexian zhuan: Yin Xi, the warden of Hangu Pass, was a grand master of Zhou. When Laozi traveled west and reached the pass, Yin received the two chapters on the Dao and De).

4.80

These were all men of the Way, yet were there no ranks among them? (Comparing Xu Fu and Yin Xi to Heshang Gong and Laozi, all are called men of the Way, yet how could there be no ranks and gradations?)

4.81

Consider an ant hill compared to Mount Tai (垤 is read as the fanqie 從結; it is the mound of earth thrown up by mole-crickets and ants. Mount Tai is one of the Five Sacred Peaks. Comparing the way of Qiao and Shi to Teng and Lan is also like comparing an anthill to Mount Tai).

4.82

Or puddles on the road compared to rivers and seas (puddles are sourceless water on the road; how can they compare to the water of rivers and seas?).

4.83

Or running beasts compared to the qilin (how can beasts such as roe deer and ordinary deer compare to the qilin?).

4.84

Or flying birds compared to the phoenix (how can birds such as crows and sparrows compare to the phoenix?).

4.85

These are all of a kind, yet are they without difference? Consider sheepskin compared to dressed tiger hide (鞟 is pronounced 廓; hide with the fur removed is called 鞟).

4.86

Or patterned ramie compared to brocade and embroidery (patterned ramie refers to cloth with mottled white patterns. As for brocade and embroidery, the Kaogong ji says: weaving patterns with gold thread is called brocade; possessing all five colors is called embroidery).

4.87

These are both textiles, yet are they without distinction? Now, sagacity and ordinariness—the two paths of the sage and the ordinary person cannot be conflated (Mencius says: being great and transforming others is called sagacity. The Yunyi says: the slight, trivial, and common vulgarity is called ordinary. Therefore, the two paths of the ordinary and the sage cannot be conflated and mixed together).

4.88

Therefore, there are great sages and lesser sages, superior ordinary beings and inferior ordinary beings (the ordinary and the sage each have their gradations).

4.89

The 'great sage' belongs to the Sovereign of Awakening (the Sovereign of Awakening is the Buddha, hence called 'great sage').

4.90

The 'lesser sage' resides in the worthy ones (that is, the lesser sages of the four fruitions).

4.91

Mātanga and Dharmaratna are the lesser sages of our tradition (Kāśyapa Mātanga and Dharmaratna are lesser sages of the Buddhist school).

4.92

The 'ordinary' is the designation for what is not sage. The 'higher ordinary' encompasses the heavenly hosts (the higher ordinary are the hosts of the heavenly beings).

4.93

The 'lower ordinary' designates the myriads of common folk (ten hundred million is called a myriad; the lower ordinary are the people of the mundane world).

4.94

Even if the likes of Xiaoshi ascend lightly in broad daylight, they do not necessarily join the heavenly hosts (the character *yu* [與] is pronounced in the departing tone, meaning to join or participate).

4.95

Even if they did join, they are still not sages. How dare one compare such a way to sages? If riding simurghs and mounting phoenixes truly warranted the title of sage, then Confucius and Lao Dan would not be sages. The 'sage' is one who penetrates through (a sage is one who penetrates and realizes all things; it is not a title for riding simurghs and mounting phoenixes).

4.96

The 'ordinary' is the common (the ordinary and common are the commonplace vulgar folk).

4.97

'Quiescent and unmoving, yet responding and immediately penetrating; transforming without bound, majestic and inscrutable'—this is called a sage (the *Xici* says: 'Quiescent and unmoving' is the principle of the mind; 'responding and immediately penetrating' is the function of the substance).

4.98

Born in ignorance (meaning that at birth they do not know where they came from),

4.99

dying in bewilderment (meaning that at death they do not know where they go),

4.100

bustling for clothing and food (bustling describes the appearance of coming and going ceaselessly; it refers to people greedy for clothing and food),

4.101

anxious over fame and gain (the *Analects* says: 'The noble person is calm and broad-minded; the petty person is always anxious.' This describes the appearance of anxiety over failures; it refers to people greedy for fame and gain),

4.102

all dying and all being born (the common people of the world, through greed for fame, gain, clothing, and food, remain within birth and death),

4.103

habitually mired in birth and death (taking birth and death as ordinary matters)—

4.104

this is called 'ordinary' (for this reason, it is called ordinary).

4.105

Furthermore, when a heavenly being is on the verge of death, the signs of the five decays manifest and there is the anger that mars the face (the *Karma Sūtra* says: 'The bodies of heavenly beings are pure, free from dust and defilement; they possess great radiance; their minds are always joyful, and nothing is displeasing. When their merits are exhausted, the five signs of decay manifest: first, the flower crown withers and falls; second, sweat flows from both armpits; third, they take no pleasure in their original seat; fourth, their retinue scatters; fifth, the radiance of their bodies vanishes on its own.' Hence 'the anger that mars the face' refers to afflictions and anger appearing on the face).

