四分律行事鈔資持記 1.885

1.885

《六方禮經》。佛世有長者名尸迦羅越，早起六方各禮四拜；佛問其故，答云：承上如斯，佛言：不以事禮，各有所表；東方父母事，南方師長事，西方夫婦事，北方親屬朋友事，下方奴婢事，上方沙門道人事。今引南方彼此五心，可解。

The Sūtra on the Six-Direction Salutation (Singālovāda-sutta). During the Buddha's time, there was an elder named Singāla who would rise early and make four prostrations to each of the six directions. The Buddha asked him the reason, and he replied: 'I inherited this from my ancestors.' The Buddha said: 'One does not salute them through mere actions; each has its own representation: the east represents serving parents; the south represents serving masters and elders; the west represents serving wives and husbands; the north represents serving relatives and friends; the nadir represents serving servants and slaves; the zenith represents serving śramaṇas and practitioners of the Way.' Now citing the five mindsets between one another for the south, it can be understood.