四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 1.95

1.95

夫戒者以隨器為功，行者以領納為趣。而能善淨身心，稱緣而受者，方克相應之道；若情無遠趣，差之毫微者，則徒染法流，將何以為道之淨器？為世良田，義復安在？是以凡欲清身行徒，遠希圓果者，無宜妄造；必須專志攝慮，令契入無滯。故經云：雖無形色，而可護持，斯文明矣！何者？但戒相多途，非唯一軼；心有分限，取之不同；若任境彰名，乃有無量；且據樞要，略標四種：一者戒法，二者戒體，三者戒行，四者戒相。

Now, precepts achieve their merit according to the capacity of the vessel, and practitioners take receiving them into the mind as their aim. Only those who can purify body and mind well and receive them in accordance with conditions can realize the path of correspondence. If one's disposition lacks lofty aspirations, and one errs by a hair's breadth, one merely stains the flow of the Dharma; how could one serve as a pure vessel of the Way? How could the meaning of being a fine field of merit for the world still stand? Therefore, all who wish to purify their bodily actions and aspire from afar to the perfect fruit must not proceed rashly; they must focus their aspiration and restrain their thoughts, making their realization unhindered. Thus a scripture states: 'Although it has no form or color, it can be guarded and upheld'—this text is clear! Why is this? The marks of the precepts have many paths and are not merely of a single bundle; minds have limitations, and grasp them differently. If named according to their objects, they are indeed immeasurable; but relying on the essential pivot, I shall briefly mark four kinds: first, the precept dharma; second, the precept essence; third, the precept practice; and fourth, the precept marks.