Remonstration Against Welcoming the Buddha’s Bone - Han Yu
/谏迎佛骨表 - 韩愈/
A Bold Memorial Challenging Foreign Worship
臣某言：
I, your servant, submit this statement:
臣闻天下国家赖有社稷，人民赖有君父。
I have heard that under Heaven, a state depends on its altars of soil and grain, and the people rely on their ruler.
由是谷粟之藏盈则人民安宁，刑政无懈则奸邪诛绝。
Thus, when the granaries are full, the people live in peace, and when punishments and governance do not slacken, treachery is rooted out.
今天子祈之于天地，则百谷丰登；恭之于宗庙，则祖考歆享。
Now, when the Son of Heaven prays to Heaven and Earth, the harvests abound, and when he reverently sacrifices at the ancestral temples, the forefathers receive their offerings.
故郊庙不可废，社稷不可不尊。
Therefore, the suburban and ancestral rites must not be abandoned, and the state altars must be revered.
今闻陛下欲迎佛骨于凤翔，臣愚以为不可。
Now I hear that Your Majesty intends to welcome the Buddha’s bone relic from Fengxiang. In my foolish opinion, this must not be done.
何者？夫佛者，夷狄之一法耳，禁锢天地精华，幽隔日月光辉，以为无极之妙道，虚诞不经，非中国所当尚者。
Why so? The Buddha is but the teaching of a foreign land. It imprisons the essence of Heaven and Earth and veils the radiance of the sun and moon, regarding this as an infinite and wondrous Way—yet it is nothing but hollow absurdity, not suitable for our Central Kingdom.
自齐梁以来，中国遂大兴其道，僧徒遍于宇内，去父弃妻，夭札人伦，不事生产，耗费仓库，以盖其帷帐，酬其祈祷；又飨以租税，以供其衣食。
From the Qi and Liang dynasties onward, China has greatly promoted this faith. Monks have spread throughout the land, abandoning father and wife, cutting off human relations, refusing to engage in productive work, and draining the imperial storehouses to provide for their tents and prayers. They are also granted tax revenues to supply their clothing and food.
号呼不已，则叩头流血。此以愚民多，而国力渐弊也。
When they chant ceaselessly, they prostrate themselves until their heads bleed. Because the ignorant masses are numerous, the strength of the nation gradually declines.
臣又闻之：自古圣人，不许以非礼废礼。
Moreover, I have heard that since ancient times, true sages did not allow improper rites to subvert proper rites.
今陛下独何为兴此异端之教乎？
Why would Your Majesty alone choose to promote this heretical religion?
且臣少读先王之书，知祖宗之家法，犹未亡也。
I, your servant, though but slightly learned in the writings of our ancient kings, am certain that the ancestral codes are still intact.
夫儒者训道，顺天理，尽人伦。
Confucian scholars teach the Way, follow Heavenly principles, and fulfill human relationships.
今此佛之教，诞诞不经，与先王之道相违背，诚为惑也。
Yet the Buddha’s teaching is entirely outlandish and does not accord with the Way of our former kings; truly, it leads to delusion.
伏惟陛下鉴其所由，知其大害，则神器不轻移，社稷不可轻废。
I humbly beg Your Majesty to recognize its root cause and acknowledge its great harm; thus, the sacred regalia of empire must not be casually shifted, and the altars of the state cannot be lightly cast aside.
臣虽不才，敢尽愚忠，冒死以闻，伏乞陛下圣鉴。
Though I lack talent, I dare to offer my foolish loyalty at risk of death, humbly beseeching Your Majesty’s wise judgment.
若必欲迎之，臣请对天自裁，以谢宗庙，言毕即死。
If Your Majesty insists on welcoming it, then I request to take my own life before Heaven, as an apology to the ancestral temples, and then die once I have spoken.
臣无任战栗，谨上。
With trembling dread, I offer this most sincere memorial.
I, your servant, submit this statement:
臣闻天下国家赖有社稷，人民赖有君父。
I have heard that under Heaven, a state depends on its altars of soil and grain, and the people rely on their ruler.
由是谷粟之藏盈则人民安宁，刑政无懈则奸邪诛绝。
Thus, when the granaries are full, the people live in peace, and when punishments and governance do not slacken, treachery is rooted out.
今天子祈之于天地，则百谷丰登；恭之于宗庙，则祖考歆享。
Now, when the Son of Heaven prays to Heaven and Earth, the harvests abound, and when he reverently sacrifices at the ancestral temples, the forefathers receive their offerings.
故郊庙不可废，社稷不可不尊。
Therefore, the suburban and ancestral rites must not be abandoned, and the state altars must be revered.
