American Buddhist Net

This is the original Chinese version of Ven. Huiyuan's (334-416) extremely important essay "A Monk Does Not Bow Down Before a King." I will provide the English translation as soon as I find it. Consider this in conjunction with the news story directly below. Huiyuan's essay, which asserts the independence of Buddhist monastics from government control, is one of the most important essays in the entire East Asian Buddhist tradition. It took great courage to write this essay and to act on it, as he did. Moral courage in the face of political pressure is essential for Buddhist monastics. A Buddhism that is controlled by the State Administration for Religious Affairs is simply not Buddhism. I urge all Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese Buddhists who will attend the "Buddhist" forum in China to reread this essay. It is part of the very foundation of your tradition. ABN

P.S. Sorry, there appears to be no English translation on-line. If you have one, please send it in and we will post it. In the meantime, you can find a good summary of Huiyuan's essay by running a search on the English title. ABN
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沙門不敬王者論在家第一

原夫佛教所明大要。以出處為異。出處之人凡有四科。其弘教通物則功侔帝王。化兼治道。至於感俗悟時亦無世不有但所遇有行藏。故以廢興為隱顯耳。其中可得論者。請略而言。在家奉法則是順化之民。情未變俗跡同方內。故有天屬之愛奉主之禮。禮敬有本遂因之而成教本。其所因則功由在昔。是故因親以教愛。使民知有自然之恩。因嚴以教敬。使民知有自然之重。二者之來。寔由冥應。應不在今則宜尋其本。故以罪對為刑罰。使懼而後慎。以天堂為爵賞。使悅而後動。此皆即其影響之報而明於教。以因順為。通而不革其自然也。何者夫厚身存生以有封為滯累。根深因在我倒未忘方將以情欲為苑囿。聲色為遊觀。沈湎世樂不能自免而特出。是故教之所撿以此為崖。而不明其外耳。其外未明則大同於順化。故不可受其德而遺其禮。沾其惠而廢其敬。是故悅釋迦之風者輒先奉親而獻君。變俗投簪者必待命而遺其禮。沾其惠而廢其敬。是故悅釋迦之風者輒先奉親而獻君。變俗投簪者必待命而順動。若君親有疑則退求其志以俟同悟。斯乃佛教之所以重資生助王化於治道者也。論者立言之旨。貌有所同。故位夫內外之分。以明在三之志。略敘經意宣寄所懷

　　沙門不敬王者論出家第二

出家則是方外之賓。跡絕於物。其為教也。達w累緣於有身。不存身以息患。知生生由於稟化。不順化以求宗。求宗不由於順化。則不重運通之資。息患不由於存身。則不貴厚生之益。此理之與形乖。道之與俗反者也。若斯人者。自誓始於落簪。立志形乎變服。是故凡在出家。皆遯世以求其志。變俗以達其道。變俗則服章不得與世典同禮。遯世則宜高尚其跡。夫然。故能拯溺俗於沈流。拔幽根於重劫。遠通三乘之津。廣開天人之路。如令一夫全德。則道洽六親澤流天下。雖不處王侯之位。亦已協契皇極在宥生民矣。是故內乖天屬之重而不違其孝。外闕奉主之恭而不失其敬。從此而觀。故知超化表以尋宗。則理深而義篤。照泰息以語仁。則功末而惠淺。若然者雖將面冥山而旋步。猶或恥聞其風。豈況與夫順化之民。尸祿之賢。同其孝敬者哉

