四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 3.259

3.259

二造寺法。有盛德法師，造《寺誥》十篇，具明造寺方法，祇桓圖樣；隨有所造，必準正教；并護持匡眾，僧網綱要等。事繁不具，略引宗科造寺一法：謂處所須避譏涉，當離於尼寺，及市傍府側等。佛殿經坊，極令清素；僧院厨倉，趣得充事。如此則後無所壞。今時末法造寺，唯有處所，事得受用；亦有用羯磨法者，而限外無儀式表相，令人知者。故《祇桓圖》中，凡立木石土宇，並有所表，令人天識相，知釋門多法；故能影覆邪術，禽獸畏威，儀形隱映，為世欽仰。但歷代綿積，秉教陵遲；事存法隱，錯舉意旨。俗人既不曉法，眾僧未解示導。但相倣斆，虛費財物；競心精妙，力志勝他；房廊臺觀，務令高顯；過彼便止，都不存法。又還自騰踐，如己莊宅；眾僧房堂，諸俗受用；毀壞損辱，情無所愧；屈道承俗，如奴事主。是名寺法滅也（其甚者，打罵眾僧，種種非法。取要言之，從僧強力抑奪，貸借乞請；乃至停屍僧院，舉哀寺內，置[塚-豖+(一/豖)]，澡浴等，並非法也）。若改往修來，追法更新，慎敬無犯者，是則護持寺法也（俗人造寺，本為求福，作出家之因，得道之緣；唯應禮拜供養，為法諮請，時時覲問，如法往來；彼此利益，自他無惱，名護持也）！故《增一》云：阿闍世王，得信已後，勅國中，無令事佛之家，貲輸迎送。豈非僧傳正法，得信於人乎！

Second, the method for building monasteries. There was a Dharma master of eminent virtue who composed ten chapters of *Monastery Ordinances*, which fully explain the methods for building monasteries and the plan of Jetavana; whatever was constructed strictly conformed to the correct teachings; along with protecting and guiding the saṃgha, the guidelines and essentials of the monastic order, and so forth. The matters are manifold and cannot be given in full, so the cardinal section on the single method for building monasteries is briefly cited: Namely, the location must avoid suspicion and gossip, and should be kept away from nunneries, as well as the vicinity of markets and government offices, and the like. The Buddha halls and scripture repositories should be kept exceedingly pure and simple; the monks' quarters, kitchens, and storehouses should merely suffice for operational affairs. In this way, there will be no subsequent decay. Nowadays, in the Final Dharma age, when building monasteries, they merely acquire a location so that affairs may be put to use; some also employ the karman methods, yet outside the boundary there are no ceremonial representations to make people aware. Therefore, in the *Plan of Jetavana*, whenever wood, stone, earth, and eaves were erected, all had symbolic significance, enabling devas and humans to recognize the signs and understand that the Śākya gate has manifold teachings; thus it could overshadow heterodox arts, beasts would stand in awe of its majesty, and its dignified forms were splendidly arrayed, revered by the world. However, over successive generations through long ages, the upholding of the teachings has deteriorated; the physical matters remain while the Dharma is obscured, and the underlying intentions are misapplied. Since laypeople do not comprehend the Dharma, the monks also fail to understand how to guide them. They merely imitate one another, wasting material wealth in vain; competing in hearts for exquisite elegance, striving to surpass others; making chambers, corridors, platforms, and pavilions as tall and conspicuous as possible; once surpassing others they simply stop, paying no heed to the Dharma at all. Moreover, laypeople trample upon it as if it were their own estate; the rooms and halls of the monks are used by worldly folk; damaging, ruining, and defiling them without any shame in their hearts; the monks bend the Way to accommodate the worldly, like slaves serving masters. This is called the destruction of the monastery Dharma (in extreme cases, beating and reviling the monks, and various kinds of illegality. To state the essentials: forcibly extorting and seizing from the monks, borrowing and begging; even keeping corpses in monks' courtyards, wailing in mourning inside monasteries, setting up burial mounds, bathing, and so forth—all are non-Dharmic). If one reforms the past and cultivates the future, renews in accord with the Dharma, and acts with prudence and reverence without transgression, this is protecting and upholding the monastery Dharma (when laypeople build monasteries, it is originally to seek merit, create causes for going forth, and conditions for attaining the Way; they should only pay homage and make offerings, consult and request regarding the Dharma, inquire after them from time to time, and come and go in accordance with the Dharma; mutually benefiting each other, with neither self nor other troubled—this is called protecting and upholding)! Therefore, the *Ekottarika-āgama* says: After King Ajātaśatru attained faith, he issued an order throughout the realm that no household serving the Buddha should be subjected to financial levies or greeting-and-sending burdens. Is this not because the monks transmitted the true Dharma and won the faith of the people!