四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 3.263

3.263

初明受請者。《十誦》：為知請故，須立維那，《出要律儀》翻為寺護，又云悅眾，本正音婆邏，此云次第。《僧祇》云：若來請比丘明日食者，不得定答云決來；應語若無緣事，當訃之。若有請僧者，應問姓名、客人、舊往巷陌，不得輒往；應先令一人，若月直、園民、沙彌在前訪問；恐試弄比丘，及有留難，恐僧失食故。《五分》：白衣家會，應借僧臥具。《僧祇》：比丘得為俗家設會張幔及諸供具，唯不得與女人共輿（及以作食）。《四分》：菩提王子請佛，從於階陛布衣，令佛蹈上過；世尊不受，令却之；為未來比丘故。《增一》云：如來許請，或默然，或儼頭，或彈指。《五百問》云：作佛得物，請比丘，不合食。若先許三會，後作一會；三行香，三施，不了還願。若鬼子母食，呪願取食。沽酒家門，一切時不得入；更有餘門，得；若請比丘會，當持一日戒，一日不沽酒，得往。屠家亦爾。若共師並坐者，更無別處，得；不得同盤食。《四分》：請有二種：即僧次、別請也。律開別請，然諸經論制者不少。《梵網》云：別請物者，即盜四方僧物。《仁王經》亦呵責別請過。《十誦》、《善生》：雖別請佛五百羅漢，猶故不得名請僧福田；若能於僧中請一似像極惡比丘，猶得無量果報。《增一》、《成論》云：如飲海水，即飲眾流，僧次請僧亦爾。《五分》：但為解脫出家者，得為僧次，唯除犯惡戒人。《五百問》云：受別請已，遣人代去，主人意無在者，得；若嫌者，犯墮。既僧次福大，有憑請者，應說僧次功能，開悟俗心，勿令別請。別請法如〈隨相〉中。今俗有執名邀請者。然口雖許往，必須筆註；有人書為「赴」字者，此未知字學耳！必有斯舉，可註為「訃」字（下之赴上為赴字，上之赴下為訃字）。此乃細碎，甚補高望。故諺云：借念時還，貸念時償。事雖鄙陋，廉恥之本。《薩婆多》：被請人，與僧同去，不白先入者，墮。主人明日作食，今日自往者，墮，除主人喚。若食後主人不喚，留自住者墮。經營知事人在僧後到者墮。食未嚫去者亦墮；餘人私行，直報同學者，得。雖大界內，近寺白衣家，不白亦犯。若白，還晚，令僧惱者，吉羅。《善見》：檀越請比丘，沙彌雖未受具，亦入比丘數。《涅槃》：乃至未受十戒，亦得受請。《僧祇》：若道行作念，至某精舍當食，若過餘處食者，悔過；若值彼僧受請隨去，無罪。《十誦》：不請自來食犯吉羅。《五百問》云：但打楗椎，即得食供，不問請與非請；何以故？打楗椎本為集僧故。

