[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [貞元新定釋教目錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2157) › 11.51.2 # 貞元新定釋教目錄 11.51.2 貞元新定釋教目錄 11.51.2 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [11.51.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2157.11.51.2) 譯三部獻功可悲深矣今考覈敘中譯時年月三年三月創譯七年春功畢續高僧傳云六年訖傳錄俱是宣 修年月自矛楯也）。 破邪論二卷（或一卷見內典錄） 辯正論八卷（見內典錄） 別傳三卷（貞元新入目開元先禁斷） 右三部十三卷其本見在。 沙門釋法琳。姓陳氏。頴川人。遠祖隨宦寓 居襄陽。少而出家遊獵儒釋博綜詞義。金陵 楚郢從道問津。自文苑才林靡不尋造。而意 在綱梗不營浮綺。野栖木食於青溪等山。晝 則承誨佛經。夜則吟覽俗典。故於內外詞旨 經緯遺文。精會所歸咸肆其抱。而風韻閑雅 韜德潛形。氣揚采飛方陳神略。隨季承亂入 關觀化。流離八水顧步三秦。每以槐市仙宗 互陳名寶。昔在荊楚梗概其文。而祕法奇章 猶未探撿。自非同其形服塵其本情。方可體 彼宗師靜茲紛結。乃權捨法報。長髮多年。 外統儒門內希聃術。遂以義寧初歲。假被巾 褐從其居館。琳素通莊老談吐清奇。道侶服 其精華。膜拜而從遊處。情契莫二共敘金蘭。 故彼所禁文詞並用諮琳取定。致令李宗奉 釋之典包舉具舒。張偽葛妄之言詮題品錄。 武德初運還莅釋宗。擁帙延光栖遑問道。以 帝壤同歸名教。是則鼓言鄭衛易可箴規。乃 住京師濟法寺。至武德四年。有太史令傅 奕。先是黃巾深忌佛法。上廢佛法事十有一 條。云釋經誕妄言妖事隱。損國破家。未聞 益世。請胡佛邪教退還天竺。凡是沙門放歸 桑梓。則家國昌太李孔之教行焉。武皇容其 小辯朝輔未能抗也。時謂遵其邪徑通廢宏 衢。莫不懼焉。乃下　詔問曰。棄父母之鬚髮。 去君臣之章服。利在何間之中。益在何情之 內。損益二宜請動妙釋。琳憤激傅詞側聽 明勅。承有斯問。即陳對曰。琳聞至道絕言。豈 九流能辯。法身無像。非十翼所詮。但四趣 茫茫漂淪欲海。三界蠢蠢顛墜邪山。諸子迷 以自焚。凡夫溺而不出。大聖為之興世。至 人所以降靈。遂開解脫之門。示以安穩之路。 是以中天王種辭恩愛而出家。東夏貴族厭 榮華而入道。誓出二種生死。志求一妙涅槃。 弘善以報四恩。立德以資三有。此其利益 也。毀形以成其志。故棄鬚髮美容。變俗以會 其道。故去君臣華服。雖形闕奉親而內懷其 孝。禮乖事主而心戢其恩。澤被怨親以成大 順。祐沾幽顯豈拘小違。上智之人依佛語故 為益。下凡之類虧聖教故為損。懲惡則濫者 自新。進善則通人感化。此其大略也。傅氏所 奏在司猶未施行。奕乃多寫表狀。遠近公然 流布。京室閭里咸傳禿丁之誚。劇談酒席昌 言胡鬼之謠。佛日翳而不明。僧尼阻而無勢。 于時達量道俗動毫成論者非一。各疏佛理 具引梵文。委示業緣曲垂邪正。但是奕之所 廢。豈有引廢證成。雖曰破邪終歸邪破。琳情 弄玄機獨覺千載。器局天授博悟生知覩作 者之無功。信乘權之有據。乃著破邪論二卷 用擬傅詞。文有三十餘紙。自琳之綴采貫絕 群篇。野無遁賢朝無遺士。家藏一本。咸誦在 心。並流略之菁華。文章之冠冕。茂譽於是乎 騰廣。昏情由之而開尚矣。琳又以論卷初出 意在弘通。自非廣露其情。則卓頴不虛其 道。乃上啟儲后諸王及公卿侯伯等。並文理 弘被。庶績咸嘉其博詣焉。故奕奏狀因之致 寢。遂得釋門重敞。琳寔其功。東宮庶子虞 世南詳琳著論乃為之序。而傅氏不愜其情。 重施密𧮂搆扇黃巾用為黨類。道士李仲卿 上十翼九迷論。道士劉進喜上顯正論。皆貶 量佛聖塵點釋宗。昏冐生靈衒曜朝野。薰 蕕既雜時所疑焉。武德九年春下。 詔京置三寺。唯立千僧。餘並放還桑梓。嚴。 勅既下莫敢致詞。五眾哀號於槀衢。四民顧 嘆於城市。于時道俗蒙然投骸無措。賴由震 方出帝氛𮃆廓清。素襲啟聞薄究宗領。登即 大赦還返神居。故佛日重朗於唐世又由琳 矣。琳頻逢黜陟誓結維持。道挫世情良資寡 學。乃探索典籍隱括玄奧。撰辯正論八卷。 > translated three works and presented his achievement; how deeply lamentable! When we now examine the years and months of translation in the preface, the translation began in the third month of the third year and the work was completed in the spring of the seventh year. The \*Xu Gaoseng zhuan\* says it was completed in the sixth year. The biography and the catalogue were both compiled by Daoxuan, yet their dates contradict each other). > > \*Poxie lun\* (Treatise on Refuting the Heterodox), two fascicles (or one fascicle; see the \*Neidian lu\*). > \*Bianzheng lun\* (Treatise on Defending the Correct), eight fascicles (see the \*Neidian lu\*). > \*Biezhuan\* (Separate Biography), three fascicles (newly entered into the catalogue in Zhenyuan; previously banned in Kaiyuan). > The above three works in thirteen fascicles are currently extant. > > Śramaṇa Shi Falin, whose secular surname was Chen, was a person of Yingchuan. His remote ancestors relocated with their official post to reside in Xiangyang. Leaving home in his youth, he surveyed Confucianism and Buddhism, broadly synthesizing phrasing and meaning. In Jinling and Chu's Ying, he sought the Way and inquired after the ferry \[of truth\]. From the orchards of literature and forests of talent, there was nowhere he did not explore and reach. Yet his focus was on core principles, not pursuing superficial embellishments. Residing in the wilds and feeding on wild plants in the mountains of Qingxi and elsewhere, by day he received instructions in Buddhist scriptures, and by night he recited and read secular classics. Thus, regarding the wording, purport, warp, and weft of both internal and external texts, he fully mastered their essential reconciliations and gave free rein to his aspirations. He possessed a leisurely and elegant bearing, concealing his virtue and hiding his appearance; only when his spirit soared and his brilliance flew did he unfurl divine strategies. > > In the late Sui, meeting with chaos, he entered the passes to observe the changes of the times, drifting along the Eight Rivers and surveying the Three Qin. Often observing the Huai Market and the immortal lineage \[Taoism\] displaying their precious treasures in turn—having in the past in Jing and Chu only grasped the outline of their literature, and not yet probed and examined their secret teachings and extraordinary texts—\[he knew that\] unless he shared their attire and accommodated to their original demeanor, he could not comprehend their masters and quiet this tangled dispute. Thus he expediently set aside his monastic habit and let his hair grow long for many years. Externally he mastered the Confucian school, and internally he studied the techniques of Laozi. Thus, in the first year of Yining, falsely donning a cloth cap and coarse robes, he stayed in their dwelling places and monasteries. Falin