佛說佛名經 1.97

1.97

「嗚呼！阿難大聖也，距佛不遠也，經藏所集也，而欲正一僧水鶴之偈，僧竟不從，況我凡夫乎？佛世已遠乎？經法遙傳乎？而於舉國盛行久遠之典，忽獨起以刪之，而欲眾情之不怒己。如螗螂之怒其臂以當車，欲其不輾己也，猶不足以譬其非分也。心知偽妄力不能正，末法之弊一至於此。傷哉！

"Alas! Ānanda was a great sage, not far removed from the Buddha, the compiler of the scripture treasury; yet when he wished to correct a single monk's verse on the water heron, the monk ultimately would not follow. How much more so for us ordinary mortals? The Buddha's era is already distant, and the scripture teachings transmitted from afar! If one should suddenly rise alone to delete a canon that has been widely popular across the whole realm for ages, wanting the public not to be angered at oneself—it would be like a mantis raising its arms in fury to block a chariot, wishing not to be crushed under its wheels; even that does not suffice to illustrate its presumption. Knowing in one's heart that it is spurious and false, yet lacking the power to correct it: the degeneration of the Final Dharma has reached such an extent as this! How grievous!