First, explaining the receipt of invitations. The Daśādhyāya-vinaya states: In order to know about invitations, one must establish a karmadāna (translated in the Chuyao lüyi as 'temple protector', also called 'pleaser of the assembly'; the original correct phonetic form is vara, translated here as 'sequence'). The Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya states: If someone comes to invite a bhikṣu to a meal the next day, he must not answer definitively, saying that he will certainly come; he should say that if there are no obstructing matters, he will respond. If someone invites the saṃgha, he should inquire about their name, whether they are guests, or are from familiar streets and lanes; he must not set out rashly; he should first send one person—whether a monthly duty monk, an orchard worker, or a śrāmaṇera—ahead to make inquiries, for fear of people mocking the bhikṣus, or there being hindrances and difficulties, fearing that the saṃgha might miss their meal. The Pañcavargika-vinaya states: When there is an assembly at a layperson's house, bedding of the saṃgha may be lent. The Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya states: A bhikṣu may set up canopies and various offering utensils for an assembly at a lay home, but must not share a palanquin with a woman (or cook food together). The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya states: When Prince Bodhi invited the Buddha, he spread cloth on the steps so that the Buddha would walk over it; the Bhagavat would not accept it and had it removed, for the sake of future bhikṣus. The Ekottarika-āgama states: When the Tathāgata accepted an invitation, he did so either with silence, by nodding his head, or by snapping his fingers. The Wubai wen says: Using things obtained from making a Buddha image to invite bhikṣus is not permissible to eat. If one previously promised three assemblies and later held only one, offering incense three times and giving gifts three times, the fulfillment of the vow remains incomplete. If it is an offering to Hārītī, one may chant the aspiration and take the food. One must never enter the door of a tavern at any time; if there is another door, one may; if they invite bhikṣus for a feast, they should observe the precepts for one day and not sell wine for one day, and then one may go. The same applies to a butcher's house. If one sits side by side with one's master, and there is no other place, it is permissible; but one must not eat from the same plate. The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya states: There are two kinds of invitations: sequential saṃgha invitations and individual invitations. The Vinaya allows individual invitations, yet many sūtras and treatises prohibit them. The Fanwang jing states: Receiving items through an individual invitation is stealing items of the cāturdiśa-saṃgha. The Renwang jing also admonishes the fault of individual invitations. The Daśādhyāya-vinaya and the Shansheng state: Even if one individually invites the Buddha and five hundred arhats, it still cannot be called inviting the merit field of the saṃgha; if one can invite even a single nominal, extremely wicked bhikṣu from among the saṃgha, one still obtains immeasurable karmic reward. The Ekottarika-āgama and the Chengshi lun state: Just as drinking sea water is drinking all the flowing streams, so it is with sequentially inviting the saṃgha. The Pañcavargika-vinaya states: As long as one has renounced household life for the sake of liberation, one may be included in the sequential saṃgha, excepting only those who have committed grave precept violations. The Wubai wen says: Having accepted an individual invitation, if one sends another person to go in his place and the host does not mind, it is permissible; if the host is displeased, it is a pāyattika offense. Since the merit of sequential saṃgha invitations is vast, when there are people relying on invitations, one should explain the efficacy and virtue of sequential saṃgha invitations to awaken the minds of laypeople, so that they do not make individual invitations. The procedure for individual invitations is as found in the chapter 'According to Characteristics'. Nowadays, laypeople invite monks by insisting on specific names. Although verbal consent to go has been given, it must be noted down in writing; some people write the character fu (赴, to proceed), but this is due to ignorance of orthography! If there is such an event, it should be recorded with the character fu (訃, to announce/respond) (when an inferior proceeds to a superior, it is the character fu 赴; when a superior proceeds to an inferior, it is the character fu 訃). Though this is a minute detail, it greatly assists noble reputation. Thus the proverb says: When borrowing, think of the time to return; when taking a loan, think of the time to repay. Though the matter may seem petty, it is the foundation of integrity and shame. The Sarvāstivāda states: If an invited person goes together with the saṃgha and enters first without announcing it, it is a pāyattika. If the host prepares food for tomorrow, and one goes there on his own today, it is a pāyattika, unless called by the host. If after the meal the host does not call upon him and he remains behind of his own accord, it is a pāyattika. If the administrative monk in charge of affairs arrives after the saṃgha, it is a pāyattika. If one leaves before the dakṣiṇā is given, it is also a pāyattika; if another person travels privately and simply informs his fellow student, it is permissible. Even within the great boundary, at a layperson's house close to the monastery, if one does not announce it, it is also a violation. If one announces it but returns late, causing annoyance to the saṃgha, it is a duṣkṛta. The Shanjian says: When a dānapati invites bhikṣus, a śrāmaṇera, though not yet fully ordained, is also counted among the number of bhikṣus. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra states: Even if one has not yet received the ten precepts, one may still receive an invitation. The Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya states: If while walking on the road one thinks, 'When I reach such-and-such monastery, I will eat,' yet passes by to eat elsewhere, he must repent the fault; if he encounters the saṃgha there receiving an invitation and goes along, there is no offense. The Daśādhyāya-vinaya states: Eating without having been invited is a duṣkṛta. The Wubai wen says: As long as the gaṇḍī is struck, one may partake of the food offering, regardless of whether one was invited or not; why? Because striking the gaṇḍī is originally for gathering the saṃgha.