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T2102 The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Vol. I

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THE COLLECTION FOR THE PROPAGATION AND CLARIFICATION OF BUDDHISM - VOLUME I

THE COLLECTION FOR THE PROPAGATION AND CLARIFICATION OF BUDDHISM VOLUME I

Front Matters

BDK English Tripiṭaka Series THE COLLECTION FOR THE PROPAGATION AND CLARIFICATION OF BUDDHISM

VOLUME I

(Taishō Volume 52, Number 2102) Translated from the Chinese by

Harumi Hirano Ziegler Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai America, Inc. 2015

Copyright © 2015 by Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai and BDK America, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means —electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— without the prior written permission of the publisher. First Printing, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-886439-49-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014957879 Published by

BDK America, Inc.

1675 School Street

Moraga, California 94556

Printed in the United States of America

A Message on the Publication of the

English Tripiṭaka

The Buddhist canon is said to contain eighty-four thousand different teachings. I believe that this is because the Buddha's basic approach was to prescribe a different treatment for every spiritual ailment, much as a doctor prescribes a different medicine for every medical ailment. Thus his teachings were always appropriate for the particular suffering individual and for the time at which the teaching was given, and over the ages not one of his prescriptions has failed to relieve the suffering to which it was addressed.

Ever since the Buddha's Great Demise over twenty-five hundred years ago, his message of wisdom and compassion has spread throughout the world. Yet no one has ever attempted to translate the entire Buddhist canon into English throughout the history of Japan. It is my greatest wish to see this done and to make the translations available to the many English-speaking people who have never had the opportunity to learn about the Buddha's teachings. Of course, it would be impossible to translate all of the Buddha's eightyfour thousand teachings in a few years. I have, therefore, had one hundred thirtynine of the scriptural texts in the prodigious Taishō edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon selected for inclusion in the First Series of this translation project. It is in the nature of this undertaking that the results are bound to be criticized. Nonetheless, I am convinced that unless someone takes it upon himself or herself to initiate this project, it will never be done. At the same time, I hope that an improved, revised edition will appear in the future.

It is most gratifying that, thanks to the efforts of more than a hundred Buddhist scholars from the East and the West, this monumental project has finally gotten off the ground. May the rays of the Wisdom of the Compassionate One reach each and every person in the world.

NUMATA Yehan

Founder of the English

August 7, 1991 Tripiṭaka Project

Editorial Foreword

In January 1982, Dr. NUMATA Yehan, the founder of Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism), decided to begin the monumental task of translating the complete Taishō edition of the Chinese Tripiṭaka (Buddhist canon) into the English language. Under his leadership, a special preparatory committee was organized in April 1982. By July of the same year, the Translation Committee of the English Tripiṭaka was officially convened. The initial Committee consisted of the following members: (late) HANAYAMA Shōyū (Chairperson), (late) BANDŌ Shōjun, ISHIGAMI Zennō, (late) KAMATA Shigeo, (late) KANAOKA Shūyū, MAYEDA Sengaku, NARA Yasuaki, (late) SAYEKI Shinkō, (late) SHIOIRI Ryōtatsu, TAMARU Noriyoshi, (late) TAMURA Kwansei, URYŪZU Ryūshin, and YUYAMA Akira. Assistant members of the Committee were as follows: KANAZAWA Atsushi, WATA NABE Shōgo, Rolf Giebel of New Zealand, and Rudy Smet of Belgium.

After holding planning meetings on a monthly basis, the Committee selected one hundred thirty-nine texts for the First Series of translations, an estimated one hundred printed volumes in all. The texts selected are not necessarily limited to those originally written in India but also include works written or composed in China and Japan. While the publication of the First Series proceeds, the texts for the Second Series will be selected from among the remaining works; this process will continue until all the texts, in Japanese as well as in Chinese, have been published.

Frankly speaking, it will take perhaps one hundred years or more to accomplish the English translation of the complete Chinese and Japanese texts, for they consist of thousands of works. Nevertheless, as Dr. NUMATA wished, it is the sincere hope of the Committee that this project will continue unto completion, even after all its present members have passed away.

Dr. NUMATA passed away on May 5, 1994, at the age of ninety-seven, entrusting his son, Mr. NUMATA Toshihide, with the continuation and completion of the Translation Project. The Committee also lost its able and devoted Chairperson, vii

Publisher’s Foreword

Editorial Foreword

Professor HANAYAMA Shōyū, on June 16, 1995, at the age of sixty-three. After these severe blows, the Committee elected me, then Vice President of Musashino Women's College, to be the Chair in October 1995. The Committee has renewed its determination to carry out the noble intention of Dr. NUMATA, under the leadership of Mr. NUMATA Toshihide. The present members of the Committee are MAYEDA Sengaku (Chairperson), ICHISHIMA Shōshin, ISHIGAMI Zennō, KATSURA Shōryū, NAMAI Chishō, NARA Yasuaki, SAITŌAkira, SHIMODA Masahiro, Kenneth K. Tanaka, WATANABE Shōgo, and YONEZAWA Yoshiyasu.

The Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research was established in November 1984, in Berkeley, California, U.S.A., to assist in the publication of the BDK English Tripiṭaka First Series. The Publication Committee was organized at the Numata Center in December 1991. In 2010, the Numata Center's operations were merged into Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai America, Inc. (BDK America) and BDK America continues to oversee the English Tripiṭaka project in close cooperation with the Editorial Committee in Tokyo. MAYEDA Sengaku

Chairperson

Editorial Committee of

the BDK English Tripiṭaka

viii

Publisher's Foreword

On behalf of the members of the Publication Committee, I am happy to present this volume as the latest contribution to the BDK English Tripiṭaka Series. The Publication Committee members have worked to ensure that this volume, as all other volumes in the series, has gone through a rigorous process of editorial efforts. The initial translation and editing of the Buddhist scriptures found in this and other BDK English Tripiṭaka volumes are performed under the direction of the Editorial Committee in Tokyo, Japan. Both the Editorial Committee in Tokyo and the Publication Committee, headquartered in Berkeley, California, are dedicated to the production of accurate and readable English translations of the Buddhist canon. In doing so, the members of both committees and associated staff work to honor the deep faith, spirit, and concern of the late Reverend Dr. Yehan Numata, who founded the BDK English Tripiṭaka Series in order to disseminate the Buddhist teachings throughout the world. The long-term goal of our project is the translation and publication of the texts in the one hundred-volume Taishō edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon, along with a number of influential extracanonical Japanese Buddhist texts. The list of texts selected for the First Series of this translation project may be found at the end of each volume in the series.

As Chair of the Publication Committee, I am deeply honored to serve as the fifth person in a post previously held by leading figures in the field of Buddhist studies, most recently by my predecessor, John R. McRae.

In conclusion, I wish to thank the members of the Publication Committee for their dedicated and expert work undertaken in the course of preparing this volume for publication: Senior Editor Marianne Dresser, Dr. Hudaya Kandahjaya, Dr. Carl Bielefeldt, Dr. Robert Sharf, and Rev. Brian Kensho Nagata, President of BDK America.

A. Charles Muller

Chairperson

Publication Committee

A Message on the Publication of the English Tripiṭaka NUMATA Yehan v

Editorial Foreword MAYEDA Sengaku vii Publisher's Foreword A. Charles Muller ix Translator's Introduction Harumi Hirano Ziegler xv The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I Fascicle One

Preface 3

Mouzi's [Discourse on] theElucidation of Delusions(Lihuolun), or the Exposition by Mouzi Bo, Governor of Cangwu Prefecture 5 The Discourse to Correct Faulty Accusations[against Buddhism] (Zhengwulun) by an Anonymous Writer 37 Fascicle Two

The Discourse to Clarify Buddhism(Mingfolun) by Zong Bing of the Jin Dynasty 49

Fascicle Three

The Discourse to Explain the[Buddhist] Way(Yudaolun) by Sun Chuo 91

Response to He Chengtian's Letter by Layman Zong Bing: The Criticism on the Discourse on Buddhist Laymen and Clergy (Baiheilun) 100

He's Letter to Zong 100

Zong's Response to He's Letter 101 The Elucidation of the Criticism on [the Discourse on] the Equality of Good(Junshanlun) (i.e., the Discourse on Buddhist Laymen and Clergy) by He Chengtian 107 xi

Contents

Response to He of Hengyang, the Criticism on the Elucidation of the Discourse on Buddhist Laymen and Clergyby Zong Bing He's Second Response to Zong 115 122

Fascicle Four

The Discourse on the Full Understanding of Life(Daxinglun) by He Chengtian 125

The Expatiation of the Discourse on the Full Understanding of Life of He of Hengyang by Yan Yanzhi Response to Yan of Yongjia The Second Expatiation to He of Hengyang The Second Response to Yan of Yongjia The Third Expatiation to He of Hengyang 127 129

132

138

144

Fascicle Five

The Discourse on Regeneration(Gengshenglun) by Luo Junzhang 161

Sung Changsha's Letter [to Luo Junzhang] by Anguo (Sun Sheng) 162 Response to Sun [Sheng] 163 The Discourse on the Immortality of the Spirit(Shen bumielun) by Zheng Daozi 164

The New Discourse on Body and Spiritby Huan Junshan 170 The Discourse on Why Śramaṇas Do Not Bow to the Sovereign (Shamen bujing wangzhelun) by Dharma Teacher [Hui]yuan Section One: Lay Buddhists 175 Section Two: The Buddhist Clergy 174 177

Section Three: Those Who Pursue the Ultimate Law of Nature Do Not Follow the Principle of the Mutation [of Birth and Death in the Phenomenal World] 178 Section Four: Those Who Have Mastered the Ultimate Way Do Not Respond to the World by Serving Both [for Relief by Politics and Emancipation by Religion] Section Five: The Body is Mortal but the Spirit is Immortal 180 183

The Discourse on the Śramaṇa '

s Robe Worn with a Bared Shoulder (Shamen tanfulun) by Dharma Teacher [Hui]yuan A Criticism by He [Wuji], Zhennan [General] 190 192

xii

Contents

Dharma Teacher [Hui]yuan's Response [to He] 193 The Discourse on the Clarification of Reward and Retribution (Ming baoyinglun) by Dharma Teacher [Hui]yuan, Responding to Huan [Xuan] of Nanjun 196 The Discourse on Three Periods of Reward and Retribution (Sanbaolun), Composed for Those Who Doubt That There is No Testimony of [Reward or Retribution] Corresponding to Good or Bad Conduct, by Dharma Teacher [Hui]yuan 202 Fascicle Six

The Discourse to Elucidate the Refutation(Shibolun) by Shi Daoheng 207

The Discourseto Rectify[the Argument on] the Two Teachings (Zheng erjiaolun) by Ming Zhengjun 221 Family Law(Menlü) by Zhang Rong and the Criticism by Zhou [Yong, Director of] Shan 230 A Letter Given to He [Dian], He [Yin], Kong [Zhigui], Kong [Zhongzhi], and Zhou [Yong, Director of] Shan, Shanci Response to Zhang's Letter Together with Questions to Zhang The Second Letter Given to Zhou with Answers to His Questions The Second Response and Further Questions by Zhou Yong Letter to the Daoist Gu [Huan] by Xie Zhenzhi The Second Letter Given to the Daoist Gu 230 231

