大方便佛報恩經 6.30

6.30

Answer: "Certain treatise masters say: 'The three refuges are informational and non-informational in nature.' When receiving the three refuges, kneeling with palms joined and reciting the three refuges with the mouth is called bodily and vocal informational karma. If one has an utterly sincere and serious mind, there is bodily and vocal non-informational karma; this is called informational and non-informational karma. It is also said: 'The three refuges have the nature of the three karmas: bodily, vocal, and mental karma.' It is also said: 'The three refuges are the wholesome five aggregates.' Taking the sentient being's wholesome five aggregates as the three refuges, the Triratna is that in which refuge is taken, and that in which refuge is taken has the meaning of rescue and protection. For example, suppose a man commits an offense against a king and flees to another country to seek rescue and protection. The king of the other country says: 'If you seek fearlessness, do not leave my territory and do not violate my commands, and I will surely rescue and protect you.' Sentient beings are also like this: bound to Māra and possessing the offenses of birth and death, they take refuge in the Triratna to seek rescue and protection. If with a sincere heart they rely on the Triratna, without any other inclination, and do not violate the Buddha's teachings, the evil Māra king can do nothing against them. In the past, there was a pigeon pursued by a hawk. It entered Śāriputra's shadow, and its trembling fear did not cease; when it moved into the Buddha's shadow, it became calm and without fear—though the great ocean might move, this pigeon did not stir. Why was it so? The Buddha possessed great loving-kindness and great compassion, while Śāriputra did not possess great loving-kindness and great compassion; the Buddha's latent impressions were exhausted, while Śāriputra's latent impressions were not exhausted; the Buddha cultivated the bodhisattva practices for three asaṃkhyeya kalpas, while Śāriputra cultivated austerities for sixty kalpas. Due to these causes and conditions, when the pigeon entered Śāriputra's shadow, it still had fear; when it entered the Buddha's shadow, it had no fear at all."