Pratimoksha of the Dharmaguptakas 1.3

1.3

夫戒者，迺是定慧之宏基、聖賢之妙趾，窮八正之道、盡七覺之源。然既樹五制之良規，傳須獲實；揚六和之清訓，學者知詮。竊尋流行，總有四本。據其理雖復同，會其文則有異。致使弘揚失於宗敘、修奉乖於行儀，虧鹿野之微言、紊龍城之要旨。故今詳撿律本，參驗戒心，依於正文，錄之如左。庶使順菩提之妙業，成實相之嘉謀，作六趣之舟航，為三乘之軌躅者也。

Precepts are indeed the grand foundation of concentration and wisdom, the marvelous footprints of the noble and worthy; they fathom the path of the eightfold correctness and exhaust the source of the seven factors of awakening. Yet, having established the fine regulations of the five ordinances, their transmission must attain the truth; having proclaimed the pure instructions of the six harmonies, practitioners must understand their meaning. Upon examining their transmission, there are in all four recensions. Although their principles are identical, their wordings diverge when compared. This has led propagation to lose sight of the ancestral lineage and practice to stray from proper conduct, diminishing the subtle words of the Deer Park and confounding the essential tenets of the Dragon City. Therefore, now closely examining the vinaya texts and collating the essence of the precepts, I record them as follows in accordance with the authentic texts, in the hope of conforming to the marvelous enterprise of bodhi, accomplishing the auspicious design of true reality, serving as a boat across the six realms, and providing tracks for the three vehicles.