234

239

245

251

Fascicle Seven

Critique of the Daoist Gu's Discourse on the Non-Chinese and the Chineseby Zhu Zhaozhi, Attendant-in-Ordinary 257 Doubts about the Discourse on the Non-Chinese and the Chinese and Inquiries to the Daoist Gu by Zhu Guangzhi 265 The Disputation on the Daoist Gu's Discourse on the Non-Chinese and the Chineseby Huitong at Yecheng [Temple] 273 The Discourse on the Western Tribe and China(Rong hualan), Breaking the Daoist Gu's Discourse on the Non-Chinese and the Chinese, by Shi Sengmin at Guangling 282 Notes 289

Glossary 323

xiii

Translator’s Introduction

Contents Bibliography 331 Index 335 A List of the Volumes of the BDK English Tripiṭaka (First Series) 361 xiv

Translator's Introduction

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism(Taishō shinshū daizōkyō, volume 52, number 2102, 1a3-96b3) is a compilation by Shi Sengyou (445-518), a Vinaya master of the Liang dynasty (502-557) consisting mainly of discourses, critical responses to anti-Buddhist discourses, correspondence, reports to the emperor, family codes, and written appeals by Buddhist laypeople and monks, mostly from the Eastern Jin dynasty (317-420) through the second decade of the sixth century of the Liang dynasty. These writings were intended to protect the Buddhist Dharma from interference by those who valued the teachings based on Confucianism and Daoism, and by the political powers of the time, as well as in order to promulgate Buddhism. Sengyou was deeply concerned about delusions and misinformation held by anti-Buddhists, which he saw as a major cause of negative views toward Buddhism. In his Afterword to the Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism (in Volume II, forthcoming), he lists six kinds of secular scholars' doubts about Buddhism: (1) what the Buddhist scriptures expound is preposterous and unverifiable; (2) since one's spirit perishes when one dies, it is hardly possible that the spirit will transmigrate in the three periods of existence; (3) no one has ever seen the real Buddha and his teaching has no benefit to state governance; (4) the Dharma teaching did not exist in ancient times and emerged only recently during the Han period; (5) the Buddhist teaching should exist only in the region of the western tribes as its edification is not for Chinese people; and (6) the Dharma was rarely practiced in the Han and Wei periods and began flourishing only during the Jin period.

Sengyou believed that "The Way is propagated by people, and the teaching is clarified by literature.

" By collecting literary works from distinctive scholars of former ages that were intended to dispel wrong views toward Buddhism, which included expressions to protect Buddhism and were advantageous in protecting the Three Treasures, he hoped to disperse these doubts. xv

Translator's Introduction

Historical Background

Buddhist teachings transmitted to China before the Common Era were initially practiced only among non-Chinese groups. During the Han dynasty, the Buddhist clergy consisted of śramaṇas from India or Central Asia, and there was not a large number of Chinese followers. Around the middle of the third century we see the remarkable activities of a Chinese Buddhist group led by Zhu Shixing (or Zixing). More conspicuous activities of Chinese monks can be seen during the time of the Eastern Jin dynasty. Thanks to eminent Chinese monks such as Zhi Dun (314-366), Daoan (312-385), and Huiyuan (334-416), who expended great effort to spread Buddhist teachings, the number of Chinese monks notably increased. Intellectuals who were well versed in the Chinese classics, such as the Zhuangziand the Laozi Daodejing, and who enjoyed "pure talks" (qingtan), became increasingly devoted to Buddhism. By the early sixth century, when Sengyou compiled the Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism (hereafter, the Collection), Buddhism had come to flourish in both north and south China. The growth of Buddhism subsequently caused serious conflicts between Buddhists and non-Buddhists in political and social arenas and thought. People became more aware that the Buddhist teachings differed significantly from Confucianism and Daoism in many ways. Moreover, lay Buddhists' enthusiasm resulted in the construction of many Buddhist temples and pagodas, which caused financial burden on civil administration and society, and the increasing number of monks who did not observe the precepts and engaged in secular life and business contributed to the deterioration of the sangha. In the north, where non-Chinese groups had ruled continuously since the collapse of the Western Jin dynasty (316), government reaction to the ascendancy of Buddhism resulted in Emperor Wu's persecution of Buddhists between 446 and 452 during the Northern Wei dynasty. In the south, where the Chinese established political power successively, there was no such large-scale Buddhist persecution, but there were longstanding serious conflicts between Buddhists and non-Buddhists. Accordingly, Buddhist groups became the target of criticism from anti-Buddhist groups and were compelled to explain their positions and protect Buddhism at the same time.

xvi

Translator's Introduction

Characteristics and

Significance

The Collectionis widely known as an invaluable source to examine the early development of Chinese Buddhism. It offers much insight into how Buddhism, a foreign religion, was accepted in Chinese society, mainly by intellectuals of the southern dynasties, and how these early adopters understood the Buddhist tenets in relation to their abundant knowledge of the Chinese classics. In fact, we find various issues encountered by Buddhists to be deeply rooted in Chinese society and belief: whether or not the spirit perishes after death; the causality of reward and retribution in the three periods of existence; the differing viewpoints of the sovereign and of monks; Chinese monks' beliefs and Chinese customs and thought on such notions as filial piety, taking the tonsure, and styles of personal deportment (such as manners of sitting, eating, and dress); lay Buddhists' religious practices; a ruler's attempt to recruit monks for his brain trust; and criticism of Daoism.

A notable aspect of this work is that Buddhist tenets are explained using Confucian and Daoist terminology. It is widely known that geyi, a way to interpret Buddhist scriptures by means of the philosophy asserted in the Laozi Daodejingand the Zhuangzi, was popular during the Eastern Jin period. It began with Zhu Faya and Kang Falang who studied with Daoan under Fotudeng. Even though Daoan criticized geyi, it is known that he allowed only Huiyuan, his eminent disciple, to explain Buddhist doctrines using non-Buddhist texts. We see many examples of this tendency in this work. In addition to geyi, throughout the Hongmingjiauthors quote from the Chinese classics and historical records to support their arguments. Wherever possible I have tried to indicate in the notes the sources of these quotations together with available English translations.

Moreover, the Collectionis a valuable source to examine the early stage of Daoism in the south, particularly the Daoist school called the Way of the Five Pecks of Grains (Wudoumidao), or the Way of the Celestial Master (Tianshidao). For instance, in fascicle eight (in Volume II of this translation, forthcoming), in Shi Xuanguang's criticism of Daoism, Daoist practices, and rituals such as the "unity of the yin-yangvapors" (heqi) and the "mud and ash fête" (tutanzhai) are described. In addition, we find the titles of each xvii

Translator's Introduction

position of the organization together with their derivations. A scarcity of clearly dated Daoist sources for studies of early Daoism is a crucial problem in current scholarship. Although the Collectionis a Buddhist work from chiefly the fourth and fifth centuries, it also serves well as a primary source for contemporary Daoism.

Finally, it should be noted that this text served as inspiration for Dao xuan (596-667), who took Sengyou's compilation as his model in compiling his own Extensive Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism(Guang Hongmingji) in 664.

Questions on the Compilation

The text of the Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism currently circulated consists of fourteen fascicles, with fifty-eight headings. Sengyou, however, lists this work as consisting of ten fascicles together with a table of contents, with thirty-three headings, in his compilation Collection of Records Derived from the Tripiṭaka(Chusanzangjiji), completed around 515 in the last years of his life. The Buddhist catalogue Zhongjing mulu compiled by Fajing in 593 lists this text as being comprised of ten fascicles as well, but Fei Changfang's catalogue Lidai sanbaojicompleted in 597 records the Collection as consisting of fourteen fascicles. Questions about the completion of the fourteen-fascicle text are still controversial and require further research.

Note on the Translation

Citations from the Taishō shinshū daizōkyōare listed in this form: Taishō serial number; volume number; page; register (a, b, or c); line number(s). For example, Taizi ruiying benqi jing, T.185.3:472c1-483a13. Transliterations of Chinese language follow the Pinyin system. Japanese Romanization follows the modified Hepburn system as employed in Kenkyūsha

s New Japanese-English Dictionary(third and later editions). xviii

THE COLLECTION FOR THE PROPAGATION AND CLARIFICATION OF BUDDHISM VOLUME I

Compiled by Shi Sengyou at Jianchu Temple in Yangdu during the Liang dynasty

Fascicle One

Preface

The awakening [of the Buddha] is as boundless as the ocean. The wisdom [of the Buddha] is as completely illuminating as a mirror. The edification [of the Buddha] ingeniously spreads throughout the universe; in fact, it created [the sage kings] Yao and Shun, as if molding ceramic art or casting metal. The law [of the Buddha] dominates beyond the world in which we cling to language; therefore it created the Duke of Zhou and Confucius, just as if fashioning clay into figures.

Nevertheless, the greater the Way is, the more difficult it is to believe; the higher the tone of the music, the fewer there are who can sing it harmoniously. Mount Sumeru is lofty and steep, where very strong winds (Skt. vairambhaka) arise. Treasures accumulate in a depository and then theft occurs. Once upon a time, when the Tathāgata resided in this world, his edification shook the trichiliocosm, and yet the four devils harbored grudges and the six masters embraced poisonous thoughts;1 not to speak of today, the last phase of the period of the Semblance Dharma.

Almost five hundred years have passed since the time the Great Dharma reached the east. When conditions are good, people have faith [in Buddhism], but when conditions are not, they do not; the fortune [of Buddhism] has its ups and downs as well. Those who have right views propagate and support [the teaching], and those who are evil and deluded slander [it]. As for perverse Confucianists who abide by literature, they keep their distance [from Buddhism] because it is considered heathen. The honey-tongued heretics (i.e., Daoists) adopt [Buddhism] in their teaching and consider both to be the same teaching. Those who keep their distance [from Buddhism] suffer drastic delusion, and those who adopt [Buddhism in their teaching] experience confusion about the colors of vermilion and purple. 2 As a consequence, sophisticated arguments have gradually become more complicated and corrupted forms of words have exceedingly flourished.

1a3

Mouzi’s [Discourse on] the Elucidation of Delusions (Lihuolun)

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I The hedanbird screeches in the night [in search of daybreak], yet it cannot split the darkness for broad daylight. The legendary jingweibird holds pebbles in its mouth [and drops them in the sea in order to fill it up], yet it fails to mar the natural features of the blue ocean.

3 Nevertheless, if brightness

is disturbed by darkness and greatness is slandered by smallness, even though nothing can be changed at all, it would pollute people's eyes and ears. This will cause those of weak and infirm natures to follow false debates and go astray for a long time, and those who have disordered logic to pursue heretical doctrines and indulge in everlasting [delusion]. This is why it is easy to fall into hell and difficult to ascend to the pure state.

