老子出靈寶三洞偽第五
Chapter 5: On Laozi's Falsely Attributed Lingbao Caverns
第九化云。太上老君以中皇元年三月一日。於玉清天金闕上官。撰集靈篇以為寶經三百卷。符圖七千章。玉訣九千篇。老君於上三皇時出。為萬天法師。又號玄中法師。當龍漢元年。授上三皇洞真經一十二部。以無極之道下教人間。其時人壽九萬歲。於中三皇時號有古先生當赤明元年。授中三皇洞玄經一十二部。行無上正真之道以化於人。其時人壽六萬歲。於下三皇時出為師。號金闕帝君。當開皇元年。授下三皇洞神經一十二部。以太平之道化人。其時人壽一萬八千歲。夫洞真洞玄洞神各一十二部。合為三十六部尊經也。
The Ninth Transformation states: The Most High Lord Lao, on the first day of the third month in the year of Zhonghuang, within the Grand Veil Heaven at the Golden Tower Upper Palace, composed spiritual texts forming three hundred volumes of precious scriptures, seven thousand chapters of talismanic diagrams, and nine thousand chapters of jade instructions. Lord Lao appeared during the era of the Upper Three Sovereigns, becoming the Dharma Master of Ten Thousand Heavens, also known as the Mysterious Master. In the Longhan era, he transmitted the twelve sections of the Upper Three Sovereigns' Dongzhen Scriptures, teaching humanity the path of the Infinite Way. At that time, humans lived for ninety thousand years. During the era of the Middle Three Sovereigns, he was called the Ancient Teacher. In the Chiming era, he transmitted the twelve sections of the Middle Three Sovereigns' Dongxuan Scriptures, practicing the Supreme True Way to transform humanity. Then humans lived for sixty thousand years. During the era of the Lower Three Sovereigns, he appeared as a teacher, titled the Golden Tower Emperor. In the Kaihuang era, he transmitted the twelve sections of the Lower Three Sovereigns' Dongshen Scriptures, guiding humanity with the Way of Great Peace. At that time, humans lived for eighteen thousand years. The Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen each consist of twelve sections, together making thirty-six sections of honored scriptures.
辯曰。夫仲尼入夢。十翼之道始宣。伯陽過關。二篇之教方闡。有名為萬物之始。無名為天地之先。混徼。妙而同玄。驚寵辱而一致。谷神不死久視長生。挫銳解紛謙卑自牧。此老氏之旨也。自餘教典皆是偽書。制雜凡流唯尚誇競。採傍佛語換體安名。擬三界而立三清。彷三大而立三洞。虛勞紙墨妄飾詞章。何以知之。漢時張道陵造靈寶經。王褒造洞玄經。吳時葛孝先造上清經。晉時王浮造明威化胡經。鮑靜造三皇經。後改為三清經。齊朝陳顯明造六十四真步虛經。梁時陶弘景造太清經。隋末輔慧祥改涅槃為長安經。後事發被誅。案甄鸞笑道論云。道家妄注諸子三百五十卷為道經。如此詳之。代代穿鑿人人妄制。採他佛教標為道書。或言仙洞飛來。或言老子再現。群賢不覩道士獨傳。欺誷時君不懼朝憲。故唐琳法師對太宗皇帝云。若據蕭溫眾議。道家止有道德二篇。如依漢明校量便應七百餘卷。約葛洪神仙之說。僅有一千。准修靜所上目中過前九十。又檢玄都目錄轉復彌多。既其先後不同。顯知後人妄制。增加卷軸添足篇章。依傍佛經改頭換尾。或道名山自出。時唱仙洞飛來。何乃黃領獨知英賢罕覩。典籍不記書史無聞。試問當今道士。推勘後出之經。為是老子別陳。為是天尊更說。若也更說應有時方師資傳授。為是何年何月何邦何代。若在天上而說。何人傳來。若在西域而談。何人譯出。如其有據容可流行。若也妄言理須焚剪。又漢晉之代。僧號道士。寇謙得志僭冐其名。今稱法師愈為矯飾。法師之號源出佛經。萬卷百家本無此語。且為法之師名為法師。法即是師名為法師。名義不知妄安己號。按賢劫已來有三佛出。初佛出時人壽六萬歲。第二佛出時人壽四萬。第三佛出人壽二萬。何乃改彼三皇妄合其數。又前說云。上三氣中而有龍漢赤明之號。是時五運尚無。但唯一氣何有三皇之君人壽之數乎。上古縱有五龍四姓九頭十紀。亦無三皇建立年號。試問。龍漢赤明上皇開皇。誰君之年乎。若言有說。史無明文。若言無憑。不可妄立。扣其兩端竟無一是。又伏犧之前文字未有。何出三洞靈寶之篇乎。又十二部名源出佛經。一代時教類分十二。道家名義不知。何以妄著己典。如琢美玉擬作甑窐。雖受劬勞智者見誚。
The defender says: When Confucius entered his dream, the teaching of the Ten Wings began to spread. When Laozi passed the pass, the doctrine of the Two Chapters was revealed. "Named" is the beginning of the ten thousand things; "Unnamed" is the source of heaven and earth. Mixing the subtle and the wondrous into one mystery, treating favor and disgrace alike. The valley spirit never dies, offering long life and lasting vision. Blunt the sharpness, untie the tangles, humble yourself and tend to your own heart. These are the teachings of Laozi. All other scriptures from this school are forged writings. Their concoction involves common folk who only care for boasting and competition. They borrow Buddhist phrases, change the form, and claim new names. They mimic the Three Realms by inventing the Three Purities, and copy the Three Vehicles to create the Three Caverns. They waste paper and ink, vainly adorning words and chapters. How can we know this? In the Han dynasty, Zhang Daoling created the Lingbao scriptures; Wang Bao created the Dongxuan scriptures. In the Wu dynasty, Ge Xiaoxian created the Shangqing scriptures. In the Jin dynasty, Wang Fu created the Mingwei Huahu scriptures; Bao Jing created the Sanhuang scriptures, later renamed the Sanqing scriptures. In the Qi dynasty, Chen Xianming created the Sixty-four True Steps