4.106

All of these are said to cling to their fame and gain and not easily relinquish them (all heavenly beings, because of their greed for the fame, gain, and pleasure of heaven, cannot easily abandon them).

4.107

How could they not be considered ordinary? Alas! Those of scanty hearing and shallow intelligence (the *Book of Rites* says: 'To study in isolation without friends leaves one solitary, shallow, and of scanty hearing')

4.108

lump together all the beings dwelling in the upper heavens, classing them as sages (as if the hosts of people dwelling in the upper heavens were all classed as great sages),

4.109

yet the novice monks of our tradition who have just shed their white garments all clap their hands and laugh at such absurdity! (In our Buddhist school, even those who have only just shed the white robes of the laity and first donned the black robes of the monk all clap their hands and scoff at this as wild and absurd talk!).

4.110

Foreknowledge, Chapter 17 (this chapter explains in advance the Buddha's birth in the Western Regions; hence it is called 'Foreknowledge').

4.111

The guest said, 'Your talk of the Buddha—his Way is great indeed! Dare I ask, before Emperor Ming of the Han's dream, was there anyone who knew of him?' (Before Emperor Ming of the Han dreamed of the golden man flying into the palace courtyard, had anyone ever known that there was a Buddha in the west?).

4.112

Miaoming said, 'How far-reaching a question!' ('Far-reaching' means remote).

4.113

'In the past, on the eighth day of the fourth month in the twenty-fourth year (*jiayin*) of King Zhao of the Zhou, a great radiance came at night and illuminated the palace courtyard. The king asked the Grand Astrologer Su You (the Grand Astrologer is an official who understands celestial phenomena; Su You is his name):

4.114

"Last night a light came and illuminated the palace courtyard. What auspicious sign is this?" Su You replied, "A sage has been born in the west; this is the miraculous sign manifested thereby." The king said, "What will this mean for the state?" (Regarding our state, will it be good or bad?).

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You said, "At present nothing will happen. One thousand years later, the sound of his teachings will reach this land." (You meant that a thousand years later, the scriptures and teachings he spoke would circulate to this land).

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Thereupon, this matter was recorded and engraved on stone (at that time this event was recorded and engraved on stone),

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and buried in the southern suburb (buried in the southern suburb where Heaven is sacrificed to, so as to await verification).

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By the seventh year (*jiazi*) of Yongping under Emperor Ming of the Later Han, barely a thousand years had passed (barely means just; the *Record of Collated Affairs* states that in the fourth year of Yongping, *xinyou*, Emperor Ming dreamed of the Buddha, and by the eleventh year, *wuchen*, it arrived here).

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This is the first instance of foreknowledge (what was explained above is the first foreknowledge).

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Furthermore, in the second month of the fifty-second year (*renshen*) of King Mu of the Zhou, there were twelve white rainbows that penetrated from south to north, persisting through the night without fading (a rainbow is a bridge of light; the appearance of this light penetrated north and south without fading day or night).

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The king asked the Grand Astrologer Hu Duo, "What auspicious sign is this?" Hu Duo replied, "This is the sign manifested by the Great Sage of the west entering extinction." (The *Record of Collated Affairs* states: King Mu's given name was Man; he was the son of King Zhao and reigned for fifty-five years. On the fifteenth day of the second month of the fifty-second year, *renshen*, the World-Honoured One entered nirvāṇa).

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The king said, "I always took him to be a threat. Now that he has ceased, what threat is there to me?" Hu Duo said, "Why must Your Majesty worry? The Grand Astrologer of the former reign, Su You, once inscribed on stone: 'A thousand years later, the sound of his teachings will circulate to this land.' From then to now is only seventy-nine years. Why should Your Majesty worry?" This is the second instance of foreknowledge. The Prime Minister of Song asked Confucius, "Is the Master a sage?" (He asked Confucius whether he was a sage).

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Confucius said, "As for being a sage, how could Qiu presume to be so?" (Qiu is the Master's name; 'how could Qiu presume' is an expression of humility).

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"Qiu is merely one who has studied broadly and remembered much." The Prime Minister further asked, "Were the Three Kings sages?" Confucius said, "The Three Kings were good at employing wisdom and courage (they were good at using wisdom and courage to govern the world);

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as for whether they were sages, Qiu does not know." (Whether they were sages or not, Qiu does not know).

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He asked, "Were the Five Thearchs sages?" Confucius said, "The Five Thearchs were good at employing humaneness and righteousness (they were good at using humaneness and righteousness to govern all under heaven);

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as for whether they were sages, Qiu does not know." (Whether they were sages or not, Qiu does not know).

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He asked, "Were the Three Sovereigns sages?" (Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan).

