勝鬘寶窟 1.49

1.49

Fourth, the section on the essence and marks of the precepts. The Abhidharma takes the aggregate of form as the essence; the Chengshi lun uses that which is neither form nor mind as the essence; the Sautrāntika takes the mind as the essence. The Yingluo jing states: 'The precepts of all bodhisattvas, ordinary and noble alike, all take the mind as their essence. If the mind were exhausted, the precepts would be exhausted; because the mind is inexhaustible, the precepts are inexhaustible.' Therefore, beings of the six destinies may receive the precepts; as long as they understand the words and receive them, they are not lost. If one specifically explains the essence of the three [clusters of] precepts according to the Yingluo jing: the precept of restraint refers to the ten pāramitās; the precept of embracing sentient beings refers to loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity; the precept of embracing wholesome dharmas refers to the eighty-four thousand dharma-gates. Here, because the four immeasurables are for transforming others, they constitute the precept of embracing sentient beings; the ten perfections are one's own practice, hence they are taken as the precept of restraint; embracing wholesome dharmas applies to both oneself and others, hence the eighty-four thousand dharma-gates are taken as the precept of embracing wholesome dharmas.