三教至尊 The Three Teachings Upheld
太宗召太僕卿張道源、中書令張士衡，問佛事營福，其應何如。二臣對曰：「佛在清淨仁恕，果正佛空。周武帝以三教分次；大慧禪師有贊幽遠，歷眾供養而無不顯；五祖投胎，達摩現像。自古以來，皆云三教至尊而不可毀，不可廢。伏乞陛下聖鑒明裁。」太宗甚喜道：「卿之言合理。再有所陳者，罪之。」遂著魏徵與蕭瑀、張道源邀請諸佛，選舉一名有大德行者作壇主，設建道場。眾皆頓首謝恩而退。自此時出了法律：但有毀僧謗佛者，斷其臂。太宗召太仆卿张道源、中书令张士衡，问佛事营福，其应何如。二臣对曰：「佛在清净仁恕，果正佛空。周武帝以三教分次；大慧禅师有赞幽远，历众供养而无不显；五祖投胎，达摩现像。自古以来，皆云三教至尊而不可毁，不可废。伏乞陛下圣鉴明裁。」太宗甚喜道：「卿之言合理。再有所陈者，罪之。」遂着魏征与萧瑀、张道源邀请诸佛，选举一名有大德行者作坛主，设建道场。众皆顿首谢恩而退。自此时出了法律：但有毁僧谤佛者，断其臂。
逐句解 Line by line
Taizong summoned Zhang Daoyuan, Chief Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud, and Zhang Shiheng, Secretariat Director, and asked what would come of pursuing merit through Buddhist rites.
太僕卿 is the Chief Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud; 中書令, Secretariat Director, reads 中 as zhōng. 應 in 其應何如, 'what would answer to it, what would come of it,' is yìng.
The two ministers replied: 'The Buddha abides in purity, benevolence, and forbearance; its fruit is upright, and Buddha-nature is emptiness.'
清淨仁恕 — purity, benevolence, forbearance — is the ethical core the two ministers credit Buddhism with. 佛空, 'the Buddha is empty,' gestures at śūnyatā, the doctrine that nothing carries a self of its own.
'Emperor Wu of Zhou ranked the Three Teachings in order; the Chan Master Dahui offered praises profound and far-reaching; through all the offerings of the multitude, none failed to manifest its power; the Fifth Patriarch was reborn in the flesh, and Bodhidharma made his form appear.'
The ministers pile up authorities and marvels: Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou, the Chan master Dahui, the Fifth Patriarch Hongren, Bodhidharma (達摩). The list is loosely assembled and out of order in time — the historical Emperor Wu of Zhou, cited here as a patron, in fact suppressed Buddhism — which is how the vernacular novel does doctrinal name-dropping, by weight rather than by accuracy. 教 in 三教 is jiào, teaching; 分 in 分次 is fēn, to rank in order.
'From ancient times all have said that the Three Teachings are supreme, and may not be reviled, may not be abolished.'
The 三教 doctrine — that Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism are to be honoured jointly rather than ranked against one another — is the ministers' winning card.
'We humbly beg Your Majesty's sage discernment and clear judgment.'
The formulaic close of a ministerial submission, handing the decision back to the emperor's own judgment.
Taizong, greatly pleased, said: 'Your words accord with reason. Should any again raise such objections, let him be punished.'
甚 in 甚喜 is the intensifier shèn. Taizong comes down on one side and shuts the question by decree.
He then charged Wei Zheng, together with Xiao Yu and Zhang Daoyuan, to invite the Buddhas and to choose out one of great virtue and conduct to serve as master of the altar and establish the place of ritual.
著 in 遂著魏徵 is the causative zhuó; the 壇主 is the master of the altar, the monk who will preside. This commission sets the search going, and it will find Xuanzang within two passages. 行 in 德行 is xíng, conduct.
All bowed their heads to the ground, gave thanks for the grace, and withdrew.
The court's formal assent, and the debate is closed.
From this time forth a law was issued: whoever should revile a monk or slander the Buddha would have his arm cut off.
A drastic flourish of the kind the vernacular novel enjoys. 了 in 出了 is the completed-action le; the penalty itself, 斷其臂, to cut off the offender's arm, measures how complete the imperial turn toward Buddhism has been.
The debate is resolved by a second pair of counsellors, who supply the harmonising doctrine the chapter needs: the Three Teachings — Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism — are jointly supreme and may be neither reviled nor abolished. Their supporting catalogue of masters and marvels is cheerfully out of order in time (the Emperor Wu of Zhou they cite as a patron in fact persecuted the faith), which is entirely in the manner of the vernacular novel, where doctrinal authority is invoked by accumulation rather than accuracy.
Taizong's ruling is unequivocal and enforced with a severity that startles — an arm for a slander — measuring the distance the court has travelled since Fu Yi's memorial. With the Dharma secured and Wei Zheng deputed to convene the Buddhas and find a master for the altar, the way is open for the choice of the officiant on whom the whole pilgrimage will turn.