大方便佛報恩經 6.93

6.93

[The Buddha] replied: "He does not lose them. He merely loses the names and loses the rank, but does not lose the precepts. He loses the name of śrāmaṇera and obtains the name of bhikṣu; he loses the rank of śrāmaṇera and obtains the rank of bhikṣu. From beginning to end, they are always these precepts, but are named according to the time. For example, the leaves of a tree are green in spring and summer, yellow in autumn, and white in winter; because they differ according to the season, the tree leaves differ, yet from beginning to end they are still the same leaf. Precepts are also like this: they are always the same precepts, differing according to the time. Again, it is like milk, curds, butter, and ghee: they are distinct across the four stages, and although they differ accordingly, they are still one. Precepts are also like this: although they differ at the three times, the precepts are not different."