I, Sengyou, am of superficial learning, but I am deeply bent on propagating and guarding [Buddhism]. I resent in my mind flattering statements and groundless customs. Thereupon, making use of short intervals of medical treatment or spare moments while dwelling in the mountains, I have compiled intelligent writings of ancient and modern times and collected polished essays by Buddhist clergy and laypeople. Among them, I made use of all those [writings] that painstakingly eliminate evil [teachings] and are irrefutable expressions to protect the Dharma, regardless of the length of the works. In addition, among written records and literature by distinguished scholars of former ages, I have compiled all those that are advantageous [for the Three Treasures] as well. They are classified and arranged in fourteen fascicles. The Way is propagated by people, and the teaching is clarified by literature. [This work] is [intended] to propagate the Way and clarify the teaching. Therefore, it is called the Collection for the Propagation and Clarification [of Buddhism] (Hongmingji). At the same time, led by my shallow thought, I append my own discussion at the end. I pray that by a drop of water and a particle of dust I will be able to help increase the water of the ocean and raise the height of Mount Dai. However, my learning is solitary and uncultivated and my knowledge is limited. I am ashamed of being narrow-minded. Wellversed expert gentlemen, please grant your aid to enlarge this compilation. 4

Fascicle One

Mouzi's [Discourse on] the Elucidation

of Delusions (Lihuolun), or the

Exposition by Mouzi Bo, Governor

of Cangwu Prefecture4

Mouzi has already studied the Classics, commentaries on them, and all philosophers' works. Regardless of the size or length, there was no book he did not like. Although he was not delighted with books on the art of war, he still read them. He read books on the immortals and immortality, but restrained himself and never believed [in these things]; he considered them to be preposterous. In the time after Emperor Ling (r. 168-189) [of the Later Han dynasty] had passed away, the world was in turmoil. Only Jiaozhou was relatively peaceful. People of the heterodoxy moved en masse from the north to settle there. Many practiced the art of the immortals, abstaining from [eating] grain to prolong their life spans. There were many contemporary people who learned [the art of the immortals from these people]. Mouzi always rebuked them by [referring to] the Five Classics. None among the Daoists and practitioners of the heterodox arts dared respond to [his rebuke]. [People] compared this with the case where Meng Ke (i.e., Mencius) drove off Yang Zhu and Mo Di. 5

Before this, Mouzi fled with his mother to Jiaozhi (present-day Vietnam). At the [Chinese] age of twenty-six he returned to Cangwu and took a wife. The governor [of Cangwu prefecture] heard that Mouzi abided by learning, and visited him to ask him to become a civil official. At that time, [Mouzi] was just in the prime of his youth, and had intensely set his heart on learning. Moreover, he saw that the world was in chaos and he had no intention of entering government service. He did not accept the offer after all. During this period, all the provinces and prefectures were suspicious of each other and isolated from one another, without communication. Since [Mouzi] had profound learning and great knowledge, the governor [of Cangwu prefecture] wanted to send him as a diplomatic envoy to pay homage to Jingzhou (in present-day Hubei province). Mouzi believed that while it is easy to decline honor and rank, it is difficult to shirk a mission. Consequently he dressed properly and was about to go. As it happened, the regional governor of the province [learned that] Mouzi was a well-educated recluse and summoned him. Again Mouzi feigned illness and excused himself. 5

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I A younger brother of the regional governor, the governor of Yuzhang prefecture (in present-day Jiangxi province), had been murdered by the Leader of Court Gentlemen Ze Rong (d. 195). The regional governor then planned to send the Commandant of Cavalry Liu Yan, who commanded troops and who was about to head to [Yuzhang]. [But the regional governor] was afraid that [this action] would provoke reciprocal suspicion from the outer world and the troops would not be able to proceed. So he asked Mouzi, "My younger

brother was killed by a rebel. My great indignation about this, [as his brother who shares] the same flesh and bones, arises from the bottom of my heart. I am about to send the Commandant of Cavalry Liu there, [but] I am afraid that the outer world is in turmoil and travelers cannot get through. You are well learned in both literary and military arts and especially talented in diplomacy. Now I would like you to oblige us by giving your consent to going to Lingling and Guiyang (in present-day Hunan province) and to making their roads available for our passage. What do you think?" Mouzi replied,

"Just like a horse that has been fed and waits at your stable, I have been treated [kindly] for a long time. [When the moment arrives], a patriot forgets himself and hopes to devote himself as much as he can.

" Accordingly, [Mouzi] dressed and was about to depart. At this point, his mother suddenly passed away and he was not able to make the trip. For a long time [Mouzi] reflected,

"Since I have a fluent tongue, I am

handily appointed for a mission. Just now the world is in disturbance, and it is not a time to distinguish myself in the world.

" Then he lamented,

"Laozi

wrote,

'Exterminate sagacity and reject knowledge.

'6 If one cultivates himself

and maintains truth, all of nature does not take away his ambition, the world does not deny his pleasure, a son of Heaven cannot subjugate him, and feudal princes cannot befriend him. Therefore, he finds approval as noble. "

Then Mouzi had the earnest intention [to learn] the Buddhist Way, and concurrently studied Laozi's Five Thousand Words(i.e., the Daodejing). He took in the profound subtle meanings as if they were wine and drink, and played on the Five Classics as if they were [musical instruments like] the Chinese zither (qin) and the reed organ. Many common people condemned him, thinking that he had gone against the Five Classics and turned to a heterodox way. Even if he wished to engage these people in disputation, it was not [in accordance with] the [Buddhist] Way. Even if he wanted to 6

Fascicle One

keep silent, he was unable to do so. Consequently, he spent time with brush and ink to briefly cite the words of the sages and wise ones in order to make a testament of [his response to the condemnation of Buddhism] with explanations. This is called Mouzi's [Discourse on] the Elucidation of Delusions (Lihuo[lun]).

A person asked,

"From whom was the Buddha born? Does he or does

he not have ancestors and a country [to which he belonged]? What does he bestow on all people? What does he look like?"

Mouzi replied,

"You have big questions. I am dull, but I will roughly explain the outline [of the biography of the Buddha]. I have heard the state of the Buddha's transformations. It is impossible to record his [entire] chronicle, since he accumulated moral conduct for several hundreds of billions of years. Nevertheless, when he came into [the existence in which he would become] the Buddha, he was born in India, in the provisional form of the son of [Lady Māyā], the queen of King Śuddhodana. Once, while taking a midday nap, she had a dream that she rode upon a white, six-tusked elephant. She was very delighted and accordingly felt that she had become with child. On the eighth day of the fourth month, [the child] was born from the right armpit of his mother. He landed upon the ground, took seven steps forward, and said, raising his right arm,

'There is no one in Heaven and Earth who

goes beyond me.

' At that time, Heaven and Earth quaked tremendously and the palace became bright all over. On the same day, a servant of the royal family also gave birth to a child, and a white horse in the stable bore a white colt. The [servant's] baby was called Chandaka and the white colt was named Kaṇṭhaka. The king instructed them to always attend the prince. "The prince had thirty-two major marks and eighty minor marks of physical excellence. He was one zhangand six chitall, and his body was of a golden color all over. He had a protuberance (rouji; Skt. uṣṇīṣa) on the top of his head. His jaws were just like those of a lion. His tongue [was so long that it] could cover his face. His palms had the pattern of a thousandspoked wheel. The light radiating from the top of his head illuminated everything for ten thousand li.This is a rough description of the major marks of the Buddha.

"When [the prince] was seventeen years old, his [father,] the king, chose as [the prince's] consort a girl from a neighboring state. Whenever the prince 7

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I seated himself, he moved his seat away from her. When he slept, he did not share a bed with her. The Way of Heaven is, [however,] quite evident; yin and yanghad relations [with each other]. Consequently she conceived a son, who was born six years later. The king regarded the prince as invaluable and extraordinary, and he built palaces for him and arranged female entertainers and precious amusements in a row in front of him. But the prince did not wish for worldly pleasure; his intention lay in morality. "At midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month of the year [the prince] turned nineteen years old. He called Chandaka, had him put the bit and bridle on Kaṇṭhaka, and mounted the horse. Spiritual beings helped them, lifting them up, and [they all] flew out of the palace. "The next day [the prince's quarters] were found empty and no one knew where [he] was. There was none among the king, the officials, and the people who did not sob, [missing him]. They pursued [the prince] and caught up with him in a field. The king said [to the prince], 'Before you

were born, I prayed and asked the gods [for you]. Now I already have you, you who are just like a precious stone or a jade tablet. You must succeed to the throne, and yet you have left [the palace]. What are you going to do?' The prince replied,

'All things are impermanent; any existence will pass

away. I would like to learn the way [to enlightenment] and liberate all sentient beings in the ten directions.

' The king realized that [the prince's resolution]

was steady and firm. So the king rose and returned [to the palace]. The prince promptly departed. He contemplated the Way for six years, and finally attained buddhahood.

"The reason [the Buddha] was born in the first month of the summer season is because it is the time of the fourth month of the year (zhonglü), 7

when it is neither [too] cold nor [too] hot, when grasses and trees bloom, and when people take off the fox-fur robes and put on linen clothes. The reason he was born in India is because it is located in the center of the universe, which maintains its justice and peace. There are altogether twelve kinds of scriptures he authored, eight hundred and forty million fascicles in all. Among them, a large fascicle contains less than ten thousand words and a small fascicle consists of more than a thousand words. The Buddha gave the teaching all over the world and liberated the people. Accordingly, on the fifteenth day of the second month, he entered nirvana.

Fascicle One

"His teaching and precepts continuously exist. If we follow [the teaching and precepts] and are capable of practicing them, we will be able to attain wuweias well, and happiness will be passed on to later generations. 8

"Those who observe the five precepts have six purification days in a month. On the day of purification, one concentrates his or her mind, repents, and turns over a new leaf. Śramaṇas observe two hundred and fifty precepts and have purification every day. Their precepts are not what laymen (Skt. upāsaka) are not able to learn. Their proper deportment and course of action are not different from those of the [Chinese] classical rites of antiquity. Throughout the day and night, they talk about the [Buddhist] Way and recite sutras, and do not take part in worldly affairs. Laozi said, 'Deportment [of

those who] have exceeding virtue is just to follow the Way. '9 This is what

he meant [about śramaṇas].

A person asked,

"For what reason precisely is he called the Buddha? What is the meaning of 'buddha'?"

Mouzi replied,

"The word buddhais a posthumous title, just as the Three Augusts are called gods and the Five Thearchs are called sages [in China]. The Buddha is the founder of morals and the originator of divinities. The term buddhameans awakened. [The Buddha] is beyond our sensory perception; he can transform into and manifest as various entities; he sometimes appears and sometimes disappears; he can become smaller or larger; he can be a round or a square shape; he can become old or young; and he can hide and reveal himself. He goes through fire without being burned. He steps on a sword without being injured. He can be in filth without being soiled. Even if he experiences a calamity, it has no effect on him. When he wants to travel, he flies through the air, and when he sits, he emits light. Therefore, his title is Buddha. "

A person asked,

"What is called the 'Way'? What category is the Way?" Mouzi replied,

"The term 'Way' means to lead. It leads people to wuwei. Pull it forth and it does not advance. Pull it back and it does not retreat. Lift it and it does not ascend. Lower it and it does not descend. Look at it and it has no shape. Listen to it and it has no sound. Outside of the visible world is vastness, [but the Way] meanders beyond it. A breadth of a hair is minute, [yet the Way] is full of twists and turns within it. Therefore, it is called the Way. "

A person asked,

"Confucius considered the Five Classics to be the teaching of the Way, which should be recited while folding one's hands before 9

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I one's breast and practiced. Now, the [Buddhist] Way you explain is the absolute vacancy (xuwu) and beyond our sensory perception. It does not expose its significance and does not direct its performance. Why is it different from what the sage (i.e., Confucius) said?"

Mouzi replied,

"You cannot consider what you are familiar with to be

important and what you are unfamiliar with to be trivial. You are confused by matters of the outside world and lose yourself in the mind. In doing something, you should not lose morality. It is just as in the case that one should not lose gongand shang[of the fundamental notes] when tuning the strings of a musical instrument.

