四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 3.45

3.45

三漉水袋法。物雖輕小，所為極大；出家慈濟，厥意在此。今上品高行，尚飲用蟲水；況諸不肖，焉可言哉。故律中，為重蟲命，偏制飲用二戒；由事常現有，用者多數故也。餘如〈隨相〉中。今故抽現重明，準佛意也。《薩婆多》：欲作住處，先看水中有蟲不？有者，作餘井；猶有，捨去。凡用水法，應清淨者，如法漉水，置一器中，足一日用；取上細㲲一肘，作囊，令持戒審悉者，漉水竟，著淨器中；向日諦視看，故有者，如前說。《僧祇》蟲太細者，三重漉囊；猶有蟲者，更造井；諦視有蟲者，捨去。《四分》：作漉水袋如杓形、若三角，若作宏槨、若作漉瓶。若患細蟲出，聽安沙囊中，漉訖，還著水中。不得無漉袋行半由旬，無者僧伽梨角漉（準須覆袋中，以淨穢相染故）。此國多用絹作者，余親取已漉竟，水內黑色器中，微小細蟲無數，同水塵量故。《涅槃》有言：塵耶蟲耶！此言信也！後取緻練作袋，漉之方盡。故明此者，由生命處重，無益自他；性戒無懺，終須醻報。今不肖之夫，見執漉袋者，言，律學唯在於漉袋。然不知所為處深。損生妨道者，猶不畜漉袋，縱畜而不用，雖用而不寫蟲，雖寫而損蟲命。且存殺生一戒，尚不能遵奉；餘之威儀見命，常沒其中。

Third, the method for the water strainer. Although the object is light and small, its purpose is extremely great; the compassionate salvation of the renunciant has its intention right here. Nowadays, even those of superior grade and lofty conduct still drink and use water containing insects; what more need be said of the unworthy? Therefore, in the Vinaya, attaching great importance to the lives of insects, two specific precepts regarding drinking and using [water] were instituted; this is because this matter is constantly present and its users are exceedingly numerous. The rest is as described in the "Investigation of Specific Marks." Here it is deliberately extracted and reaffirmed, in accordance with the Buddha's intention. The Sarvāstivāda states: When intending to make a dwelling place, first examine whether there are insects in the water or not. If there are, dig another well; if there are still insects, abandon it and leave. The method for using water in general: one who seeks purity should filter the water according to the Dharma and place it in a vessel, enough for one day's use; take one cubit of the finest cotton to make a bag, and have a conscientious keeper of precepts filter the water; when finished, put it in a clean vessel; look closely at it facing the sun; if there are still insects, do as explained before. The Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya states: If the insects are too fine, use a triple-layered strainer bag; if there are still insects, dig another well; if upon close inspection there are still insects, abandon it and leave. The Dharmaguptaka states: Make a water-strainer bag shaped like a ladle, or triangular, or make a large box, or make a filter flask. If troubled by fine insects passing through, it is permitted to place sand in the bag; when filtering is finished, return them to the water. One must not walk half a yojana without a strainer bag; if without one, filter with the corner of the saṃghāṭī (normally one must cover the inside of the bag, because pure and impure might contaminate each other). In this country, they are mostly made of plain silk. I personally took water after it was filtered and placed it in a black vessel: tiny, fine insects were countless, like the amount of dust in the water. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Is it dust or is it insects?" These words are truly credible! Later, I took dense boiled silk to make a bag, and only then were they filtered completely. The reason for explaining this is that the matter of living beings' lives is momentous, and [neglecting it] brings no benefit to oneself or others; being a natural precept with no expiation, one must ultimately repay the retribution. Nowadays, unworthy men, seeing someone carrying a strainer bag, say that Vinaya study consists solely in strainer bags. Yet they do not understand that the purpose behind it is profound. Harming life and obstructing the path, they still do not keep a strainer bag; even if they keep one, they do not use it; though using it, they do not pour back the insects; and though pouring them back, they injure the insects' lives. When even the single precept of not killing living beings cannot be honored, in all their other bodily deportments and bodily life, they constantly remain sunk therein.