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Confucius said, "The Three Sovereigns were good at adapting to the times (they were good at employing adaptation to the times);

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as for whether they were sages, Qiu does not know." (Whether they were sages or not, Qiu does not know).

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The Prime Minister of Song was greatly astounded and said, "If so, then who is a sage?" (The Prime Minister meant: If the Three Sovereigns, the Five Thearchs, and the Three Kings are all not sages, then who is a sage? Hence he was greatly astounded).

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Confucius changed his expression for a while (changing his expression means pondering silently, his brows and eyes moving as his countenance changed)

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and said, "There is a sage in the west: he does not govern, yet there is no disorder (this explains the great foundation of the Tathāgata's non-action; it means that without using laws and measures to govern, disorder naturally does not arise);

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he does not speak, yet he is naturally trusted (he does not rely on verbal teachings to exhort and transform, yet they naturally revere and trust him);

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he does not transform, yet people practice on their own (it is not through transforming that people naturally practice his Way);

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so vast and boundless that the people cannot find a name for him! (Vast and boundless describes greatness and extent; hence the wondrousness of the Tathāgata's Way is such that the people cannot name it).

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Qiu suspects he is a sage, but does not know whether he is truly a sage or truly not a sage." (The Master intended to extol him, hence using such non-committal words).

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This is the third instance of foreknowledge. In the time of the First Emperor of the Ying Qin, there were twenty-seven Indian monks, including Śrībandhu, who came to Qin. At that time the Emperor was urgently striving to annex the seven powers and compete for dominance (the seven powers were Qin, Qi, Yan, Zhao, Han, Wei, and Chu);

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with armed forces confronting one another, he had no leisure to revere and believe (leisure means spare time; while troops in armor were actively slaying one another, he had no leisure to venerate and accept it with faith),

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and on the contrary took them to be fraudulent and absurd (the Qin ruler instead regarded them as deceitful and nonsensical),

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so he seized Bandhu and the others and imprisoned them (he thereupon took Bandhu and the others, held them in an earthen cell, and detained them).

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At night, a divine being in golden armor descended from the sky, struck open the locks with a golden hammer, and rescued the monks, leading them away. This is the fourth instance of foreknowledge. Liu Xiang, the Han Director of Waters on the Left, said: 'I searched through the collected books and examined the Chart of Immortals created by the Grand Astrologer. From the Yellow Emperor down through six generations to the present, there were over seven hundred people who attained the way of immortality. Verified by examination, there were one hundred and forty-six people; seventy-four of them already appear in the Buddhist scriptures.' This is the fifth instance of foreknowledge. In the third year of the Yuanshou era of Emperor Wu of the Former Han, Kunming Lake was dug to the southwest of the city of Chang'an (the Emperor wished to attack the state of Biming, whose people were skilled in naval warfare, so he excavated the lake to drill for it).

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They unearthed black ash and asked Dongfang Shuo about it. Shuo said: 'This is not something your servant can know. Your Majesty may ask the barbarian monks from the Western Regions; they will surely know.' The Emperor then dispatched someone to inquire of them, and a monk said: 'It is merely the ash accumulated at the time of the kalpa's destruction.' This is the sixth instance of foreknowledge. Could you alone be unaware of these various accounts? Moreover, Confucius was born in the Eastern Zhou, while the Buddha was born in the Western Regions; separated by vast distance, their subtle accord and silent recognition was as verified as meeting face to face. Were it not that identical sounds resonate with each other, who could have known in advance across such distance? (The *Commentary on the Words of the Text* for the Qian hexagram in the *Book of Changes* on 'Nine in the fifth place: The flying dragon is in the heavens; it is advantageous to see the great man. What does this mean?' The Master said: 'Identical sounds resonate with each other; identical energies seek each other out').

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Venerating the Buddha, Chapter 18 (in this chapter the guest begins to venerate the Buddha, hence it is called 'Venerating the Buddha').

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The guest said, 'That Confucius silently recognized the Capable Benevolent One (recognition here is pronounced *zhì*, meaning to record; it means that without speaking, it is preserved in the mind. Another interpretation says: *shí* means to know; without speaking, the mind understands. The Sanskrit *Śākya* translates here as "Capable Benevolent One"; this refers to Confucius silently knowing the Buddha when asked by the Prime Minister of Song)—

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this I have now heard. Dare I ask: Did Lao Dan also know whether there was a sage in the west?' (Again I venture to ask: Did Laozi also know whether there was a Buddhist sage in the west?).

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Miaoming said, 'Excellent is your question! In the past, I once visited the Huaqing Palace (the Huaqing Palace is on Mount Doubao in Lintong County).