10 The Way of Heaven is regulated with the four seasons and the ways of human beings are regulated with the five cardinal virtues. Laozi said,

'There was something mixed, coming into existence before Heaven and Earth. It can be considered as the mother of the world. I do not know its name, but if I dare to give a name to it, it is called the Way. '11 The

Way helps people in being able to serve their parents at home, helps those who govern the state in ruling over the people, and helps those who establish themselves [in the world] without the assistance of others in harnessing themselves. If you practice [the Way], it will fill the universe. If you reject and do not practice it, it will disappear and yet will not leave you behind. You do not understand this. Why [do you think] it is different from [the Way of which Confucius speaks]?"

A person asked,

"The greatest reality does not look adorned, and the

highest level of expression has no polished [words]. [An expression of] concise words that is comprehensible is elegant. Things that require less work and yet achieve a goal are clever.

"Therefore, pearl and jade are rare and yet valuable, while rubble is common and worthless. The sages [of China] established the foundation of the Seven Classics, which consist of less than thirty thousand words and within which all issues are treated. The Buddhist scriptures are numbered at some ten thousand fascicles, whose words are in the hundreds of millions, which is more than one person is able to sustain. I think they are troublesome and unimportant.

Mouzi replied,

"The reason large rivers and oceans are different from a pool of water on a street is because they are deeper and wider. The reason the Five Sacred Mountains are dissimilar to mounds is because they are taller 10

Fascicle One

and bigger. If [the Five Sacred Mountains] are not extremely higher than [ordinary] mountains and hills, even a crippled sheep could climb up to the peaks. If [large rivers and oceans] are not extremely deeper than small streams, even a small boy could take a bath in the abysses. Qiji (a legendary fine horse capable of covering a thousand liin a day) does not live in a garden, and a fish that [is capable of] swallowing a boat does not swim in mountain streams that are several rendeep. If you break open a three-cunlarge oyster to look for a pearl [that is as large as] a bright moon, or if you try to find a brood of Chinese phoenixes in a nest of thorny brambles, it will certainly be difficult to find them. This is because the minor cannot contain the great. "The Buddhist scriptures expand issues for hundreds of millions of years in the past, and still state main points for all ages. When the primordial substance had not yet arisen, when the primal beginning had not yet been produced, 12 and when Heaven and Earth began to rise, their slightness could not be grasped, and their minuteness could not be entered. [But] the Buddha governed over them all, even the vast world outside [of the universe], analyzed within the profound and subtle world, and missed nothing to record about them. Therefore, the scriptures are counted in some ten thousand fascicles, with words in the hundreds of millions. The more [words there are], the closer to completion [it is] and the richer [the content is]. Why [do you think] it is unimportant? Even though [the scriptures] cannot be sustained by one person, it is like the case where you drink water when arriving at a river. When you have drunk enough and you feel satisfied (i.e., your thirst is quenched), would you then care about the remaining water?"

A person asked,

"The Buddhist scriptures are numerous. I would like to

master their main points and dismiss the superfluities. Please simply discuss their essence and eliminate embellishments.

Mouzi replied,

"No. The sun and moon are both bright, but each has its

own time to shine. Each of the twenty-eight constellations has its own place over which it rules. Multifarious medicinal herbs grow equally, but each of them has its own effect to heal sickness. Fox-fur robes are worn to protect against coldness, while linen clothes are worn to keep out heat. A boat and a carriage travel different routes from each other, though both of them transport travelers. The reason Confucius did not take the Five Classics to be perfect and further wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals(Chunqiu) and the Canon 11

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I of Filial Piety (Xiaojing) is simply because he wanted to propagate the means of the Way by which people may act freely. Even though Buddhist scriptures are numerous, [they all] result in one. Although the Seven Classics are different from each other, the esteem in which they hold morality, benevolence, and righteousness results in the same, too. The reason why filial piety is explained in numerous ways is to give instruction according to people's conduct. It is just as when both Zichang and Ziyou asked the same question about filial piety Confucius gave each a different answer to correct their individual shortcomings. Why [do you think] there is something [in Buddhist scriptures] to dismiss?"

A person asked,

"If the Buddhist Way is the most august and the greatest, why did [Emperor] Yao and [Emperor] Shun, the Duke of Zhou, or Confucius not cultivate it? No expression [of the Buddhist teaching] is found in the Seven Classics. Master, you have already indulged in the Book of Odes (Shijing) and the Book of History(Shujing), and have been delighted with the Book of Rites(Liji), and the Book of Music (Yuejing). Why are you also fond of the Buddhist Way and happy about this foreign method? How could [Buddhism] surpass the Classics and their commentaries and be better than the sages' works? If I were you, I would not accept it. "

Mouzi replied,

"It is not necessarily that only books of the words of Confucius are [useful], just as medicines do not have to be prescribed by the great doctor Bian Que [to be efficacious]. Whatever meets righteousness is followed, and whatever heals sickness is good. Gentlemen extensively take all that is wholesome in order to complement themselves. Zigong said, 'What necessity

was there for my master to have a regular master?'13 Emperor Yao served Yin Shou, Emperor Shun served Wu Cheng, [the Duke of Zhou] Dan studied with [Taigong Wang] Lü [Shang],

14 and Confucius studied with Lao Dan (i.e.,

Laozi), but none of these are found in the Seven Classics. Even though these four masters [Yin Shou, Wu Cheng, Lü Shang, and Lao Dan] are sages, when compared with the Buddha they are like white deer compared with a kylin, or swallows compared with a Chinese phoenix. [Even so,] Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius still studied with them. "Moreover, the Buddha has the marks of physical excellence, he can transform, he has supernatural powers, and he has no set pattern. How can you reject and not study Buddhism? In the items and meanings of the Five 12

Fascicle One

Classics, there are some lacunae. As for the fact that the Buddha is not mentioned [in the Seven Classics], how worthwhile is it to be doubtful and suspicious?" A person asked,

"It is said that the Buddha has thirty-two major and eighty minor marks of physical excellence. Why is he so different from [ordinary] people? I am afraid that this is an extravagant expression and a description of unreality. "

Mouzi replied,

"As the saying goes,

'The fewer chances to see, the more

suspicious [one is].

' A man sees a camel and says that it is a horse with a swollen back. [We also say that] Emperor Yao's eyebrows were of eight different colors, each of Emperor Shun's eyes had double pupils, the mouth of Gao Yao (a chief judical officer for Emperor Shun) was [just like] a crow's beak, King Wen [of the Zhou dynasty] had four nipples, [the legendary ruler] Yu had three orifices in each ear, the Duke of Zhou was hunchbacked, Fuxi had a nose [just like] a dragon's, and Confucius had a depression on the top of his head. Laozi had a sun-shaped lump and the mark of a moon on his forehead, and two nose bridges. He held the Chinese characters of the Ten [Celestial Stems] in his hands, and treaded upon the two [principles of yinand yang] and the five [primary elements] (i.e., metal, wood, water, fire, and earth). 15

These men are not different from [normal] people, are they? How worthwhile is it to be doubtful of the Buddha's marks of physical excellence?" A person asked,

"The Canon of Filial Pietysays,

'Your body, hair, and

skin are received from your parents. Do not dare to damage them. '16 When

Zengzi was about to die, he said,

'Uncover my feet, uncover my hands!'17

Now, śramaṇas shave their heads. Why do they go against the sage's words? They do not follow the way of filial piety. You are always fond of discussing right and wrong and correcting wrong to right, yet on the contrary, [you think] it is alright [for śramaṇas to shave their heads], don't you?" Mouzi replied,

"It is not benevolent to slander sages and virtuous people. It is not intelligent that correction is not much to the point. How can you cultivate virtue being neither benevolent nor intelligent? If you are not going to cultivate virtue, you are the same as those who are stubborn and stupid. How can I easily discuss [these matters] with [such a person]? "Once upon a time a man of Qi crossed a large river by boat, and his father fell into the water. He bared his hands, grasped his father's head, turned 13

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I his father upside down, made him regurgitate the water, and so was able to bring his father back to life. It is the gravest impiety to grasp the head of one's own father and to turn him upside down, but by doing so this man helped his father escape death. If he had cultivated himself as is usual for a filial son, folding his arms [and doing nothing], his father would have died by drowning. Confucius said,

'If you can be faithful to the Way with them,

you may not yet take measures suited to the occasion with them. '18 This

refers to acting in what is considered a proper manner at the time. "Moreover, the Canon of Filial Pietysays,

'Kings of previous times had

the highest virtue and the essential points [of what is good and appropriate]. '

Taibo, however, had his hair cut off and his body tattooed following the custom of the Wu-Yue region [of southern China], disregarding the righteousness toward one's body, hair, and skin [stated in the Canon of Filial Piety]. Nevertheless, Confucius praised him [and said], '[Taibo] may be said

to be a man of the highest virtue.

'19 Confucius did not defame Taibo for

having his hair cut.

"Seeing this, if one has great virtue, he will not be tied down by trifling [faults]. It can be said that the utmost concessions are that śramaṇas give up their family property, abandon their wives and children, do not listen to music, and do not look upon [beautiful] worldly things. Why [do you say that] they go against the sage's words and do not follow [the way of] filial piety? Yu Rang [of Jin] swallowed charcoal and lacquered his body [for a vendetta]. Nie Zheng flayed the skin of his face and punished himself [after committing a successful assassination]. Princess Bo [of Lu state, who was married to the Duke of Gong of Song state], in order to follow the way of womanhood stayed in the flames [when a fire broke out in her mansion]. Gao Xing, [a widow of Liang state,] mutilated her [beautiful] appearance [by cutting her nose off]. Gentlemen consider that these people were brave and died for righteousness; I have heard no one slander their self-mutilation or suicides. Compared to the actions taken by these four people, śramaṇas' shaving their beards and hair is not far removed from them.

A person asked,

"There is no happiness beyond having posterity, and

there is no impiety greater than having no posterity. Śramaṇas abandon their wives and children and give up wealth, or they never marry for their entire lives. Why do they carry out [such a] practice against happiness and filial 14

Fascicle One

piety? They themselves suffer and yet they have nothing wonderful. They exhaust themselves and yet they have nothing marvelous. "

Mouzi replied,

"One who is strong on the left must be weak on the right. One who formerly had the extensive must later have the narrow. [Confucius says,] 'Meng Gongchuo is excellent as a chief retainer of [the powerful families such as] the Zhao or Wei [of Jin], but he is unfit to be a high official of [a small state such as] Teng or Xue.

'20 Wives, children, and belongings are

extra in secular life. Purity and wuweiare the wonders of the Way. Laozi said,

'Fame or body, which do you hold more dear? Body or wealth, which do you think more valuable?'"21

Again [Mouzi] said,

"One may observe customs handed down from the three preceding dynasties (i.e., Xia, Yin, and Zhou), read the arts of the ways of Confucians and Mohists, recite the Book of Odesand the Book of History, cultivate etiquette, respect benevolence and righteousness, and consider cleanliness [to be important]. The people of the world will hand down [this person's] virtuous works to the next generation and he will brim over with fame. "Such [acts] are what mediocre people perform, and what people of peace and non-worldly desire do not seek. Therefore, if in front of you there is a pearl like that of the Marquis of Sui22 but there is a tiger behind you, even though you may see [the pearl] you will run away. Why do you dare not take the pearl? [It is because preserving] your life comes before profit. "Xu You lived in the nest of a tree. [Bo]yi and [Shu]qi starved on [Mount] Shouyang. The sage Confucius praised their virtues and said, 'They are the

ones who sought benevolence and attained it.

