法苑珠林 55.72

55.72

I have heard that when a sound is tuned, the echo responds accordingly; when a form is upright, its shadow is straight. One has never seen ice obtained by drilling for fire, or wheat reaped by sowing beans. Thus Su [Qin] and Zhang [Yi] met at Guigu and stood at the forefront of superficial deceit; Yan [Hui] and Min [Ziqian] were received at Confucius' gate and marked the origin of virtuous conduct. Therefore we know that practicing the teachings of the two chapters [of the Daodejing] seeks the subtle and abides in non-action, whereas following the ways of the three Zhangs plots to be the instigator of rebellion. Why is this? In the reign of Emperor Shun of the Later Han, Zhang Ling of Pei traveled as a guest to the land of Shu. He heard an old tradition saying: 'In the past, Emperor Gaozu of the Han responded to the twenty-four solar terms and sacrificed at twenty-four altars, thereby coming to rule over all under Heaven.' Ling did not measure his own virtue, but formed this plot: he slaughtered oxen and sacrificed at twenty-four places, erecting earthen altars covered with thatched huts, which he called the 'twenty-four parishes' (zhi). The origin of parish halls began here. Twenty-three of them were in the land of Shu, and Yin Xi's single parish was in Xianyang. Thereupon he deceived and seduced the foolish populace and gathered violent factions, collecting levies of tax rice and plotting to make it a stepping-stone to rebellion. At that time, he was swallowed by a serpent, and his mutinous rebellion was aborted. Furthermore, Ling's grandson Zhang Lu practiced his ancestor's arts, and later in Hanzhong proclaimed himself the 'Master Lord.' As calamities and rebellions arose, he was annihilated by Lord Cao [Cao]. Moreover, in the first year of the Zhongping era, Zhang Jiao of Julu proclaimed himself 'Teacher of the Yellow Heaven Division.' He had thirty-six generals, all wearing yellow turbans, who coordinated from afar with Zhang Lu. His multitude reached one hundred thousand, and they burned the city of Ye. The Han sent the Governor of Henan, He Jin, who led troops and destroyed them. Again, in the second year of the Xianning era of Emperor Wu of the Jin, there was the Daoist Chen Rui, who deluded the multitude with heterodox arts and called himself the 'Celestial Master.' His followers numbered several thousands over accumulated years; he was executed and exterminated by Wang Rui, the Regional Inspector of Yizhou. Again, in the first year of the Taihe era of Emperor Wen of the Jin, the Daoist Lu Song of Pengcheng called himself the 'Libationer of the Great Dao.' Deluding the multitude with evil arts, he gathered his faction and attacked the Guanghan Gate toward dawn, claiming to welcome the Duke of Haixi. At that time, Huan Mi and others in the palace detected it, fought them, and they were soon beheaded and executed. Again, in the fifth year of the Datong era of Emperor Wu of the Liang, the Daoist Yuan Gan deluded the multitude with bewitching words, practicing forbidden pacing on the mounds; the government troops trapped them, and they were soon destroyed. Again, in the tenth year of the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of the Sui, there were two Daoists, Pu Tong and Zuo Tong of Changlong County in Mianzhou, who at the Bengxi Hall claimed to have attained sagehood. Deceiving and deluding the people, they stacked couches up to the roof, sat upon them, and said, 'Only fifteen-year-old virgin maidens are capable of receiving the Dharma.' They made the girls climb onto the couches, surrounded them with curtains, and committed illicit acts in secret. After some days, the matter was discovered, and they immediately fled. Again, in the eighteenth year of the Kaihuang era, the Daoist Han Lang of Yizhou and the Daoist Huang Rulin of Mianzhou incited and deluded the Prince of Shu to rise in rebellion, saying: 'If you wish to accomplish a great undertaking, you must rely on superior conditions.' They then taught the Prince of Shu to empty the granaries and exhaust the treasuries to construct a thousand-foot Daoist statue, hold a great vegetarian feast for a thousand people, paint the form of the former emperor, bind its head and hands backward, and chant spells to cast a hex upon it. Duke of Hebei Zhao Zhongqing investigated and verified the facts; their persons were sent to the capital ministry, and under interrogation they confessed to their crimes and were executed in the marketplace. Recently, in the third year of the Wude era of the Great Tang, Li Wang, a commoner of Changlong County in Mianzhou, who had previously served Huang-Lao, continually engaged in evil sorcery. In the closing years of the Daye era, there was the Daoist Pu Zizhen, who was slightly skilled in Daoist arts and was sent to the Eastern Capital; arriving in Luoyang, he died and was buried there. Li Wang falsely claimed: 'Zizhen has recently returned.' Furthermore, beside a mountain in that county there was a stone grotto, a cavern so dark and secluded