四分比丘戒本疏 1.9

1.9

Fourth, as for the distinction of its central theme and essence: first the theme, then the essence. To explain the theme first: this text completely takes the Vinaya Piṭaka as its theme, unlike sūtras such as the Lotus and the Nirvāṇa which make particular thematic divisions within a single piṭaka; therefore, this text takes the well-expounded vinaya as its theme. 'Well-expounded' means well-expounded by the Buddha, distinguishing it from non-Buddhists who, through improper exposition, instituted the chicken precept and the like. 'Vinaya' translates as subjugation (tiaofu). Vasubandhu's Mahāyānasaṃgraha-bhāṣya, fascicle one, states: ''Tiao' means harmonizing and driving; 'fu' means checking and destroying. It is because it harmonizes and reins in the seven evils of body and speech, and checks and eradicates all evil deeds.' Next, to distinguish the essence: Yogācārabhūmi, chapter eighty-one, states: 'The essence of a sūtra has briefly two kinds: first, text; second, meaning. Text is that on which it relies, and meaning is that which relies on it; these two together are called the sphere of all knowables.' Now the meaning expounded by this sūtra text consists solely of the five categories of offences. According to the Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya, they are called the five categories of offences (wupian), a name handed down together by previous generations. If according to the Dharmaguptaka, they are called the five transgressions (wufan); because they inevitably incur painful punishment, they are called transgressions. They are also called the five classes of transgressions (wufanju), because within each category, many transgressions are gathered together, hence called classes of transgressions. Or they are called the five kinds of regulations (wuzhong zhi). 'Regulations' has two meanings: first, instituted by the Buddha's words in accordance with the Dharma; second, by one's own practice, having the ability to regulate and guard against [faults]. As for the five categories of offences: first, the four pārājikas of the bhikṣus and the eight pārājikas of the bhikṣuṇīs are combined as the first category; second, the thirteen saṃghāvaśeṣas of the bhikṣus and the seventeen saṃghāvaśeṣas of the bhikṣuṇīs are combined as the second category; third, the thirty niḥsargika-prāyaścittikas and ninety prāyaścittikas of the bhikṣus, totaling one hundred and twenty, and the thirty niḥsargika-prāyaścittikas and one hundred and seventy-eight prāyaścittikas of the bhikṣuṇīs, totaling two hundred and eight precepts—aggregating to three hundred and twenty-eight precepts for bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs—form the third category; fourth, the four pratideśanīyas of the bhikṣus and the eight pratideśanīyas of the bhikṣuṇīs are combined as the fourth category; fifth, the one hundred śaikṣas and seven adhikaraṇa-śamathas of the bhikṣus, and the one hundred śaikṣas with optionally the seven adhikaraṇa-śamathas of the bhikṣuṇīs, are combined as the fifth category. In total, the bhikṣus have two hundred and fifty precepts, and the bhikṣuṇīs, excluding the seven adhikaraṇa-śamathas, have three hundred and forty-one, or including the seven adhikaraṇa-śamathas, three hundred and forty-eight precepts. All of these constitute the essence of the meaning expounded by the main theme. The two aniyatas serve to prevent faults at their inception; since no actual offence has yet occurred, they do not enter the categories, and will be explained when we come to the text.