'23 I have never heard them

ridiculed for not having posterity or property. Śramaṇas cultivate morality instead of having worldly pleasures, and return to [the ways of] virtuous wise people, having given up the joys of having wives and children. If this is not wonderful, what can be wonderful? If this is not marvelous, what can be marvelous?"

A person asked,

"The Yellow Emperor [sat] with his garments hanging down and established rules for clothing and ornaments. 24 The Viscount of Ji

recited [to King Wu of Zhou] the Great Model(Hongfan), in which deportment is the most important of the five issues (i.e., deportment, language, looking, listening, and thinking).

25 Confucius authored the Canon of Filial Piety, in which [he considers that the regulation of] clothing is the beginning [of] the 15

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I three virtues (i.e., the regulation of clothing, the regulation of manners, and virtuous acts). In addition, [Confucius] said,

'[A gentleman] adjusts his clothes

and cap, and imbues his appearance with dignity.

'26 Even though Yuan Xian

was poor, he did not take off his cap made of birch bark. When Zilu encountered danger, he did not forget to tie the chin-straps of his cap. Today śramaṇas shave off their hair and wear undyed cloth. When they come across other people, they make no decorum of kneeling and standing up. They have no proper manners in their course of action. Why do they go against the code of deportment and clothing, and denigrate the adornments of the official class?" Mouzi replied,

"Laozi said,

'Those who possess the highest degree of

virtue do not consider that they are virtuous, and therefore they possess virtue. Those who possess the lowest degree of virtue [seek] how not to lose it, and therefore they do not [actually] possess virtue.

'27 During the times of the

Three Augusts, the people ate [raw] meat, wore animal-skin clothing, and lived in nests in trees or caves. They valued the simple and unadorned life. Why would they need zhangfucaps or furs woven with adornments?28 [Without those things,] the people of that time are said to have been virtuous, honest, trustworthy, and [possessing] wuwei.The conduct of śramaṇas is similar to theirs.

A person said,

"If things were just as you say, such people as the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius would be rejected; they would not be worthy of being emulated. "

Mouzi replied,

"If you see things extensively, you will not be confused. If you have a good faculty of hearing, you will not be deluded. Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius cultivated worldly affairs, while the Buddha and Laozi pursued wuwei.Confucius traveled to more than seventy states. Xu You heard that there was to be an abdication of the throne [for his sake], and he then washed his ears in a gulf [because he thought the abdication was so foul that it polluted his ears]. The way to be a gentleman is sometimes to go out [for official service] and sometimes to remain in seclusion, or to sometimes remain silent and to sometimes speak out. He does not let his emotions overflow and he does not give full sway to his nature. Therefore, the reason why the way [of a gentleman] is noble lies in the purpose for which it is employed. What reason is there in rejecting them (i.e., the sages)?"

Fascicle One

An inquirer said,

"In the Way of the Buddha, it is said: 'People die and then must be reborn.

' I do not believe this is true.

Mouzi asked,

"When a man is about to breathe his last, a family member goes up to the roof and calls his name. He has died. What then is [his family] trying to call back?"

A person replied,

"[That person] tries to call the spirit of the dead (hunpo) back [to rejoin the body].

Mouzi asked,

"If the spirit (gui) returns, he revives, [but] if it does not return, what is the spirit then called?" [A person] replied,

"It becomes a spiritual being (guishen). "

Mouzi said,

"That is correct! Without doubt, the spirit (hunshen) does not perish. Only the physical body decays and becomes rotten. The body is just like the roots and leaves of the five major grains, and the spirit is compared to the seeds and kernels of the grains. The roots and leaves come into existence and then inevitably die. How could the seeds and kernels have a termination? [People] attain the Way and only their bodies perish. Laozi said, 'The reason

we have great calamity is because we have a body. If we did not have a body, what calamity would we have?'29 He also said, 'When the work is done, retiring into obscurity is the Way of Heaven. '"30

Someone said,

"Those who practice the Way die and those who do not practice the Way also die. What difference is there [between the two]?" Mouzi replied,

"[Your question is], so to speak, to ask for a lifetime honor without performing good conduct for even one day. If one attains the Way, even if he dies, his spirit returns to Heaven. If he has committed evil conduct, after death his spirit inevitably receives retribution. Ignorant people are in darkness about the established facts, while intelligent people foresee things that have not yet germinated. Comparison between practicing the Way and not practicing the Way is just like that between gold and grass. Having wholesomeness and being given happiness are [as clear as] the comparison between white and black. How could there not be a difference? Nevertheless, you ask what is the difference [between the two]. "

A person asked,

"Confucius said,

'While you are not able to serve human beings, how can you serve the spirits? While you do not know life, how can you know about death?'31 The sage declined to answer this [question on spiritual beings and life and death]. Now Buddhists always speak of matters of 17

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I life and death, as well as of the affairs of spiritual beings. I am wondering if this goes against the words of sages and saints. Those who follow the Way ought to make the mind absolutely vacant and simple, and return to the principle of simplicity. Why, then, do [Buddhists] disturb our will by talking about life and death? Why do they speak unnecessary words about spiritual beings?" Mouzi replied,

"It appears that your words are, so to speak, like those who observe the outside and yet are not aware of the inside. Confucius deplored the fact that Zilu did not consider the whole issue from beginning to end. [Therefore,] he merely restrained [Zilu] with those words. The Canon of Filial Pietysays,

'Build the ancestral shrine [for one's departed parents]. Present offerings to them in the same way as you would worship spiritual beings. Offer sacrifices in the spring and autumn, thinking of them. ' It continues,

'Devote yourself to loving and respecting them while they are alive. Devote yourself to mourning after their death. '32 Did [the sage] not teach

people to serve the spiritual beings and to know about life and death? "The Duke of Zhou begged [spiritual beings] for Emperor Wu's life and said,

'I, Dan, am versatile and able to serve spiritual beings. '33 What does

this mean? Isn't the tenor of life and death stated in the Buddhist scriptures of this kind? Laozi said,

'If one who knows the child (i.e., the phenomenal world) proceeds to guard the child's mother (i.e., to preserve the One), he will be free from all peril to the end of his life. '34 [Laozi] also said,

'If he

who employs the light reverts to its [source of] brightness, no disaster will befall him.

'35 These statements are about the tenor of life and death and the positions of good or bad fortune. The essence of the highest Way is to truly esteem solitude. Why would Buddhists be fond of debate [about life and death]? It is only that they cannot ignore it when someone comes to ask questions. Can there be a bell or a drum that makes a sound by itself? They only produce sounds when struck.

A person asked,

"Confucius said: 'The barbarians of the east and north have their rulers, but they are still not as good as the states without rulers in our great land.

'36 Mencius ridiculed Chen Xiang, who was learning more of Xu Xing's teaching, saying,

'I have heard of people using [teachings of] our great land to change the barbarians' [customs], but I have never heard that our customs were changed by the barbarians' teachings. '37 You learned the

way of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius 18

Fascicle One

at an early age, but you abandoned it and are learning more about the barbarians' teaching. Are you continuously deluded?" Mouzi replied,

"[Words like] this sound only like the idle talk of the time when I did not yet understand the Great Way. It may be said that you see the elegance of ceremonial forms and yet lack knowledge about the truth of morality, or that you catch a glimpse of the light of a torch or candle but you have not yet seen the sun in the sky. What Confucius spoke of are the ways to correct social customs or practices. Why Mencius spoke thus is merely that he deplored [that Chen Xiang] concentrated his attention on [Xu Xing's teaching]. Formerly wishing to live in the region of the nine barbarian tribes of the east, Confucius said,

'If a gentleman dwelled among them, what

vileness would there be?'38 When Confucius could not find an official position in the states of Lu and Wei, and when Mencius was not employed in the states of Qi and Liang, how could they have taken service in the states of the barbarian tribes of the east and north?

"[The legendary ruler] Yu is from Qiang, the barbarian tribe in west China, and yet he was a sage. Gusou is the father of [the sage king] Shun and yet he was foolish. You Yu was born in [the barbarian state of] Di [to the north of our great land], and yet [he helped] Qin establish hegemony. Guan[shu Xian] and Cai[shu Du] (i.e., the Duke of Zhou's brothers) came from the basin between the Yellow River and the Luo River, but they spread a false rumor [to cause trouble for the Duke of Zhou]. "A commentary says,

'The polestar is located in the middle of the sky,

in the north above us.

' Seen from this point of view, the land of Han (i.e., China) is not necessarily the center of the universe. According to what the Buddhist scriptures state, all sentient beings of the entire universe belong to the Buddha. Therefore, I heartily esteem Buddhism and study it. What reason do I have to abandon the way of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius? Gold and pearl never impair each other. The Marquis of Sui's pearl and emerald never hindered each other. You say that other people are deluded, yet it is you yourself who is deluded!" A person asked,

"It cannot be said to be charitable to give away one's father's property to a stranger. It cannot be said to be benevolent to sacrifice oneself for others while one's parents are still alive. Nowadays a Buddhist scripture states that Prince Sudāna gave his father's property to complete 19

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I strangers, granted a precious elephant belonging to the state to its enemies, and [gave away] his own wives and children to others.

39 It is said to be uncivil

to not respect one's own parents and yet to respect others. It is said to be immoral to not love one's own parents and yet to love others. 40 Prince Sudāna

was neither filial nor kind, but Buddhists respect him. Isn't this peculiar?" Mouzi replied,

"In the doctrine of the Five Classics, the first son [from the legal wife] is designated as heir. Yet the Great King [of the Zhou dynasty] saw [his grandson] Chang's ambition. [So] he moved his youngest son [Jili, who was Chang's father, up in the succession] to become his heir. Consequently, the enterprise of the Zhou dynasty was achieved, and by means of this a peaceful world was realized. In the custom of marrying a woman, a man must inform his parents [to obtain their approval]. [Nevertheless,] Emperor Shun married [two daughters of Emperor Yao] without telling [his parents]. By this means, he achieved the important relation of husband and wife. People of integrity must be invited for service and talented vassals wait to be drafted for public services. Yi Yin, [however,] carried a heavy threelegged caldron on his back and besought King Tang [of the Yin dynasty for an official position]. Ning Qi knocked on [his ox's] horns to beseech [Lord Huan of] Qi [to grant him an official position]. With [the help of Yi Yin,] King Tang won the throne, and with [the help of Ning Qi,] Qi state attained hegemony.

"According to etiquette, a man and a woman should not put their hands on each other, [but] if the wife of one's elder brother is drowning, it is an expedient way in [such an] emergency to put one's hands on her [in order to pull her out of the water]. If we can comprehend the greatness of things, then we should no longer pay attention to minor details. Why should a great person comprehend ordinary matters? Prince Sudāna saw that the world is impermanent, and money and property were not real treasures for him. Therefore, he donated at his will, and by doing so he achieved the Great Way. His father's kingdom received the blessings, and enemies were unable to invade [his father's kingdom]. When [Prince Sudāna] attained buddhahood, his parents and brothers were all able to attain liberation as well. If this is not a filial and benevolent [act], then what is benevolent and filial?"

A person asked,

"In Buddhism, wuweiis of value, giving alms is pleasurable, and observing the precepts requires as much caution and attention as 20

Fascicle One

if one were approaching an abyss. Today, śramaṇas give themselves up to wine. Some have wives and children, or purchase [goods] at a low price and sell [them] at a high price [for profit]. They devote themselves to such swindles. This is a great hypocrisy in the world. 41 Is this what is called wuweiin

Buddhism?"

