Pratimoksha of the Dharmaguptakas 1.5

1.5

稽首禮諸佛，及法比丘僧，
今演毘尼法，令正法久住。
戒如海無涯，如寶求無厭，
欲護聖法財，眾集聽我說。
欲除四棄法，及滅僧殘法，
障三十捨墮，眾集聽我說。
毘婆尸式棄，毘舍拘樓孫，
拘那含牟尼，迦葉釋迦文，
諸世尊大德，為我說是事，
我今欲善說，諸賢咸共聽。
譬如人毀足，不堪有所涉，
毀戒亦如是，不得生天人。
欲得生天上，若生人間者，
常當護戒足，勿令有毀損。
如御入險道，失轄折軸憂，
毀戒亦如是，死時懷恐懼。
如人自照鏡，好醜生欣慼，
說戒亦如是，全毀生憂喜。
如兩陣共戰，勇怯有進退，
說戒亦如是，淨穢生安畏。
世間王為最，眾流海為最，
眾星月為最，眾聖佛為最。
一切眾律中，戒經為上最，
如來立禁戒，半月半月說。

I bend my head in adoration, and worship all the Buddhas,
The Holy Law, and the Church.
Now I proclaim the Law of the Vinaya,
In order to establish for aye the True Law.

These Precepts are like the fathomless ocean.
Like gems are they, which one tires not in seeking.
Desiring to preserve the treasure of the Holy Law,
In the hearing of the assembly I repeat it.

Wishful to prevent the prevalence of false views,
I now proclaim these Precepts before the Assembly,
Delivered to us from the earliest times.
Let the Monks then attend!

Just as if a man destroyed his feet,
So that he could no longer walk,
So it is to destroy these Precepts,
Without which there can be no birth in Heaven.

Let all those who desire such birth,
Who now are living in the world,
Guard and preserve these Precepts, as feet,
Beware of injuring or mutilating them,

For as a chariot which has entered
on a narrow and dangerous road,
And suddenly breaks its axle, or loses a linch-pin,
So is the case of the man who breaks the Precepts.

At the time of death what forebodings!
For as a man looking in a mirror,
Sees himself graceful or deformed, and so has pleasure or pain,
Such is the effect of the Law being declared.

Has it been observed? What joy!
Has it been neglected? What dismay!
So also as when two hostile armies contend,
The brave advance, the cowards retreat,

As a king is supreme amongst men,
As the ocean is chief of all flowing waters,
As the moon is chief among the stars,
As Buddha is pre-eminent among Sages,

So among all the codes of Rules,
(This) Book of Precepts is the best.
Tathāgata has established that these Laws,
Should be declared publicly every half month.