四分律行事鈔資持記 2.458

2.458

斥世中，初斥贊助。如律重者，同歎死故。義淨三藏《寄歸傳》，廣斥世人燒身然指；意謂菩薩大士之行，非出家比丘所宜；古來章記，相傳引誡；講者寡聞，用為口實；此由不知機有淺深，教分化制；律明自殺，方便偷蘭；燒指然香，違制得吉；《梵網》所制，若不燒身臂指，非出家菩薩，犯輕垢罪。此蓋小機急於自行，期盡報以超生；大士專在利他，歷塵劫而弘濟；是以小律結其大過，大教歎其深功。況大小由教，俱是聖言；一抑一揚，豈容乖異。且經明出家菩薩，那云不許比丘（彼云：捨身非沙門所為。）；傳列苦行遺身，豈是專存通俗（彼云：經中所明，事存通俗。）。荊溪所謂依小不燒則易，依大燒之則難；保命貪生，物情皆爾。今以義判，且為三例：一若本白衣，不在言限；或全不受戒，此依經中，足指供養，勝施國城；若依《梵網》，直受大戒，順體奉持，然之彌善。二若單受小戒，位局比丘；不燒則順本成持，燒則依篇結犯。三若兼受大戒，名出家菩薩；燒則成持，不燒成犯。或先小後大，或先大後小；並從大判，不犯律儀。若此以明，粗分進否；豈得雷同，一概頓斥為非！然有勇暴之夫，情存矯誑，邀人利養，規世聲名；故壞法門，乃佛教之大賊；自殘形體，實儒宗之逆人；直是惡因，終無善報。今時頗盛，聾俗豈知；則義淨之誡，亦有取矣。又下，次斥與物。命終重者，同前安殺具也。膾子，即殺者之名，以能膾割人故。《僧祇》下，三斥妄教。用語重者，即同遣使也。典刑者，或是官吏，或即膾子。

In criticizing the world, first criticizing praising and assisting. 'Incurring a major offense according to the Vinaya' is because it is the same as praising death. Tripiṭaka Master Yijing's Record of the South Seas extensively criticizes people of the world for burning their bodies and burning their fingers; his intention was that the practices of great bodhisattvas are not appropriate for renunciant bhikṣus; ancient commentaries have traditionally quoted this as a warning; lecturers of limited hearing have used it as a pretext; this is due to not knowing that capacities have shallow and deep levels, and that teachings are divided into transformative and disciplinary. The Vinaya clarifies that preparatory stages of suicide are sthūlātyaya; burning fingers and burning incense violates prohibitions and incurs a duṣkṛta; what is instituted in the Brahma Net Sūtra is that if one does not burn one's body, arms, or fingers, one is not a renunciant bodhisattva, committing a light defilement offense. This is because those of lesser capacity are anxious about their own practice, hoping to exhaust their retributive life to transcend rebirth; great beings focus solely on benefiting others, broadly delivering them through dust-mote kalpas; therefore, the lesser Vinaya designates it as a great fault, while the great teaching praises its deep merit. Furthermore, whether greater or lesser depends on the teaching, and both are the words of the Sage; how could one deprecating and the other extolling allow for contradiction? Moreover, the sūtra clearly speaks of renunciant bodhisattvas; how can one say bhikṣus are not permitted (he said: 'abandoning the body is not what a śramaṇa does'); the biographies list austerities and abandoning the body; how could they solely pertain to the common and mundane (he said: 'what is clarified in the sūtra pertains to common and mundane affairs')? As Jingxi said, according to the small, not burning is easy; according to the great, burning is difficult; protecting life and clinging to existence are universal feelings of sentient beings. Now, determining it in terms of principle, let there be three cases: First, if one is originally a white-robed layperson, it is outside the scope of this discussion; or if one does not take precepts at all, according to the sūtra, offering a toe surpasses donating kingdoms and cities; if according to the Brahma Net Sūtra one directly receives the great precepts, upholding them in accordance with their essence, burning it is even better. Second, if one solely receives the lesser precepts, one's status is restricted to a bhikṣu; not burning conforms to the fundamental [precepts] and constitutes maintenance; burning incurs an offense according to the chapter. Third, if one additionally receives the great precepts, one is called a renunciant bodhisattva; burning constitutes maintenance, while not burning constitutes an offense. Whether first small and then great, or first great and then small, all are determined according to the great, without violating the vinaya rules. If explained in this way, advancing or refraining is broadly distinguished; how could one lump them together and indiscriminately denounce it as wrong all at once! However, there are violent and reckless men who harbor hypocrisy and deceit, soliciting people's offerings and seeking worldly fame; deliberately ruining the Dharma-gate, they are great thieves of Buddhism; self-mutilating their bodies, they are truly rebellious people to the Confucian tradition; this is simply an evil cause, which ultimately brings no good retribution. It is quite prevalent nowadays; how would deaf worldlings know? Thus, Yijing's admonition also has its merit. 'Also...' below, secondly, criticizes giving items. 'Death being a major offense' is the same as setting up instruments of death above. 'Kuizi' is the name of an executioner, because he can slice and cut people. 'In the Mahāsāṃghika...' below, thirdly, criticizes reckless instruction. 'Using words being a major offense' is the same as dispatching an emissary. 'He who administers punishment' is either an official or the executioner.