that no one dared peer into it. Relying on this, Wang practiced deception: in the light, he projected his voice and spoke loudly, receiving and relaying messages; entering the darkness, he choked his breath and spoke in a low voice, falsely expounding fortune and misfortune. He then caused the Daoists to report this to the county and announce it to the prefecture. When the officials first investigated, they all believed and accepted it. Later, Regional Inspector Li Dali said: 'This matter is not light; it must be memorialized to the throne. One must personally verify it before determining right and wrong.' Thereupon, together with officials of the entire prefecture and Daoists, over a hundred horsemen went together to the cavern and bowed twice to request an appointment. Wang then gave false replies, and all who heard were utterly convinced. Only Le Shizhi, Magistrate of Baxi County, deeply understood psychological machinations and knew it was fraudulent deceit. Entering the darkness and lying secretly in wait, he saw Wang choking his voice. Zhi then shouted at him, and Wang immediately confessed his guilt. He was detained in the prefectural prison, and just as they were about to determine his punishment, within a few days he swallowed poison and died. Recently, coming down to the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan era, there were the Daoist Qin Ying of Xihua Abbey in the Western Capital, the Daoist Wei Lingfu of Sheng Abbey, and the laicized Daoist Zhu Linggan; all were slightly versed in petitions and jiao offerings, and were ordered by imperial decree to serve in the Eastern Palace. They deluded the Eastern Palace and plotted great treason, but their enterprise failed. Qin Ying, Lingfu, Linggan, and the others were all beheaded and executed. Their private residences and property, as well as their wives and children, were all confiscated by the government. Furthermore, coming down to the third year of the Longshuo era, the Daoist Guo Xingzhen of Xihua Abbey, coming from a lowly family and an established humble house, was also slightly versed in petitions and jiao offerings and illicitly enjoyed royal offerings. By imperial decree, he was sent to cast dragons into waters and search the mountains for medicinal herbs. He falsely invoked the heavenly majesty above to confuse and disorder the common people below; he extensively extorted property, and his treacherous schemes were extreme. Together with Daoists of the capital, he also adulterated Buddhist sūtras, stealthily interpolating them into Daoist methods. The Sagely Sovereign illuminated and discerned the fraud, handing him over to the law. Only under the pain of beating and torture by the judicial officers did he confess. By an imperial act of grace, his death sentence was remitted, and he was exiled to a distant prefecture; all his wives and property were confiscated by the government. From this one knows that when what one practices is not orthodox, rebellious treachery follows in succession; by these base customs of heterodox paths, such disgrace frequently arises. Imperial Edict: 'The Daoist Guo Xingzhen, Grand Master for Closing Court and Commandant of Cavalry, has no commendable capacity or understanding, and is deficient in Daoist arts. Because he was slightly versed in medicine and somewhat familiar with petitions and jiao offerings, he was employed when the Crown Prince Hong fell ill to treat his affliction, which showed improvement. Taking note of his merits, he was presumptuously granted an honorary rank and assigned to perform courier duties. He arbitrarily fabricated awe and disaster, and furthermore colluded with officials of the Ministry of Personnel and associated with legal officers, exclusively practicing deception. Extorting people's wealth under the pretense of performing merit, he engaged in extensive embezzlement and theft. Unable to distinguish vermilion from purple, he falsely expounded the supreme teaching; unable to discern beans from wheat, he secretly read forbidden texts. He only knew how to seek bondservants and concubines and make acquiring manors and residences his business. Though the Numinous Torrent be a thousand fathoms deep, how could it cleanse his filthy substance? Though the divine elixir have nine liquors, how could it refine his flawed heart? Pulling out every hair on his head would not suffice to count his offenses; cutting down all the bamboo would hardly suffice to write his crimes. Judging these misdeeds and transgressions, he ought to suffer the legal death penalty. Yet because he had entered the Daoist fold, We cannot bear to do so. Let him be stripped of his titles and exiled permanently to Aizhou. He should be dispatched immediately, with the county magistrate leading and escorting him thither. The local authorities are to oversee him and not permit him to leave the borders of the county. The male and female slaves, fields and houses, water mills, carts, oxen, and horses privately kept by him are all to be confiscated by the government.'