法苑珠林 12.87

12.87

又案春秋。魯莊公七年夏四月。恒星不現。夜明如日。即佛生時之瑞應也。良由佛有真應二身權實兩智三明八解五眼六通。神曰不可思議。法號心行處滅。其道也運眾聖於泥洹。其力也接下凡於苦海。巍巍蕩蕩可略言焉。故列子云。昔吳太宰嚭問孔丘曰。夫子聖人歟。孔子對曰。丘博識強記。非聖人也。又問。三皇聖人歟。對曰。三皇善用智勇。聖非丘所知。又問。五帝聖人歟。對曰。五帝善用仁信。聖亦非丘所知。又問。三王聖人歟。對曰。三王善用時事。聖亦非丘所知。太宰大駭曰。然則孰為聖人乎。夫子動容有間曰。西方之人有聖者焉。不治而不亂。不言而自信。不化而自行。蕩蕩乎民無能名焉。若將三皇五帝必是大聖。孔丘豈容隱而不說。便有匿聖之愆。以此校量。推佛為大聖也。又老子西昇經云。吾師化游天竺善入泥洹。量此而言優劣可知也。

Further, examining the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, in the seventh year of Duke Zhuang of Lu, in summer during the fourth month, the fixed stars were not visible, and the night was as bright as day. This was precisely the auspicious sign of the Buddha's birth. This truly comes about because the Buddha possesses the two bodies of truth and response, the two wisdoms of the provisional and the real, the three knowledges, the eight liberations, the five eyes, and the six supernormal powers. His spirit is called inconceivable, and his Dharma is named "the extinction of the place where mental activities occur." His Way transports the multitude of sages to nirvāṇa; his power gathers the lower mortals out of the sea of suffering. Majestic and vast, it can be only briefly stated. Thus *Liezi* says: In the past, Grand Minister Pi of Wu asked Kong Qiu, "Is the Master a sage?" Confucius answered, "Qiu possesses broad knowledge and a strong memory; I am not a sage." He asked again, "Were the Three Sovereigns sages?" He answered, "The Three Sovereigns were good at employing wisdom and valor; whether they were sages is not known to Qiu." He asked again, "Were the Five Emperors sages?" He answered, "The Five Emperors were good at employing benevolence and trustworthiness; whether they were sages is also not known to Qiu." He asked again, "Were the Three Kings sages?" He answered, "The Three Kings were good at employing timely affairs; whether they were sages is also not known to Qiu." The Grand Minister, greatly astonished, said, "If that is so, then who is a sage?" The Master's countenance changed, and after a pause he said, "Among the people of the West, there is a sage. He does not govern, yet there is no disorder; he does not speak, yet he is spontaneously trusted; he does not convert, yet it is spontaneously practiced. Vast indeed! The people are unable to name him." If the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors had surely been Great Sages, how could Kong Qiu have concealed it without speaking, thereby committing the fault of hiding a sage? Weighing it by this, the Buddha is acknowledged as the Great Sage. Furthermore, the *Xisheng jing* of Laozi says, "My teacher transformed and traveled to Tianzhu, being good at entering nirvāṇa." Judging from this, the superiority and inferiority may be known.