四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 2.7

2.7

The reason why the five groups who have left the secular world serve as fertile fields for the world is truly due to the precept essence! Therefore the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: 'Receiving and maintaining the prohibitory precepts is the essence; shaving the hair and dyeing the robes are the outward marks.' Now, if one purifies one's mind like ice and moistens one's virtue like jade, one will then be able to produce good seeds and be called a field of merit; otherwise, indulging and resisting, one brings grief upon oneself, incurring the guilt of the six categories of offenses and suffering retribution in the sixteen hells. Thus the five classes clarify offenses, so that transgressing, observing, and practicing naturally establish themselves; the seven categories illuminate observance, so that keeping in accord with observance causes all offenses to be invisibly eliminated. Yet beginners are mostly ignorant and dull; not yet knowing the rules and regulations, how can they distinguish the statutes? Regarding the precepts, their confusion is like wandering in fog, and their view of the retribution of offenses is like looking out over the sea. This causes them to drift far downstream, forgetting to return out of greed for a drop of honey; while accumulating heavy karma, how could they transcend, awaken, and know to return? Therefore the Vinayamātṛkā states: 'When monks and nuns break the prohibitions yet accept offerings, if they do not receive [the retribution] in the present, it is because they are headed for hell!' Thus karma forms according to the mind, and retribution materializes following the mind; one must first spread out causes and effects and extensively clarify their marks and designations, so that Buddha-sons who observe the precepts may observe the results and recognize the causes. Therein, first clarify that precept protection is the root of transgression and loss; afterward clarify the marks of the names and retributions of the classes and categories.