四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 2.37

2.37

二戒有大用。諸佛立教，並有勝能；明義各別，理須略舉。夫三寶所以隆安，九道所以師訓，諸行之歸憑，賢聖之依止者，必宗於戒。故律云：如是諸佛子，修行禁戒本，終不迴邪流，沒溺生死海。又《戒經》云：若有自為身，欲求於佛道，當尊重正法，此是諸佛教。故結集三藏，此教最先。《善見》云：毘尼藏者，佛法壽命，毘尼藏住，佛法方住，故先結之。所以爾者。餘經但汎明化迹，通顯因果；事隨理通，言無所寄。意寔深遠，昏情未達；雖欲進修，尠得其要；多滯筌相，由迷教旨。今戒律大藏，住持功彊；凡所施造，並皆麁現。以人則形服異世，法則軌用有儀；住既與俗不同，雜行條然自別。由世隨相有，法逐相成；便能綱維，不墜於地。又以法能資人，親成眾行，使人能弘法；故律云：以眾和合故，佛法得久住。

Second, 'the great function of the precepts.' The teachings established by all Buddhas possess supreme efficacy; their expressed meanings are distinct, so they must be briefly mentioned. That by which the Three Jewels are exalted and secure, the nine paths of existence are taught and guided, the various practices find their refuge, and the wise and noble take their stand—all must take the precepts as the source. Thus the Vinaya states: 'When such sons of the Buddha / Cultivate the root of the restrictive precepts, / They will never turn into the deviant currents / To drown in the ocean of saṃsāra.' The Prātimokṣa Sūtra also states: 'If someone, for their own sake, / Desires to seek the Buddha path, / They must revere the true Dharma; / This is the teaching of all Buddhas.' Therefore, when compiling the Tripiṭaka, this teaching was compiled first. The Samantapāsādikā states: 'The Vinaya Piṭaka is the lifespan of the Buddha's Dharma; only when the Vinaya Piṭaka endures will the Buddha's Dharma endure—therefore it was compiled first.' Why is this so? Other sūtras merely illustrate the traces of conversion broadly and reveal cause and effect generally; phenomena accord with principle and are understood, but their words have no specific anchorage. Their meaning is indeed profound and far-reaching, which confused minds fail to penetrate; although they wish to advance in cultivation, few attain the essential point, and many get stuck in the snare of concepts because they misunderstand the purport of the teachings. Now, the great treasury of Vinaya has a powerful function in sustaining [the Dharma]; whatever it institutes and enacts is coarsely manifest. In terms of persons, their form and clothing differ from the secular world; in terms of rules, their practical functions have proper models; their dwellings are distinct from the laity, and their assorted practices are clearly segregated. Because the world exists in accordance with features, and the Dharma is accomplished through features, it can uphold the guidelines so that they do not fall to the ground. Furthermore, because the Dharma can assist people, directly accomplishing the multitude of practices and enabling people to propagate the Dharma, the Vinaya states: 'Because the saṃgha is in harmony, the Buddha's Dharma can long endure.'