had always been versed in Zhuangzi and Laozi, and his speech was clear and extraordinary. The Daoist companions submitted to his brilliance, bowing down and following his company. Their mutual understanding was unparalleled, together enjoying an intimate bond like sworn brothers. Therefore, their restricted texts and expressions were all submitted to Falin for final judgment, which led to the thorough uncovering and expounding of the texts in the Li lineage's \[Daoist\] tradition that revered Buddhism, as well as the critical appraisal and classification of the fabricated and false words of Zhang \[Ling\] and Ge \[Hong\]. > > In the early years of Wude, he returned to the Buddhist school, clasping his book satchels to prolong his radiance and eagerly seeking the Way. Considering that the imperial realm all converged on the moral teachings, yet the decadent tones of Zheng and Wei could easily be admonished and reformed, he took up residence at Jifa Monastery in the capital. > > In the fourth year of Wude, there was the Grand Astrologer Fu Yi, who had originally been a yellow-turbaned \[Daoist\] and deeply loathed the Buddhadharma. He submitted an eleven-article memorial on abolishing the Buddhadharma, claiming that the Buddhist scriptures were absurd and spoke of uncanny, concealed matters, damaging the state and destroying families without ever being heard to benefit the world. He requested that the heterodox barbarian teaching of the Buddha be driven back to India, and that all who were śramaṇas be sent back to their home villages; then the family and state would flourish, and the teachings of Laozi and Confucius would prevail. Emperor Gaozu tolerated his minor eloquence, and the court ministers were unable to counter him. People at the time thought that following his deviant path would result in the abolition of the great avenue, and all were terrified. > > Thereupon the emperor issued an imperial edict inquiring: 'Discarding the hair and beard given by parents, and casting off the official vestments of ruler and subject: where does the benefit lie, and within what sentiment is there advantage? Between loss and gain, please expound the wondrous explanation.' > > Falin was outraged by Fu's words, and attentively heeded the clear imperial decree. Receiving this inquiry, he presented his response, stating: > > 'Falin has heard that the supreme Way transcends words; how could the nine schools of thought debate it? The dharmakāya is formless; it is not something the Ten Wings could explain. But the four destinies are vast, drifting and sinking in the ocean of desire; the three realms are restless, tumbling down the mountain of heterodoxy. The children are deluded and burn themselves; ordinary people drown and cannot emerge. For their sake the Great Sage appeared in the world, and the Supreme Man descended his spirit. He then opened the gate of liberation and showed the path of tranquility. > > 'Therefore, the royal caste of central India abandoned love and attachment to leave home, and the noble clans of the eastern land tired of glory and splendor to enter the Way, vowing to escape the two kinds of birth and death, and aspiring to seek the single wondrous nirvāṇa; propagating goodness to repay the four kindnesses, and establishing virtue to aid the three realms of existence. This is its benefit! > > 'Disfiguring the body fulfills their aspiration, which is why they discard the beauty of hair and beard; changing secular custom aligns with their path, which is why they cast off the splendid garments of ruler and subject. Although in outward form they lack attendance upon their parents, inwardly they cherish filial piety; though in etiquette they deviate from serving the sovereign, in heart they harbor gratitude. Extending their beneficence to both foe and kin fulfills great compliance; their blessings moistening both the unseen and visible worlds, how could they be constrained by minor infractions? For people of superior wisdom, relying on the Buddha’s words constitutes benefit; for inferior ordinary folk, failing the sage’s teaching constitutes harm. Chastising evil leads wrongdoers to reform themselves; advancing good leads men of understanding to be transformed. This is its broad outline.' > > Fu's memorial had not yet been put into effect by the relevant offices, so Yi made numerous copies of the memorial and openly circulated it far and wide. The city lanes of the capital all repeated the mockery of the 'bald fellows,' and rowdy drinking banquets loudly proclaimed rumors about the 'barbarian ghost.' The sun of the Buddha was dimmed and without luster; monks and