四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 2.511

2.511

Regarding the lower four classes [of offenses], people are prone to harboring transgressions; therefore, at the very beginning, I shall explain the particulars in detail. That is to say, regarding offenses and confessions in the vinaya, one must recognize and know them without doubt; one should thoroughly master their names and classes, distinguishing them according to their categories; offenses of the same class are confessed together, while those of different categories are repented separately. Furthermore, when reciting the offenses to enter into the ritual procedure, one declares them according to their number; if one has forgotten and does not know, one then says 'I do not recall.' Moreover, I have seen practitioners of confession who, before distinguishing right from wrong, rashly act as the master of confession and sit upright to receive confessions; since the other person does not understand themselves, they invite him to treat them. Some say 'all offenses of the śaikṣa training,' some say 'whichever offenses there may be,' some say 'if there be confusion and forgetfulness,' some confess two classes together, some state an offense when none was committed, or state a grave offense to be light. Transgressions of this kind that violate the procedure are offenses that cannot be escaped or concealed; turning back, they become burdens to oneself, so how could one adjudicate for others? Therefore, one must illuminate and penetrate offenses and confessions, clearer than water and mirrors, so that neither party has private concealment and mental intentions correspond with the facts—only then can one be a child of the Buddha who conforms with the teaching! Why is this? Because the Vinaya school relies on outer characteristics: if one contravenes these characteristics, both mind and matter are flawed; it is not like the Mahāyāna, where the three karmic retributions are all repented in a single confession. The rest is as described in the Prātimokṣasūtra and the Karman Commentary.