今闻陛下欲迎佛骨于凤翔，臣愚以为不可。
Now I hear that Your Majesty intends to welcome the Buddha’s bone relic from Fengxiang. In my foolish opinion, this must not be done.
何者？夫佛者，夷狄之一法耳，禁锢天地精华，幽隔日月光辉，以为无极之妙道，虚诞不经，非中国所当尚者。
Why so? The Buddha is but the teaching of a foreign land. It imprisons the essence of Heaven and Earth and veils the radiance of the sun and moon, regarding this as an infinite and wondrous Way—yet it is nothing but hollow absurdity, not suitable for our Central Kingdom.
自齐梁以来，中国遂大兴其道，僧徒遍于宇内，去父弃妻，夭札人伦，不事生产，耗费仓库，以盖其帷帐，酬其祈祷；又飨以租税，以供其衣食。
From the Qi and Liang dynasties onward, China has greatly promoted this faith. Monks have spread throughout the land, abandoning father and wife, cutting off human relations, refusing to engage in productive work, and draining the imperial storehouses to provide for their tents and prayers. They are also granted tax revenues to supply their clothing and food.
号呼不已，则叩头流血。此以愚民多，而国力渐弊也。
When they chant ceaselessly, they prostrate themselves until their heads bleed. Because the ignorant masses are numerous, the strength of the nation gradually declines.
臣又闻之：自古圣人，不许以非礼废礼。
Moreover, I have heard that since ancient times, true sages did not allow improper rites to subvert proper rites.
今陛下独何为兴此异端之教乎？
Why would Your Majesty alone choose to promote this heretical religion?
且臣少读先王之书，知祖宗之家法，犹未亡也。
I, your servant, though but slightly learned in the writings of our ancient kings, am certain that the ancestral codes are still intact.
夫儒者训道，顺天理，尽人伦。
Confucian scholars teach the Way, follow Heavenly principles, and fulfill human relationships.
今此佛之教，诞诞不经，与先王之道相违背，诚为惑也。
Yet the Buddha’s teaching is entirely outlandish and does not accord with the Way of our former kings; truly, it leads to delusion.
伏惟陛下鉴其所由，知其大害，则神器不轻移，社稷不可轻废。
I humbly beg Your Majesty to recognize its root cause and acknowledge its great harm; thus, the sacred regalia of empire must not be casually shifted, and the altars of the state cannot be lightly cast aside.
臣虽不才，敢尽愚忠，冒死以闻，伏乞陛下圣鉴。
Though I lack talent, I dare to offer my foolish loyalty at risk of death, humbly beseeching Your Majesty’s wise judgment.
若必欲迎之，臣请对天自裁，以谢宗庙，言毕即死。
If Your Majesty insists on welcoming it, then I request to take my own life before Heaven, as an apology to the ancestral temples, and then die once I have spoken.
臣无任战栗，谨上。
With trembling dread, I offer this most sincere memorial.
In this historic essay (often referred to as a ‘memorial’) by the Tang dynasty scholar-official Han Yu, the author warns the Emperor against embracing the relic of the Buddha’s bone, which was being ceremoniously welcomed into the imperial domain. Han Yu’s central argument is that this foreign religion (Buddhism) and its symbols undermine traditional Confucian values and weaken the state by draining its resources and leading citizens away from socially productive roles.
From a Confucian standpoint, Han Yu insists that one must uphold the rites that honor ancestors and the state altars, fundamental pillars of Chinese governance and society. In his view, Buddhism—being an imported ‘barbarian’ teaching—saps the vitality of the nation and distracts both rulers and commoners from their Confucian obligations. By highlighting that the Emperor must act as a protector of the indigenous tradition, he positions Buddhism’s rise as a threat to political stability. Despite the rhetorical force of his memorial and its moral clarity, this bold stance put Han Yu at great personal risk, underscoring his unwavering commitment to Confucian orthodoxy.
The memorial’s influence stretches far beyond the Tang dynasty. It exemplifies the Confucian impulse to place the welfare of the state and the preservation of traditional values above any foreign or unorthodox practice. Readers today may appreciate how Han Yu’s sincerity and moral conviction exemplify the archetype of the upright scholar who dares to speak truth to power, even at the risk of severe punishment. Indeed, this text became a hallmark of literary excellence and a reflection of Confucian orthodoxy, continually studied and invoked in later centuries as a model for ethical governance and loyalty.
Key points
• Han Yu’s argument champions indigenous Confucian rites over foreign religious practices.
• The memorial underscores loyalty to the Emperor and the state while cautioning against extravagances that weaken national power.
• It showcases the Confucian scholar’s moral obligation to challenge imperial decisions when they threaten social or political stability.
• The text remains an enduring symbol of speaking truth to power, emphasizing unwavering sincerity and principle.
