大比丘三千威儀 2.9

2.9

When a newly arrived bhikṣu wishes to go to a worthy person to take refuge and make him his niśrayācārya, he should first state himself: 'Now I, so-and-so, am far removed from my three teachers, each separated by so many leagues. Now I, so-and-so, have arrived here alone. My original intention was to study, but encountering instability under the ruler of my country, I therefore arrived here. Now I take refuge in the worthy one; please act as my niśrayācārya. Because so-and-so takes refuge, may the worthy one accept so-and-so as a disciple, dwell together with so-and-so as his teacher to a disciple, and allow me to rely on so-and-so, reside together with him, and be so-and-so's disciple. For the sake of the Dharma, may the worthy one act as an ācārya master for so-and-so.' Having bowed with head to the ground, he then says: 'Ācārya! For the sake of the Three Jewels, you have accepted so-and-so to be your disciple; please instruct so-and-so in the Dharma of behavior, going out, and coming in. If anyone forcibly disputes with so-and-so, the ācārya shall have so-and-so as his disciple. Whether the ācārya or so-and-so wishes to leave or stay, both shall have full freedom. If after so-and-so departs, he returns again from that place, may the ācārya still accept so-and-so as a disciple.' He speaks thus three times. The master should reply: 'Worthy so-and-so, listen to what I say now. So that you may attain the Way, you must constantly practice in accordance with the Buddha's words. You should guard the precepts, you should practice patience, you should be vigorous, you should focus your mind on contemplating the Way, you should contemplate wisdom, you should restrain body, speech, and mind, extinguish defilements, and perform the matters of the three dharmas. Having become a disciple of the Buddha, you must not think of or engage in worldly affairs. If you can practice according to the Dharma, you will surely attain the Way and transcend the world.' Having finished speaking, [the disciple] rises, pays homage, touches his head and face to the master's feet, leaves, and returns to take his robes and bowl, presenting them to the master to receive the robes from him. If a bhikṣu receives a bowl or the three robes, the ācārya bhikṣu should speak of the circumstances of their loss or destruction by water, fire, or thieves. The bhikṣu first takes refuge, saying: 'Clear and worthy one! The three masters of so-and-so are of wise conduct and pure precepts.' For so-and-so, having spoken the original circumstances thus three times, he presents either the bowl or the robes to receive them from the ācārya. [The master] then speaks an instruction: 'Worthy so-and-so, listen! Human beings have six sense faculties; you must guard them and think of purity. Although worldly things are clean, they cannot reach purity. A practitioner of wisdom on the Way should guard internal and external purity, being without defilement and without outflows, internal and external corresponding with each other—this is what can bring about the path of purity. Therefore, one should rely on, restrain, and guard them. In this matter of relying on the bowl, one should speak of keeping it in view often, wearing it often, and washing it at proper times. A bhikṣu is like a worthy person; living in the world, people take pleasure in bathing, scenting with incense, clothing, and bedding; would one wish to make body and mind unsettled? Whatever pleasant clothing has torn, if not provided with sturdy and secure furnishings, neither can one attain the path of pure wisdom. If it is damp and rotted by worms, it is like a part of the body becoming rotten; from this comes disquiet, preventing one from attaining the path of the wise. It is like a part of the body being eaten by worms, festering, aching, or itching; from this comes disquiet, preventing one from attaining the path of the wise. Relying on this from beginning to end, guarding internal and external cleanliness, this eliminates greed and lessens desires, causing one to attain the purity of a worthy person. This is the matter of niśraya.'