Mouzi replied,

"Gongshu [Ban, a master carpenter in Lu state during the Spring and Autumn period,] was able to give people a hatchet, an ax, and an ink line [with which to do construction], but he was not able to make them as skillful as himself. Sages are able to impart their ways to others, but they cannot make others follow and perform them. Gao Yao was able to punish thieves, but he couldn't make greedy people become [as upright as] Boyi and Shuqi. The five penalties can punish villains, but they cannot regenerate such evil people to be [as virtuous as the disciples of Confucius,] Zeng Shen and Min Ziqian. Emperor Yao was not able to educate [his son] Dan Zhu, and the Duke of Zhou was unable to admonish [his brothers] Guan[shu Xian] and Cai[shu Du]. Wouldn't Tang's (i.e., Emperor Yao) teaching be clear? Wouldn't the Duke of Zhou be possessed of morality? [Yes, they were.] Never theless, there was no help for bad people.

"Figuratively speaking, if people who are well versed in the Seven Classics are smitten with money and women, can it be said that the six arts [that these people have mastered] are depraved and lustful? Hebo, even though he is the god [of the Yellow River], cannot drown people who stay on land. A violent wind, though it blows swiftly, cannot fling dust onto the surface of deep water. You must be worried about the fact that people are unable to practice. How can you say that Buddhism has vice?"

A person asked,

"Confucius said,

'Luxury leads to haughtiness, and frugality to meanness. It is better to be mean than to be haughty. '42 Shusun

[Qiaoru] said,

'Frugality is respectful. Luxury is the worst among evil acts. '43

Today Buddhists consider donating all one's property to be honorable and giving all one's money to others to be valuable. How can there be merit [in doing so]?"

Mouzi replied,

"'That was one [critical] time, and this is another. '44 This

expression by Confucius [indicates that] he detested luxury and impoliteness, and Shusun's comment [is intended] to admonish the arrogance of Lord [Zhuang], who carved pillars. Neither case prohibits making donations. When 21

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I [Emperor] Shun tilled on Mount Li, his benevolence did not reach even the neighboring area. Taigong [Wang Lü Shang] butchered cows [to make a living], 45 but his kindness did not extend to his wife and children. After these two men were employed, their benevolence flowed all over the world and their kindness was bestowed upon the world. For those who have abundant property and plenty of money, it is valuable to give alms to others. For those who live in poverty and who are often poor, it is valuable to follow the Way. "Xu You was not greedy to ascend the throne. Boyi was not contented to take the reins of the state. Yu Qing gave up a fief of tens of thousands of households, and gave relief to destitute people in a crisis. These are all [acts of] their goodwill. Xi Fuji [of Cao state took his wife's advice and] gave a pot of food to [Zhong'er, who defeated Cao], and his kindness helped keep his community intact (i.e., Zhong'er did not attack the community). 46 Xuan

Meng (i.e., Zhao Dun) saved his most important life and body in return for a meal [he had given to Ling Zhe].

47 If you have done good in secret, without

expecting return, you will receive a positive reward as bright as the sun. Needless to say, if you sink in fortune in order to give rise to good intentions, your merit and virtue are as lofty as Mount Song or Mount Tai, and as vast as a great river or the ocean. Those who embrace a compassionate heart are rewarded with happiness, and those who harbor evil receive misfortune as retribution. It has never happened that those who have planted rice will harvest wheat, or that those who have caused disaster will obtain happiness. "

A person said,

"Among qualities, nothing surpasses sincerity; in speech, nothing goes beyond truth. Laozi eschewed artful expressions and showed respect for simple words. Buddhist scriptures, [however,] do not directly indicate the matter and yet extensively take allegories in vain. Allegory is not the essence of reason. It is a combination of different matters in order to express one thing, which is not an excellent explanation. Even though [Buddhist scriptures] have numerous expressions and extensive words, they are similar to a cart full of fragments of jade pieces, which are not considered to be treasure.

Mouzi responded,

"Things that both [a speaker and a listener] have seen can be explained with the real thing, but things that only a speaker has seen are difficult to explain in exact words. Formerly a person who had not seen a kylinasked someone who had seen one,

'What kind [of animal] is a kylin?'

Fascicle One

The one who had seen it answered,

'A kylinis just like a kylin.

' The questioner

said,

'If I had seen a kylin, then I would not have asked you the question. Nevertheless, you said only that a kylinis just like a kylin.How can I understand this?' The one who had seen a kylinsaid, 'The kylinhas a body like a

roe deer, a tail like a cow, hooves like a deer, and a back like a horse. ' The

questioner understood right away.

"Confucius asked,

'Is one not like a gentleman when he does not feel depressed even though people do not know of him?'48 Laozi said, 'Can the

space between Heaven and Earth not be compared to a bellows?'49 Moreover, he said,

'How the Way is in the world is compared to waterways between mountains that flow into large rivers and oceans. '50 Would these be considered

artful expressions? The Analects(Lunyu) of Confucius states, 'He who takes

the reins of government by means of virtue can be compared to the north polestar.

'51 Here, a celestial body is referred to and compared to a human being. Zixia said,

'It is just as all plants have differences [in their growth]. '52

The three hundred chapters in the Book of Odes[were compiled], collecting events and arranging them into each category. In writings by the thinkers of the numerous schools [in the late Zhou dynasty] and books about the occult, up to books classified for sages, there is none that does not employ allegories or use parables. Do you maliciously say that when he expands the teaching, the Buddha alone uses allegories and parables?" A person asked,

"There is no one among the people who, while conducting themselves in life, does not like wealth and high position, does not hate poverty, is not pleased by joy and leisure, or does not avoid troubles. The Yellow Emperor considered the five kinds of meat (i.e., beef, lamb, pork, fish, and venison) to be the best to keep us in good health. Confucius said, 'He does

not detest finely cleaned rice and finely minced meat. '53 Nowadays śramaṇas

put on red robes, have only one meal a day, and shut off their six sense organs throughout their lifetimes. If they are like this, what fun do they have?" Mouzi replied,

"[Confucius said,] 'Wealth and high position are what people desire, but if a gentleman does not obtain them in the proper way, he would not place himself there. Poverty and meanness are what people detest, but if a gentleman cannot avoid them in the proper way, he would not abandon them.

'54 Laozi said,

'The five colors (i.e., blue, yellow, red, white, and black) cause people to become blind. The five notes [of traditional Chinese music] 23

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I (i.e., gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu) cause people to become deaf. The five flavors (i.e., sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty) cause people's tastebuds to be paralyzed. Going at full speed in the wild while hunting makes people crazy. Rare goods distract people from having [proper] conduct. [As a result,] sages take care of their bellies and not their eyes.

'55 How could these words

be false? Hui of Liuxia [of Lu state] did not change the way he acted even after he was offered a position as one of the three highest-ranking officials. 56

Mu of Duangan did not barter his body for the wealth offered by Lord Wen of Wei state.

57 Xu You and Chaofu lived high up in a tree, which they said was more peaceful than the imperial palace. Boyi and Shuqi starved on Mount Shouyang, but they said they were more satisfied than King Wen and King Wu. Probably they were satisfied just with their resolutions. Why [do you say that śramaṇas] have no fun?"

A person asked,

"If Buddhist scriptures are profound and extravagant,

why do you neither talk about them at court nor discuss them with your superior and father? You cultivate only at home and relay [the teaching] to your friends. Why do you also study the Classics and commentaries and read various philosophers' works?" Mouzi replied,

"You have not yet reached the origin, and yet you ask

about the streams [that emanate from the source]. I do not mean that it is not magnificent to set out a sacrificial stand and pot at a camp gate, to hoist military flags and banners in a palace hall, to cope with [the heat of] the fifth month by wearing a fox-fur robe, or to ward off [the coldness of] the eleventh month by putting on a hemp garment. These actions are perverse in their orientation of time and place. 58 Therefore, if you sustain the teaching of Confucius and become a disciple of [the Legalist Gongsun] Yang, the lord of Shang, or if you have the theory of Mencius [who advocated the rule of right] in your mind yet call on Su Qin or Zhang Yi [who advocated the rule of might], you will have no accomplishment at all but you will have made a big mistake. "Laozi said,

'When scholars of the highest class hear about the Way, they diligently practice it. Scholars of the middle class, when they hear about the Way, keep only half in their mind. Scholars of the lowest class, when they hear about the Way, have a great laugh at it.

'59 Since I am afraid that

[scholars of the lowest class] will burst into laughter, I will not talk [about Buddhism]. When one is thirsty, he does not necessarily drink the water of 24

Fascicle One

a large river. But how can he be dissatisfied with the water of wells and fountains? For this reason, I study the Classics and commentaries as well. "

A person asked,

"What is the history of the land of Han (i.e., China) hearing about Buddhism for the first time?" Mouzi replied,

"Many years ago, Emperor Xiaoming (r. 57-75) saw in a dream a holy man who had sunlight on his body and who flew in front of the palace. [The emperor] was greatly delighted with this. Next day, he asked of the entire body of ministers,

'What god is this?' Fu Yi, a well-read, greatly experienced person, answered,

'I have heard that in India there was a man who had attained the Way. He is called the Buddha. He could fly in the air and had sunlight on his body. I am worried that [you saw] that god. ' Then

the emperor came to realize this and dispatched [to the west] eighteen people, including the Inner Gentleman Cai Yin, the Gentleman of the Palace Guard Qin Jing, and the Disciple of the Erudite Wang Zun. They copied the Buddhist scripture [called] the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters(Sishi er zhang), in [the country of] Dayuezhi [in Central Asia]. The sutra was deposited in the fourteenth cubicle of the Lantai stone chambers [in Luoyang]. Then, outside the Yong gate to the west of Luoyang a Buddhist temple was built. On the walls [of the temple] was painted an illustration of a large military group of mounted soldiers circumambulating a pagoda thrice clockwise. Furthermore, buddha images were made and placed on the Qingliang Tower of the southern palace and on the Kaiyang Gate of the city wall. During his reign, Emperor Ming had his mausoleum called Xianjie ("Prominence and Uprightness") constructed in advance. Illustrations and images of the Buddha were made and placed on it as well. At that time, the nation was rich, the people enjoyed peace, and barbarians in distant regions admired our morality. Hence, the number of those who studied Buddhism increased. "

A man asked,

"Laozi said,

'Those who know do not speak, while those who speak do not know.

'60 He also said,

'He who is greatly eloquent speaks

with a stammer, and he who is greatly skillful looks clumsy. '61 [Just as Confucius said,] 'A gentleman is ashamed that his words are greater than his conduct. '62 Supposing that śramaṇas have attained the highest Way, why do they not practice it instead of sitting [and doing nothing]? Why do they talk about right and wrong and take up right and wrong for discussion? I think that these [śramaṇas] commit the theft of virtue.

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I Mouzi replied,

"Suppose you are afraid that next spring there will be a serious famine, so you do not eat in the autumn [in order to save food]. Or, fearful that it will be cold in the eleventh month, you wear two fur robes, one over the other, in the fifth month. Although these actions are taken in order to be fully prepared beforehand, it is unavoidable that you look stupid. Laozi's maxim refers only to those who have attained the Way. What do those who have not attained the Way know? When the Great Way is explained in one word, the whole world is joyful. Isn't this great eloquence? Didn't Laozi say that 'When the work is done, to retire into obscurity is the Way of Heaven'?63 When a person has already retired into obscurity, what more does he have to say? Śramaṇas of today have not yet attained the Way. How can they help but to speak? Even Laozi, [who said 'those who know do not speak,

'] still made speeches. If he remained silent, [as he taught,] how could he give the account of the Five Thousand Words (i.e., the Daodejing)? "It is all right if one knows [the Way] and does not speak it. But if one is unable to know [the Way] and furthermore unable to speak it, he is just stupid! Consequently, he who is able to speak [the Way] but unable to carry it out is the teacher of the nation. He who is able to carry out [the Way] but unable to speak it is the force of the nation. He who is able to carry out [the Way] and also speak it is the treasure of the nation. Each of these three types of people has an applicable point. How then could they commit the theft of virtue? Only those who are unable to speak and also unable to carry out [the Way] can be said to commit the theft [of virtue].

