四分律行事鈔資持記 2.458

2.458

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.