　　沙門不敬王者論求宗不順化第三

問曰。尋夫老氏之意。天地以得一為大。王侯以體順為尊。得一故為萬化之本。體順故有運通之功。然則明宗必存乎體極。求極必由於順化。是故先賢以為美談。眾論所不能異。異夫眾論者則義無所取。而云不順化何由於順化。是故先賢以為美談。眾論所不能異。異夫眾論者則義無所取。而云不順化何耶。答曰。凡在有方同稟生於大化雖群品萬殊精麤異貫統極而言。有靈與無靈耳。有靈則有情於化。無靈則無情於化。無情於化。化畢而生盡。生不由情。故形朽而化滅。有情於化。感物而動。動必以情。故其生不絕。生不絕則其化彌廣而形彌積。情彌滯而累彌深。其為患也。焉可勝言哉。是故經稱泥洹不變以化盡為宅。三界流動以罪苦為場。化盡則因緣永息。流動則受苦無窮。何以明其然。夫生以形為桎梏。而生由化有化以情感。則神滯其本而智昏其照。介然有封。則所存唯已所涉唯動。於是靈轡失御生塗日開。方隨貪愛於長流。豈一受而已哉。是故反本求宗者。不以生累其神。超落塵封者。不以情累其生。不以情累其生。則生可滅。不以生累其神。則神可冥。冥神絕境。故謂之泥洹。泥洹之名。豈虛搆也哉。請推而實之。天地雖以生生為大。而未能令生者不化。王侯雖以存存為功。而未能令存者無患。是故前論云。達患累緣於有身。不存身以息患。知生生由於稟化。不順化以求宗。義存於此義存於此。斯沙門之所以抗禮萬乘高尚其事。不爵王侯而沾其惠者也

　　沙門不敬王者論體極不兼應第四

問曰。歷觀前史。上皇已來在位居宗者。未始異其原本。本不可二。是故百代同典咸一其統。所謂唯天為大唯堯則之。如此則非智有所不照。自無外可照。非照有所不盡。自無理可盡。以此推視聽之外廓無所寄。理無所所受不同。或期功於身後。或顯應於當年。聖王即之而成教者。亦不可稱算。雖抑引無方必歸塗有會。此所謂乖而後合者也。若今乖而後合。則擬步通塗者。必不自崖於一揆。若今合而後乖。則釋迦之與堯孔。歸致不殊斷可知矣。是故自乖而求其合。則知理會之必同自合而求其乖。則悟體極之多方。但見形者之所不兼。故或眾塗而駭其異耳。因茲而觀。天地之道功盡於運化。帝王之德理極於順通。若以對夫獨絕之教不變之宗。故不得同年而語其優劣。亦已明矣
　　沙門不敬王者論形盡神不滅第五

問曰。論者以化盡為至極。故造極者必違化而求宗。求宗不由於順化。是以引歷代君王使同之佛教。令體極之至以權君統。此雅論之所託。自必於大通者也。求之實當理則不然。何者夫稟氣極於一生。生盡則消液而同無神。雖妙物故是陰陽之化耳。既化而為生。又化而為死。既聚而為始。又散而為終。因此而推。故知神形俱化原無異統。精麤一氣始終同宅。宅全則氣聚而有靈。宅毀則氣散而照滅。散則反所受於大本。滅則復歸於無物。反覆終窮皆自然之數耳。孰為之哉。若令本則異氣數合則同化。亦為神之處形。猶火之在木。其生必並其毀必滅。形離則神散而罔寄。木朽則火寂而靡託。理之然矣。假使同異之分昧而難明。有無之說必存乎聚散。聚散氣變之總名萬化之生滅。故莊子曰。人之生氣之聚。聚則為生。散則為死。若死生為彼徒苦。吾又何患。古之善言道者。必有以得之。若果然耶。至理極於一生。生盡不化何耶。謂其能發蒙俗之幽昏。啟化表之玄路。方將以兼忘之道與天下同往。吏希高者挹其遺風。漱流者味其餘津。若然雖大業未就。觀其超步之跡。所悟固已弘矣。然則運通之功。資存之益。尚未酬其始誓之心。況答三業之勞乎。又斯人者。形雖有待情無近寄。視夫四事之供。若鶴蚊之過乎其前者耳。濡沫之惠復焉足語哉。眾賓於是始悟冥塗以開[跳-兆+(轍-車)]為功。息心以淨畢為道。乃欣然怡衿詠言而退
晉元興三年歲次閼逢。于時天子蒙塵。人百其憂。凡我同志僉懷輟旒之歎。故因述斯論焉