菩薩戒義疏 2.44

2.44

第二十七，受別請戒。各受別請，則施主不請十方僧，使施主失平等心功德，十方僧失常利施，故制。出家五眾同犯，在家二眾無此利，未制。大小乘不同。菩薩僧，一云：凡齋會利施，悉斷別請。若請受戒、說法，見機或比智，知此人無我，則不營功德，如此等不制。二云：從四人已上，有一僧次，不犯；都無者，被制。文意似前解。序事三階：初、標不應。「而此」，第二、釋不應意。施主修福，法應廣普。當知利施本通十方，由汝別受，故十方不得遠，有奪十方之義，是故不應。「八福田」下，此三、結不應。八福田並有應得僧次義，如佛應迹為僧等。八福田者，一、佛，二、聖人，三、和尚，四、闍黎，五、僧，六、父，七、母，八、病人。然三藏中佛恒受別請而不名犯，一、佛是上福田，不減等心之福；二、此土秖有一佛，無有奪餘中義。

Twenty-seventh: the precept against accepting individual invitations. If each [monk] accepts individual invitations, then donors will not invite the Sangha of the ten directions, causing donors to lose the merit of an impartial mind and causing the Sangha of the ten directions to lose regular offerings of benefit; hence it was instituted. The five monastic assemblies equally commit an offense; the two lay assemblies have no such benefit, so it is not instituted [for them]. The Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna differ. Regarding the bodhisattva Saṅgha, one explanation says: for all vegetarian feasts and offerings of benefit, individual invitations are completely cut off. If one is invited to confer the precepts or teach the Dharma, perceiving the opportune capacity or discerning through wisdom that this person is free of self and thus does not labor for merit, such cases are not prohibited. A second explanation says: where there are four or more persons, if there is a single monk from the Sangha's rotation, one does not commit an offense; if there is none at all, it is prohibited. The text's meaning seems to follow the former explanation. The narrative of events has three stages: First, marking what should not be done. "And this..." is the second, explaining the intent behind why it should not be done. When donors cultivate merit, the Dharma requires it to be broad and universal. One should know that offerings of benefit fundamentally extend to the ten directions. Because you accept individually, those of the ten directions far away cannot obtain them; there is the sense of robbing the ten directions. Therefore it should not be done. From "eight fields of merit" onward is the third, concluding what should not be done. The eight fields of merit all possess the meaning of being entitled to the Sangha's rotation, as when the Buddha manifested a trace as a monk, and so forth. The eight fields of merit are: first, the Buddha; second, the noble ones; third, the upādhyāya; fourth, the ācārya; fifth, the Sangha; sixth, the father; seventh, the mother; and eighth, the sick. However, in the Tripiṭaka the Buddha constantly accepted individual invitations and this was not called an offense: first, because the Buddha is the supreme field of merit and does not diminish the merit of an impartial mind; second, because there is only one Buddha in this realm, so there is no sense of robbing others.