四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 2.27

2.27

Third is transgressing with an indeterminate mind. This means that from the start one does not exercise restraint, following the flow and indulging one's impulses; the intention is neither good nor bad, acting casually. For example, when a bhikṣu sits down, engaging in high-flown talk and idle chatter, wasting time and harming spiritual work, giving free rein to body and mouth; or hands and feet harming grass, trees, and soil; or brokering a marriage among the saṃgha; or improperly using saṃgha property; or keeping extra robes beyond the limit; or entering the lay settlement at an improper time; or touching saṃgha vessels with one's hands, spoiling the deportment of body and mouth. Numerous instances like these all generally fall into transgressions. The only exception is when one constantly harbors mindfulness of guarding [the precepts], yet commits them through mistaken forgetfulness; this is not prompted by intention and does not incur future karma. It is not like the cases above. Where there was previously a preliminary stage, and afterwards sleep, drunkenness, or madness, an action resulting in a karmic fruit is consummated; taking into account the prior intention to establish the root offense, this is just as explained in the treatises regarding the indeterminate incurring retribution. Question: Since the indeterminate lacks karmic potency, how can it have retribution? Answer: There are two explanations. First, in saying it incurs retribution, it means there was previously a preliminary stage, and afterwards one entered an indeterminate state; since the karma was completed during the indeterminate mind, it is said to incur retribution, but in reality the indeterminate does not yield karmic fruition. Second, it does not incur the general retribution, but it does not mean one does not receive particular retributions. For example, in the sūtra a dhūta bhikṣu unintentionally killed a living being; when that being ended its life, it was reborn as a wild boar, and when a boulder was dislodged on a mountain, it tumbled down and killed the bhikṣu in return. Furthermore, as in the Five Hundred Questions: an administrative monk mistakenly touched a pure vessel and became a dung-eating ghost, and so forth. As in the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra: 'Karma accomplished during sleep is indeterminate karma.' Question: In the case of indeterminate states mentioned earlier where there is no transgression, what are their characteristics? Answer: This was already briefly clarified earlier, and is now shown more extensively. It refers to someone who has learned and knows the precept characteristics, understands well observance and transgression, and whose mind is always vigilant; occasionally forgetting or confused, because it is not an object of intention, it is allowed as non-transgression. For instance, keeping an extra robe past the day because of forgetting to perform the purification of speech; well restraining the sense faculties, yet having seminal emission during sleep; or carrying wood and stones, and accidentally slipping and killing a person. Circumstances such as these are not within the limits of culpability. Conversely, whatever falls outside of such mindsets is established as a root transgression. However, the suffering of karma accumulates unceasingly, and the births received are endless; vainly indulging body and mouth, defiling the dusty realms; having none of the three wholesome paths to cleave to, one only adds to the wheel of suffering of the three evil destinies; to spend one's life like this is truly lamentable.