A person asked,

"If things are just as you say, we should only have to learn how to progress in our debates and study speeches and discussions. Why do we have to regulate our minds and follow morality as well?" Mouzi replied,

"How slow to understand you are! Spoken language and

discussion have their own proper and adequate times. It is said about Qu Yuan [in the Analectsof Confucius],

'When the Way prevails in the world,

he is straightforward. When the Way does not prevail in the world, he can roll up [his principles] and keep them close to his heart. '64 About Ning Wuzi,

it is said [in the Analects],

'When the Way prevailed in the world, he displayed

his intelligence. When the Way did not prevail in the world, he behaved like a stupid person.

'65 Confucius said,

'Not to talk to one with whom you may

talk is to waste a person [of talent]. To talk to one with whom you may not 26

Fascicle One

talk is to waste your words.

'66 Therefore, to be intelligent or to behave like

a stupid person both have their proper times. [Based on time and place,] speech and discussion serve several purposes. Why [do you say that] we [only have to learn how to progress in] debates and discussion without carrying out [the Way]?"

A person asked,

"Why do you say that Buddhism is the most esteemed

and the happiest teaching of wuweiand freedom from avarice? Many people and scholars in the world slander [Buddhism], saying that 'Its words and theory are vague, difficult to take up [for practice], and [the notion of] absolute emptiness is hard to believe.

' Why [do they say this]?"

Mouzi replied,

"The most delicious food does not satisfy every palate. Great music is not familiar to every ear. Even if [the noble music] Xianchi [composed by the Yellow Emperor] is played, [the refined music] Dazhang [composed by Emperor Yao] is set forth, [the lofty music] Xiaoshao[composed by Emperor Shun] is set out, and the music is sung nine times, no one joins in the chorus. [On the contrary,] if music from a stringed instrument of [the ruined states] Zheng and Wei is played, or if current popular songs are sung, [many people] unexpectedly clap their hands on the beat without fail. Therefore, Song Yu, [replying to King Xiang of Chu state,] said, 'A visitor

sang in Ying, [the capital city of Chu]. When he performed simple and crude folk songs, those who joined in the chorus numbered a thousand people. When he played [highbrow music], making the [refined] note shangand stringing up to the clear note jue, no one in the audience responded. '67 This

indicates that all the people were pleased with vulgar music and did not understand well-cultivated [music].

"Han Fei criticized Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun from a narrow viewpoint, as if looking at [the sky] through a tube. Jie Yu reproached Confucius with a view as small as a [strand of] hair.

68 They all stand pat in their inferior

[views] and disregard great [views]. To hear the clear note shangand say that it is the note jueis not the fault of the player but due to the listener's poor faculty [of listening]. To see [Bian] He's jade and call it a stone is not because the jade is ignoble but due to the beholder's lack of knowledge. 69 A

snake with supernatural powers can regenerate its body into one even if it is cut into many pieces, but [the snake] cannot cause people not to cut it apart. A turtle with mysterious powers appeared to Lord Yuan of Song state in a 5b

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I dream, but [the turtle] could not evade the net of [the fisherman] Yu Qie. 70

The Great Way is wuwei, which is neither what ordinary people understand, nor what may increase its value by praise, nor what may lose its value by slander. Whether or not it is employed is up to Heaven. Whether or not it is practiced is up to the turn of time. Whether or not it is believed is up to fate. "

A person asked,

"You interpret the Buddha's teaching with the Classics and their commentaries. Your expressions are rich, and the meanings are clear. Your compositions are energetic and the explanations are beautiful. Isn't this due to your rhetorical skill rather than being the truth?" Mouzi replied,

"No, it is not. Since I have a broad view of things, I am simply not deluded.

A person asked,

"How did you come to have a broad view of things?"

Mouzi replied,

"Through the Buddhist scriptures. When I did not understand Buddhist scriptures, I was more deluded than you are. Even though I recited the Five Classics, I just considered them to be flowery and had not come to realize their truth. Now I see the doctrines of the Buddhist scriptures, read the essentials of the Laozi[Daodejing], abide by the nature of tranquility without worldly desires, and contemplate the practice of wuwei.When I come back to view the affairs of the world, I feel as if I am stealing a glance at a gorge from high above the earth,

71 or as if I am ascending Mount Song and

Mount Dai to look over the small foothills. The Five Classics are just like the five flavors and Buddhism is just like the five grains (i.e., staple foods). Since I heard the Way, I have been in a condition that is just like clouds opening up to reveal the sun, or entering into a dark room holding a torch. "

A person asked,

"You said that [the Buddhist] scriptures are [as deep as] great rivers and seas, and the words are [as beautiful as] brocade and embroidery. Why do you respond to my questions referring to [the Classics such as] the Book of Odesand the Book of Historyinstead of using Buddhist scriptures? Do you intend to combine different categories in one?" Mouzi replied,

"A thirsty man does not need [the water of] a large river or the sea to quench his thirst. A hungry man does not need the granary of Mount Ao to fill his stomach. The Way is established for the wise. Debate is well constructed for knowledgeable people. Books are transmitted for those who understand them. Things are clarified for people of insight. I refer to phrases [of the Classics] since I think that you know the meanings. If I 28

Fascicle One

speak with the words of Buddhist scriptures and discuss the essentials of wuwei, it would be like explaining the five colors to the blind, or playing the five notes [of traditional Chinese music] for the deaf. Even though [music] master Kuang [of Jin state] was artful, he could not strum a Chinese zither that had no string. Although fox and badger furs are warm, they cannot warm the dead.

"Gongming Yi [of Lu state] played the musical piece Caoin the note qingjuefor a cow, but the cow just bent her head down and ate [grass] as before. This does not mean that she did not listen to [the music], but [the music] did not meet her ears. On the other hand, if there were the buzz of a mosquito or gadfly or the lowing of an orphaned calf, she would promptly swish her tail, strain her ears, and stamp on the ground, listening to it. This is why I only respond to your questions referring to the Classics. "

A person asked,

"Once when I was in the capital, I entered Dongguan

Library and studied at Taixue National University, where I saw what talented scholars regulated and I listened to what the circle of Confucian scholars discussed. However, I never heard that to cultivate Buddhism is considered valuable and that to damage one's appearance by oneself is considered superior. Why do you indulge in [Buddhism]? When you get lost, alter the route! When you exhaust all methods, return to the old [method]! Don't you think so?" Mouzi replied,

"One who excels in dealing with extraordinary matters

cannot be deceived. One who is versed in the Way cannot be surprised by strange things. One who discerns tones in words cannot be deluded by words. One who understands righteousness cannot be swayed by profit. Laozi said, 'Fame harms oneself. Advantages debauch one's behavior. '72 He also said,

'If deception is set up and power is established, the absolute vacancy spontaneously becomes valuable. '73 To cultivate the art of the inner chamber, to

go with the current of the times, and to strive to tune oneself to the present time, taking advantage of unguarded moments, are actions taken by scholars of the lowest class and rejected even by scholars of the middle class. "It is needless to speak of the highest Way, which is vast and what sages of the highest class practice. [The highest Way] is as expansive as the sky and as deep as the sea. It is not suitable for people who peep over a wall or for those who consider a several ren-high wall to be tall. This is proper, as a matter of course. [These people] see the gate (i.e., outer factors), while I 29

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I see the room (i.e., inner factors). They pluck the flowers (i.e., worldly glory), while I take the fruit (i.e., truth). They seek perfection, while I preserve the One. You should change course immediately! I ask you to follow [Buddhism]. You have not been aware of what the causes of fortune and misfortune are like. "

A person asked,

"With the words of the Classics and their commentaries

and the splendid doctrines, you praise the Buddha's conduct and extol his virtue, which [you say] is lofty, as it rides the high clear clouds, and is wide, as it goes beyond the end of the earth. Can it be that [your praises] exceed the essential qualities and surpass the reality [of the Buddha]? Accordingly, my taunt considerably touches Buddhism on its disadvantage and hits the vitals. "

Mouzi replied,

"Alas! My praises [for the Buddha's virtue] are just like adding a speck of dust to Mount Song and Mount Tai, or collecting the morning dew and throwing it into a large river or the sea. Your slanderous words [against Buddhism] are like using a ladle and goblet to attempt to reduce [the volume of water in] a large river or the sea, or plowing by foot to attempt to lower Mount Kunlun, or raising a hand to block the sunlight, or lifting a lump of earth to block the flow of the Yellow River. My praises cannot make the Buddha loftier and your slander cannot bring him low. "

A person asked,

"Is the issue of longevity stated in the talisman registers of Wang Qiao, Chisongzi, and the eight immortals, and in the one hundred and seventy fascicles of [Gan Ji's] Divine Book(Shenshu), the same as that in the Buddhist scriptures?"

Mouzi replied,

"A comparison [between these texts of the immortals

and the Buddhist scriptures] in category is just like comparing the five powers (i.e., the five states of Qi, Song, Jin, Qin, and Chu in the late Zhou dynasty) with the Five Thearchs [who ruled in accordance with virtue], or comparing Yang Huo, [who looked like Confucius,] with Confucius himself. A comparison [between them] in shape is just like comparing foothills with Mount Hua and Mount Heng, or small creeks and ditches with large rivers and seas. A comparison [between them] in elegance is just like comparing a tiger hide with a sheepskin, or mottled hemp with brilliant and beautiful embroidery. There are ninety-six different teachings, but the most esteemed among them is none other than Buddhism. The texts of the immortals, when we listen to their words, sound great and fill our ears, but when we seek their efficacy, it is like grasping at wind or trying to catch a shadow. Hence, [the texts of the 30

Fascicle One

immortals] are not upheld in the Great Way and are not valued in wuwei. How could they be the same?"

A person asked,

"Some among the practitioners of the Way [of the Immortals] avoid grain and do not eat it, yet they drink wine and eat meat. They say also that this is the way of Laozi. In Buddhism, however, to drink wine and eat meat are the heaviest violations to the precepts, and yet [Buddhists] do eat grain. Why do they contradict each other?"

Mouzi replied,

"There are extant about ninety-six various teachings in total. So far as having no worldly attachment and wuweiare concerned, nothing is more esteemed than Buddhism. I have inspected the two volumes of the Laozi[Daodejing] and have learned that this scripture prohibits the five flavors, but I have never seen any word to proscribe against the five major grains. The sage (i.e., Confucius) formulated the writings of the seven canons in which there is no mention of a prohibition against eating grain. Laozi wrote the Five Thousand Words(i.e., the Daodejing) and yet the issue of abstaining from grains is not indicated. The sage (i.e., Confucius) said, 'Those

who eat grain are intelligent. Those who eat grass are silly. Those who eat meat are violent. Those who eat vapor have a long life. '74 The people of the

world do not understand this matter; they see that the six kinds of birds stop breathing and do not eat in the autumn and winter seasons, and then they try to imitate them. They do not know that each thing or being has its own true nature. It is just as a magnet attracts [a heavy piece of] iron and yet it cannot pull a [light strand of] hair.

