四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 3.226

3.226

Now, when the power of karmic retribution is superior, practice becomes refined and pure; hence one can transcend the myriad entanglements and stand lofty and preeminent. For this reason, throughout Śākyamuni's teaching career, he highly praised this virtue. Therefore, all prohibitions were instituted for the excessively greedy; whenever opening the teachings, he first extolled this practice. He wished to spur weary and indolent guests onward to the city of dhyāna, and to urge men defiled by dust to ascend the steps of śīla. This is the general purpose. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: "The Buddha's intention was to have his disciples follow the practice of the path and abandon worldly pleasures; therefore, he praised the twelve dhūtas as fundamental; only when there were compelling reasons and it was unavoidable did he allow other things," and so forth. Within this, there are four divisions: first, explaining the general name; second, listing the numbers and clarifying the essence; third, the differing practices among the various schools; fourth, miscellaneous citations of various rules.