四分律行事鈔資持記 1.53

1.53

在世教中。《五分》文出第二十二卷。上明聽違佛制。（彼疏釋云：如手摶食，此方不為善。又如袒膊跣足之類。）雖非下，明聽從他制。（如用匙筯及鞋履，偏袖及依王制等。）問：消文可爾，興意如何？答：時數遷流，豐儉不定；方隅隔越，風土不同；立法檢非，難為一概。意使隨時適變，逐處所宜；故立未來，竪通像末；仍施現在，橫被邊夷。旨在為人，義見于此。問：時方名相，未知何出？答：《明了論》有時處毘尼。彼云：邊地受五，得數浴洗，中國不聽。（此名處也。）昔用三歸，今時不得；熱時數洗，寒時不得。（此即時也。）故知時方不唯一事。問：既曰當宗以辨，那引《五分》而明在世耶？答：本律明開邊方五事，但文局事定，未顯通收；故假彼文以申當部耳。今世愚僧，不知教相；破戒作惡，習俗成風；見持戒者事與我違，便責不善隨方，呵為顯異；邪多正寡，孰可言之！法滅世衰，由來漸矣。又東南禪講，半夜噉粥，過午方齋；木鉢紗衣，不殊外俗；循名昧實，竝謂隨方。不學愚癡，一至於此，慎之！

In [the section on] the teaching during [the Buddha's] lifetime, the passage from the Mahiśāsaka-vinaya comes from the twenty-second fascicle. The upper [text] explains allowing violations of the Buddha's prohibitions. (His commentary explains: "For instance, eating by balling food with the hand is not considered good in this land. Also, instances such as baring the shoulder and going barefoot.") Starting from "Although not..." downward, it explains allowing conformity to other [authorities'] prohibitions. (Such as using spoons and chopsticks as well as footwear, wearing one sleeve, and following royal decrees.) Question: Analyzing the text may be so, but what was the intention behind its arising? Answer: The flow of times and seasons changes, and abundance and scarcity are unfixed; regions are separated and distant, and customs and climes differ; formulating laws to check wrongs can hardly be uniform. The intention is to adapt to changes according to the times and conform to what is suitable for each place. Therefore, establishing [rules] for the future extends vertically through the Semblance and Final Dharma ages; yet applying them to the present extends horizontally across the border regions. The purpose is for the sake of people; its meaning is seen here. Question: Regarding the terms and characteristics of "time" and "place", from where do they originate? Answer: The Vinayadvāviṃśatividyā-śāstra has the time-and-place vinaya. It states: in border regions, [an ordination with] five [monks] is received, and one may bathe frequently, whereas this is not permitted in the Central Country. (This is termed "place".) Formerly, taking the three refuges was used, but nowadays it is not allowed; during hot times one may bathe frequently, but during cold times one may not. (This is precisely "time".) Therefore, we know that time and place do not concern only a single matter. Question: Since it was stated that the intention of arising should be discerned according to our own school, why cite the Mahīśāsaka-vinaya to explain [the teaching during the Buddha's] lifetime? Answer: Our own Vinaya clarifies exceptions for five matters in border regions, but its text is narrow and the matters are fixed, not yet showing an all-inclusive coverage; thus, we borrow that text to express [the intent of] our own school. Foolish monks of the present age do not understand the characteristics of the teachings; breaking precepts and doing evil, their habits have become common practice. Seeing those who uphold the precepts acting contrary to themselves, they immediately blame them for not properly adapting to the locality and scold them for showing off differences; the heterodox are many and the upright few—who can even speak of it! The decline of the Dharma and the degeneration of the world have developed gradually from this. Furthermore, in Chan and lecture [circles] of the southeast, eating gruel at midnight and having the midday meal past noon; using wooden bowls and gauze robes, no different from external secular folk; clinging to names while ignorant of realities, all claim this is adapting to the locality. Ignorance without study has reached such an extent as this—beware of it!