A person asked,

"Should we rather stop eating grain or not?"

Mouzi replied,

"Before I understood the Great Way, I once learned [the way of abstaining from grain] too. There are several thousand and several hundred methods to abstain from grain. When I practiced them, they were not effective at all; when I performed them, there were no [good] signs at all. Therefore, I just gave up [these methods]. I observed the three teachers with whom I studied. They described themselves to be seven hundred, five hundred, and three hundred years old [respectively], but in less than three years after I had begun to study with them, they all died. The cause of their deaths is probably that they abstained from grain, did not eat it, and [instead] ate various fruits; they went back for second and third servings when they enjoyed meat; they had an entire barrel of wine when they drank; their spirits 31

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I were muddled and delirious; the energy of grain did not fill [their bodies]; and their ears and eyes were deluded and were not debarred from lewdness and evil. When I asked them why they did this, they replied, 'Laozi said that

he reduces and again reduces till he comes up to wuwei. 75 We need only to

reduce day by day.

' As far as I observed them, however, they just increased [their self-interest] day by day and did not reduce [anything at all]. Thereupon, they all died before reaching the age at which one may know the decrees of Heaven (i.e., fifty years old).

76 Even Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius were all unable to live to a hundred years of age. Nevertheless, foolish and deluded people of these latter days want to seek inexhaustible longevity by [the alimentotherapy of] ingesting drugs and the avoidance of grain. How sad!"

A person asked,

"Those who practice the Way [of the Immortals] say that they can prevent disease and do not get sick, or that they can recover from illness without acupuncture and medicine. Is this true? Why do Buddhists recommend acupuncture and medicine when someone becomes ill?" Mouzi replied,

"Laozi said,

'When things reach their prime, they begin aging. This may be said to be the deviation from the Way. Anything that deviates from the Way soon comes to an end. '77 Only those who have attained

the [Buddhist] Way will not be reborn. Since they are not reborn, they will not be in the prime, either. Since they are not in the prime, they will not age, either. Since they do not age, they will not become ill. Since they do not become ill, they will not decay. For this reason, Laozi considered having a body to be a great calamity.

78 When King Wu was ill, the Duke of Zhou

begged for [King Wu's] life,

79 and when Confucius was ill, Zilu asked leave to pray for [Confucius].

80 I see that all the sages became ill, but I have never seen that they did not fall into illness. Shen Nong tasted [the flavors of the various] grasses and he was about to die several tens of times. 81 The Yellow

Emperor bowed with his head to the ground and received acupuncture from Qi Bo. How could these three sages be inferior to Daoist practitioners of the present time? When I examine [these points], your words are also worthy of rejection.

A person asked,

"All teachings are the same in [regard to learning] wuwei.Why do you distinguish them from each other, arrange them, and 32

Fascicle One

indicate their differences? Furthermore, you cause those who learn the teaching to be suspicious. I am afraid that this is wasteful and futile. "

Mouzi replied,

"Although we call all of them 'grass,

' the natures of various grasses cannot be distinctively explained. We call them all 'metal, ' but

the natures of various kinds of metals cannot be distinctively explained. Even in the same category, there are differences in their natures. All things are just so. Why would this not be so only in regard to teachings? In bygone days Yang [Zhu] and Mo [Di] blocked the path of a group of Confucianists. Their carts could not advance, and people could not make progress. It was not until Mencius opened up [the path] that the people came to know what to follow. 82

[Music] master Kuang played his Chinese zither, waiting for someone who could understand his tune to appear in later ages. 83 Sages formulated the

model decorum, hoping that gentlemen would see it in the future. "Seeing that a jade and a stone were put in the same chest, Yi Dun turned pale.

84 Seeing that purple overpowered vermilion when the two colors mixed, Confucius sighed in lamentation.

85 [The light of] the sun and moon is not

unclear, yet numerous clouds obscure it. Buddhism is not incorrect, but numerous private teachings obscure its justice. Thereupon, I distinguish and differentiate [Buddhism from other teachings]. The intelligence of Zang Wen [Zhong] and the uprightness of Weisheng [Gao] were what Confucius was very stern about.

86 All of his words were [spoken in order] to correct [the vices of] the world. Why is it wasteful and futile [to distinguish teachings from each other]?"

A person asked,

"It is all right if you slander the immortals, repress unusual things, and do not believe that there is a way to immortality. Why do you believe that it is only Buddhism by which one should attain liberation? The Buddha lived in a foreign land. You have not set foot on that soil, and have not yet seen the place. You have only read the writings and trust in what [the Buddha] did. He who sees [only] a bright aspect is unable to know the reality. He who sees a shadow is unable to discern the form. [What you believe] is almost untrue.

Mouzi replied,

"Confucius said,

'See what a man does, observe what

he has done, and examine with what he is content. How could he conceal his character?'87 Formerly, [Taigong] Wang Lü [Shang] and the Duke of 33

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I Zhou asked each other about their administrations, and each knew how [the states of Qi and Lu] would end up.

88 Yan Yuan, on the day when he rode on

a carriage drawn by a team of four horses, observed Dongye Bi's way of handling the horses and he knew [that the horses] would break down. 89 Zigong

witnessed the meeting of [Prince Yin of] Zhu state and [Prince Ding of] Lu state, and intuited the reasons for their death [based on their behavior]. 90

Confucius heard the notes of strings played by [music] master Kuang and recognized that it was King Wen's musical composition. 91 Jizha [of Wu] listened to music and saw the customs of various countries. 92 Why is it necessary

to set foot on [that soil] and see [that place]?"

A person asked,

"I once traveled in Khotan country where I often met

śramaṇas and Buddhist followers, whom I reproved, referring to my [Confucian] doctrines. None could respond to me and they all backed down. Many of them corrected their resolution and changed their intention. Why do you alone have difficulty reforming yourself?"

Mouzi replied,

"When light feathers meet with wind high above, they

are blown away. When fine stones get into the flow of water from a mountain stream, they are carried down[stream]. Mount Tai alone remains unmoved in a whirlwind. Massive rocks are not swept away even by a rapid current. When plum trees are nipped by the frost, they become leafless, but pines and cypresses are hardly withered. The Buddhist followers you met were certainly not of broad experience and knowledge and did not have extensive insight. Consequently, they humbly backed down. You, [however,] are not going to vanquish even a stupid person such as myself, not to speak of those who are well versed in the [Buddhist] Way. You do not reform yourself and yet want to change others. I have never heard that Confucius followed the robber Zhi, or that King Tang [of the Yin dynasty] and King Wu [of the Zhou dynasty, who are known as sages,] modeled themselves after [the tyrants] King Jie [of the Xia dynasty] and King Zhou [of the Yin dynasty]. "

A person said,

"In the Way of the Divine Transcendents, one does not eat in autumn and winter, nor does he shut himself up in a room for dozens of days. This can be said to be the [condition of] the most content, free from avarice. I think that this should be considered respectful and valuable, and I am afraid that Buddhism is not as good as [the Way of Divine Transcendents]. "

Fascicle One

Mouzi said,

"Pointing to the south when it is in fact the north, one says to himself that he is not confused. Considering west to be east, he says to himself that he is not stupid. Being a [humble] owl, he laughs at [a noble] phoenix. Holding [insignificant creatures such as] mole crickets and earthworms, one ridicules turtles and dragons. Cicadas do not eat, but gentlemen do not value them. Frogs and pythons hibernate, but sages do not attach importance to them. Confucius said,

'Of all [beings who have] life between Heaven and Earth, human beings are the noblest. '93 I have never heard that

he respected cicadas and pythons. Nevertheless, among the people of the world there are inherently those who eat sweet flag [grass] and discard cinnamon and ginger, and who decline to drink sweet dew but sip unrefined vinegar. The fine hair on the skin, although it is small, can be examined if you look at it [closely enough]. Mount Tai's loftiness cannot be seen if you turn your back on it. It is a matter of whether or not you pay attention to it, or whether or not you are careful. In Lu state the Ji family was respected and Confucius was vilified.

94 In Wu state, Great Steward Pi was considered to be capable and [Wu]zi Xu was not considered to be good. 95 So, [given these

situations,] your questions [may be seen to be] reasonable. "

A person asked,

"The school of Daoism says,

'Emperor Yao and Emperor

Shun, the Duke of Zhou, Confucius, and seventy-two of his disciples did not die and became immortals.

' The school of Buddhism says,

'All people die

and no one can avoid death.

' Why?"

Mouzi replied,

"These are absurd statements, not what the sages said. Laozi said,

'Even Heaven and Earth cannot last long. How much less can human beings?'96 Confucius said,

'Furthermore, [the virtuous] withdraw from the world.

97 Those who are benevolent and filial permanently exist. '

For as long as I have read books of the six arts and looked at biographies and records, Emperor Yao passed away; Emperor Shun was [buried] on the mountain of Cangwu; there is Emperor Yu's mausoleum at Guiji; Boyi and Shuqi have their tombs on Mount Shouyang; King Wen died before he could put King Zhou (the last emperor of the Yin dynasty) to death; King Wu could not wait for King Cheng to grow to adulthood but he passed away; there is a chapter [in the record] regarding the reburial of the Duke of Zhou; Confucius had a dream [in which he sat between] two pillars [receiving an offering]; 35

The Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism, Volume I there is a record for the age of Bo Yu, when he died before his father (i.e., Confucius); there is a record that Zilu's [body] was salted; there is the expression of [Confucius], 'It is fate!' for [Ran] Boniu;98 there is Zeng Shen's expression [before his death], 'Uncover my feet!';99 and there are the records for Yan Yuan that [Confucius] said,

'Unfortunately, he was short-lived'100 and

then composed the parable of a young plant that does not go on to flower. 101

All these [examples] are written in the Classics, and are the utmost significant words by sages. I consider the Classics and their commentaries to testify [to my words]. The people of the world take [the Daoist assertion] as testimony and say [that these sages] did not die. Are they not deluded?" A person asked,

"Your interpretation is indeed perfect! Certainly it is not what we can understand. I wonder, however, why your responses are arranged in thirty-seven sections. Is there any model for this?" Mouzi replied,

"[Taking a hint from] rolling mugwort, wheels were invented, and [observing floating] driftwood, boats and oars were devised. 102

[Picking up an idea from] spider's webs, nets [for catching birds] were invented. [Seeing] bird tracks, [the Chinese] written language was created. Therefore, it is easy to accomplish something if there is a model, while it is difficult to accomplish anything without a model. I read the essentials of the Buddhist scriptures, which list thirty-seven elements [for enlightenment]. 103

The Laozi Dao[de]jingconsists of thirty-seven chapters as well. 104 Thereupon,

I modeled [my responses] after these [examples]. "

Then the deluded people who heard [Mouzi's explanation] became reverent and nervous; they turned pale. They stood up, folding their hands in salute. They haltingly prostrated themselves and said, "We are ignorant, and

we were born in a benighted place. We dared to make stupid statements without worrying about fortune and misfortune. Now we have heard your instructions and [our doubts have been dispelled] very rapidly, just as hot water melts snow. We tell you now that we will be able to repent, clear our minds, and admonish ourselves. We wish to receive the five precepts and become Buddhist laypeople.

Nguồn: BDK America — English Tripiṭaka (bdkamerica.org).