in the Void scriptures. In the Liang dynasty, Tao Hongjing created the Taiqing scriptures. At the end of the Sui dynasty, Fu Huixiang changed the Nirvana Sutra into the Eternal Peace Sutra and was later executed when discovered. According to Zhen Luan's "Treatise on Laughing at Dao," the Daoists falsely annotated 350 works of the various masters to make Daoist scriptures. Examining this closely, generation after generation they forge, person after person they fabricate, stealing Buddhist teachings to label as Daoist books. Some claim these texts flew down from Immortal Caves; others claim Laozi reappeared. The wise never see them; only Daoists pass them on privately. They deceive rulers of the time, unafraid of court law. Therefore, Master Lin of the Tang said to Emperor Taizong: "If we follow the opinions of Xiao and Wen, the Daoists have only the two chapters of the 'Dao De Jing.' According to Emperor Han Ming's comparison, they should have over 700 volumes. Following Ge Hong's account of immortals, they have only a thousand. According to Lu Xiujing's catalog, they exceed that number by ninety. Examining the Library of Heaven catalog, the number increases even more. Since these accounts differ, we know later people forged them. They add scrolls and chapters, lean on Buddhist scriptures, and change the head and tail. Sometimes they claim the texts emerged by themselves from sacred mountains, or flew down from Immortal Caves. Why is it that only Yellow-Cap Daoists know of them, while great scholars rarely see them? These texts are unrecorded in historical books and classics. If we ask today's Daoists to verify these later scriptures, were they spoken separately by Laozi, or further explained by the Heavenly Lord? If they were further explained, there should be a time and place, a master and disciple transmission. In what year, month, dynasty, or era? If they were spoken in the heavens, who brought them down? If they were discussed in the Western Regions, who translated them? If there is evidence, they may be circulated; if they are false words, they must be burned. Moreover, in the Han and Jin dynasties, monks were called 'Daoists.' When Kou Qianzhi gained power, he stole this title. Now they call themselves 'Dharma Masters,' which is even more deceitful. The title 'Dharma Master' originates from Buddhist scriptures; among thousands of books and hundreds of schools, it never appears. Furthermore, the teacher of the Dharma is called a Dharma Master. The Dharma itself is the teacher, called a Dharma Master. They do not understand this meaning yet falsely claim this title. According to the 'Kalpa' (eon) scriptures, three Buddhas appeared. When the first Buddha appeared, humans lived 60,000 years; when the second emerged, they lived 40,000; when the third emerged, they lived 20,000. How can they distort these three ages to match their Three Sovereigns? Earlier they said: 'In the Upper Three Energies there exist the Dragon Han and Crimson Bright eras.' At that time, the Five Movements did not yet exist; only one energy remained. How could there be Three Sovereigns with lifespans? Even if ancient times had the Five Dragons, Four Surnames, Nine Heads, and Ten Ages, there were no Three Sovereigns establishing reign names. Let us ask: In the Dragon Han, Crimson Bright, Supreme Sovereign, or Opening Sovereign eras—whose reign was it? If they claim there is proof, history records none. If they claim there is no basis, they cannot establish it arbitrarily. Examining both ends yields nothing valid. Furthermore, before Fuxi, there were no written characters; how could the Three Caverns and Lingbao chapters appear? Also, the twelve divisions originate from Buddhist scriptures, where the whole teaching is divided into twelve categories. Daoists do not understand this; why do they falsely attach these to their own texts? It is like carving fine jade to make a chamber pot—though it takes much effort, the wise will laugh at it.