四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 2.37

2.37

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.'