四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 3.387

3.387

If based on the Great Vehicle, the precepts are divided into three grades. The single precept of restraint does not differ from that of the śrāvakas, though it is not without two or three points of divergence; the precept that protects the mind surpasses the constant model even more. The Dàzhìdù lùn asks: 'When a bodhisattva abides in the real mark and does not apprehend a single dharma, may he break the precepts or not?' The answer says: 'Because he abides in the real mark, he does not even produce merit, how much less commit offenses; although there may be various conditions, he does not break the precepts of others.' Question: 'The Dìchí jīng says: "Better to give rise to the view of selfhood than to wrongly grasp emptiness"; the Fózàng jīng says: "Better to give rise to the view of annihilation than to give rise to the notion of self." How do these two statements not contradict each other?' Answer: 'The Dìchí jīng is for preserving mundane dharmas, and thus there is wholesome karma; one who wrongly grasps emptiness completely ruins the wholesome mind of mundane people, benefiting neither oneself nor others. The Fózàng jīng encourages the view of annihilation because, although it is presently not a wholesome benefit, later, because the mind of clinging and attachment is slight, one immediately attains liberation. Each has what it elucidates.' Question: 'A bodhisattva would rather give rise to a mind of greed than for a single moment give rise to anger, because anger opposes sentient beings; if so, may he give rise to greed?' The Dàzhìdù lùn says: 'Just as devas of the form realm, having severed the five hindrances and the ten unwholesome deeds, can be born in that Brahmā world heaven; yet those who have not severed desire and evil since beginningless time cannot even be born there. How much less the transcendent noble path, which distances desire and evil and was originally unattained; if one now has desire, how could it be attained?' The Mahāyānasaṃgraha states: 'When a bodhisattva attains non-conceptual wisdom, all dust-defilements do not appear; because he possesses superior wisdom and skillful means, he fully engages in the ten unwholesome deeds such as killing living beings, because the former has benefit and he himself has no fault of defilement; even if there is benefit, if there is fault it should not be practiced.' According to this, it is only from the first stage (bhūmi) and above that one can employ this non-conceptual wisdom, so before the stages it is improper. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra states: 'Upholding the precepts that halt worldly censure does not differ from upholding the naturally grave precepts.' Thereupon it explains the marks of a bodhisattva's upholding of precepts, using the simile of the rākṣasa begging for the floating float, elucidating the method of guarding against offenses in the five classes and six categories. It also says: 'If one has not yet abided in the Immovable Stage (Acalā), owing to conditions one may break the precepts.' This then refers to the eighth stage and above, or perhaps the Pure Mind Stage and above.