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The Daoist elder Hongmeng invited me to ascend the Pavilion of the Jade Maiden, opened the scripture canon, brought out cases and boxes, and examined the records of Daoist texts. There we found the first fascicle of the *Sūtra of Western Ascension*. Reading its text, it said: "My master traveled to India to teach, and skillfully entered nirvāṇa" (nirvāṇa means extinction).

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I said to Hongmeng, 'Does this refer to the Buddha?' Hongmeng said, 'I dare not assert that it is so.' I said, 'If it does not refer to the Buddha, who else would be Laozi's master?' Furthermore, I found in the Ancient Taoist Chronicle of the Primordial Emperor: 'In India there was the Ancient Sovereign Master, who was my master.' (Words such as these all refer to the Buddha. Laozi knew of the sage of India, which is why he praised him repeatedly.)

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'He skillfully entered nirvāṇa, and traveled in transformation to India.' (Because he skillfully entered nirvāṇa, he traveled in transformation throughout his native land, the five regions of India.)

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'Now he has returned his spirit, reverting to the nameless.' (This means that the Buddha entered extinction at the twin trees, and now has returned to the root and reverted to the source, restoring his nameless wonder.)

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'Severing the body and extinguishing the shadow, without beginning and without end.' (Severing the body and extinguishing the shadow, he returned again to the principle of having neither beginning nor end.)

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'Continuous and ever-abiding, I now wander forth.' (It is continuous without interruption, and ever-abiding. Therefore Laozi said, 'I now go forth to wander.' This was precisely when he passed through Hangu Pass.)

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Furthermore, I found in the Taoist Wheel of the Law Sūtra: 'If you see a śramaṇa, contemplate him immeasurably; vow to renounce the household early in order to practice the Buddha's truth. If you see a stupa, contemplate it immeasurably; you should vow that all beings universally enter the Dharma gate, clearly understand the Dharma's measures, and attain the Way just like the Buddha.' Furthermore, I found in the Lingbao Sūtra on Dispelling the Hun-Soul and Settling the Will: 'In the Way, purification is foremost; through diligent practice, one shall become a Buddha. Therefore, set up the great bridge of the Dharma to universally deliver all beings and things.' ('All' is an auxiliary word meaning 'to'.)

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Furthermore, I found in the Golden Portal Sūtra on Paying Homage to the Primordial: 'May I gather udumbara flowers; may I burn candana incense; offering to the bodies of the thousand Buddhas, bowing my head to pay homage to Dīpaṃkara. Why was I born so late, and why was his nirvāṇa so early? Not seeing Śākyamuni, my heart is ever grieved.' (On the northwest cloister wall of Lingji Palace in Beijing, I saw a monk seated and a person prostrating. I asked a Taoist of the palace, 'What is this?' The Taoist said, 'This is the True Lord of Lingji; on the causal ground he once took Dīpaṃkara Buddha as his master.')

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Emperor Suzong's Praise of the Three Teachings on a Painting says: (Emperor Suzong of the Tang composed the Praise of the Three Teachings.)

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'The master of my Confucianism was Zhongni of Lu. Zhongni took the dragon Dan as his master.' (In the 'Going to Zhou' chapter of the School Sayings of Confucius, the Master says, 'In Zhou there is Lao Dan, who is broadly learned in antiquity and understands the present; he is my master.' After asking about ritual, he sighed and said, 'Laozi is like a dragon.')

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'I did not know that Dan took India as his master, skillfully entering non-action.' (In former years I did not understand this matter, and did not know that the dragon Dan took India as his master; the one who could skillfully enter non-action is precisely the Buddha.)

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'I bow my head to the Correctly Awakened One.' (The Sanskrit term is saṃbodhi; here translated as 'Correctly Awakened', which is the Buddha.)

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'Master of the master of my master!' (Therefore, bowing one's head to the Correctly Awakened World-Honoured One, he is the master of my master's master.)

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From statements such as these, one should correctly and fully know this. (From such words, one should understand this meaning.)

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Lao Dan also knew that there was a Buddhist sage in the land of India; he may truly be called clear-sighted! Do you alone not know it? The Supreme Lord was born in the eastern Xia, while Śākya appeared in western India. (Laozi was born in the eastern land; the Buddha was born in the western heavens.)

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Separated in land by more than fifty thousand li, and parted in time by sixteen sovereigns. (Laozi was born on the fifteenth day of the second month in the second year, bingchen, of King Ding of Zhou. The sixteen kings span: Gong, Yi, Xiao, Yi, Li, Ding, You, Ping, Huan, Zhuang, Xi, Hui, Xiang, Qing, and Kuang. The chronological record spans 345 years.)

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Although residing in different lands and appearing in distinct eras, their obscure accord and silent consensus were so tight and seamless as this. Were it not for sage wisdom's farsighted mirror and the profound identity of their Way and virtue, who could attain to this?

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Treatise on Resolving Doubts, Fascicle Four

Linked texts (1)

折疑論 — Classical Chinese