nuns were hindered and lacked influence. > > At that time, there was more than one person of broad discernment among both monastics and laity who put brush to paper to compose treatises. Each explicated Buddhist principles, cited Indic texts in full, thoroughly pointed out karmic causes and conditions, and meticulously delineated the heterodox from the correct. But since all that was what Yi sought to abolish, how could one cite what he sought to abolish to verify and establish the truth? Though called 'refuting the heterodox,' in the end it was the refutations that were overcome by heterodoxy. Falin, possessing a natural mastery of the profound workings and uniquely enlightened beyond a thousand generations, with a heaven-bestowed capacity and an innate broad awakening, saw the futility of these authors and was convinced that expedient means must be grounded in authority. He thereupon composed the \*Poxie lun\* (Treatise on Refuting the Heterodox) in two fascicles to counter Fu's words, spanning over thirty sheets of paper. From the time Falin gathered his literary talents, he surpassed the crowd of writings; in the wilds there was no hidden worthy, and in the court no overlooked scholar, who did not keep a copy at home and recite it from memory. It was truly the finest essence of scholarship and the crown of literature. His splendid renown spread far and wide, and muddled minds were thereby awakened and inspired. > > Furthermore, Falin considered that as the treatise was newly produced, the intention was to propagate it broadly; unless his intentions were made extensively known, his outstanding brilliance would not serve the Way in vain. He therefore presented it in memorial to the Crown Prince, princes, and high dukes, ministers, marquises, and counts. The literary style and principles reached everywhere, and all officials commended his extensive erudition. Thus Fu's memorial was consequently shelved. It allowed the Buddhist gate to open wide again, and this was truly Falin’s achievement. Yu Shinan, Vice Mentor of the Eastern Palace, examined Falin's treatise and composed a preface for it. > > Yet Fu was not content in his mind. He again concocted secret slander, inciting the yellow-turbaned \[Daoists\] to form a faction. The Daoist Li Zhongqing submitted the \*Shiyi jiumi lun\* (Treatise on the Ten Wings and Nine Delusions), and the Daoist Liu Jinxi submitted the \*Xianzheng lun\* (Treatise on Manifesting the Correct); both belittled the Buddhist sage and defiled the Buddhist lineage, beguiling sentient beings and flaunting themselves before the court and country. The sweet-smelling and the foul being mixed together, the times were filled with doubt. > > In the spring of the ninth year of Wude, an imperial edict was issued ordering that only three monasteries be established in the capital and only a thousand monks be maintained, while the rest were all to be sent back to their home villages. Once the stern imperial decree was issued, no one dared to raise an objection. The five groups \[of disciples\] wailed in the streets, and the four classes of people looked and sighed in the markets. At that time, both monastics and laity were bewildered and had nowhere to turn. Fortunately, the Emperor \[Taizong\] emerged from the Eastern quarter and cleared away the noxious mists; having always been receptive to remonstrance and possessing a slight understanding of the essential tenets, he immediately declared a great amnesty and returned \[the clergy\] to their spiritual abodes. Thus, that the sun of the Buddha shone brightly once more in the Tang dynasty was again thanks to Falin. > > Having frequently experienced demotions and promotions, Falin vowed to maintain and support the Dharma. Seeing that worldly emotions frustrated the Way, he realized this was truly due to inadequate learning. He then explored the classics and canon, systematized their profound mysteries, and compiled the \*Bianzheng lun\* (Treatise on Defending the Correct) in eight fascicles. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 11.51.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2157.11.51.1) - [Next: 11.51.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2157.11.51.3) - [Up: 11.51](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2157.11.51) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2157~en-mt.11.51.2) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [開元釋教錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2154.8.6.2) — 智昇, Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2157.11.51.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2157.11.51.2) · Pramāṇa