菩薩戒義疏 1.6

1.6

Next, distinguishing the designation of the Dharma: this is the meaning of "precepts." The Sanskrit sound is śīla. The Dàzhìdù lùn says: "In Qin it is called innate goodness"; it is also called "cool and refreshing." Because it can halt the feverish distress of breaking precepts, it derives its name from its capacity. It is also called prātimokṣa, translated as "guaranteeing liberation"; it is also called "pure livelihood," and also "accomplishing deportment," receiving and hoarding nothing, so that in future places of birth one leaves the three evil destinies and takes form in a pure land, able to halt wrong livelihood and prevent wrong and stop evil. It is also said that "precept" (jie) is explained by the senses of restraint, regulation, and prohibition; these are all names established according to meaning. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: "Just as the Buddha prohibited [proclaiming] impermanence, if you still speak of it, you break the Buddha's prohibition and your tongue will fall out." It also says: "All the prohibitive precepts possessed by this person are incomplete; they cannot even attain the bodhi of the two vehicles, much less the unsurpassable path." Now when speaking of precepts, there are precepts of restraint, meditation-concomitant precepts, and path-concomitant precepts; these names originally derive from the Tripiṭaka. "Lü" (restraint) means prohibition, and "yi" (deportment) means physical demeanor; because they can stop various evils in physical demeanor, they are called "precepts." They are also called "deportment" (weiyi); "wei" (majesty) is pure, stern, and awesome, and "yi" (deportment) is providing a model for practitioners, solemn and awesome. They are also called "taming and guiding," causing the mind's actions to be tamed and good. "Meditation" means tranquil gathering; when entering meditation, one is naturally tamed and good, preventing and stopping various evils. "Path" means being able to penetrate; after awakening to the real, there is naturally no transgression: when a stream-enterer plows the earth, worms stay four inches away, which is the power of the path-concomitant [precepts]. Since these two classes of precepts are supreme functions upon the mind, and their power can give rise to precepts, the path and meditation arise together with restraint; therefore they are called "concomitant." The Sarvāstivāda speaks of precepts of restraint, dhyāna precepts, and uncontaminated precepts; although these names derive from the Tripiṭaka, the good of the bodhisattva precepts now also has these three. If obtained through solemn vow, it is called restraint. For a bodhisattva, the meditation-concomitant and path-concomitant both stop the three karmas, and are universally called precepts. As for the precepts of moral restraint, the precepts of accumulating wholesome dharmas, and the precepts of benefiting sentient beings, the names of these three clusters of precepts derive from the Vaipulya sūtras and the Bodhisattvabhūmi, and are not stated in the Tripiṭaka. The mahāsattva's restraint universally stops the three karmas. Now, because their manifestations in body and speech are evident, they are all called restraint. As for accumulating the wholesome, on the basis of restraint one arouses the great mind for bodhi, can stop all neglect of cultivating goodness, and diligently cultivates all goods to fulfill the bodhi vow. As for benefiting sentient beings, there are eleven matters in which the bodhisattva benefits sentient beings, all of which are benefiting beings and extensively aiding sentient beings. Having broadly listed all the bodhisattva precepts, the Precept Chapter concludes with nine kinds of precepts, all subsumed under the three precepts: restraint causes the mind to abide; accumulating the wholesome accomplishes the Buddha-dharma for oneself; benefiting sentient beings brings sentient beings to completion. These three fully encompass all the precepts of the mahāsattva. The Yingluo jing says: "Precepts of moral restraint refer to the ten pārājikas; accumulating wholesome dharmas refers to the eighty-four thousand dharma-gates; benefiting sentient beings refers to converting and extending loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity to sentient beings to make them attain peace and happiness." The "Precept Chapter" of the Dàzhìdù lùn lists ten kinds of precepts: first, unbroken; second, unruptured; third, unperforated; fourth, unmixed; fifth, path-conforming; sixth, unattached; seventh, praised by the wise; eighth, sovereign; ninth, meditation-conforming; tenth, complete. Deducing these ten by their meaning: "unbroken" means upholding the inherent moral precepts, keeping the inherently grave pure as if guarding a luminous pearl. If one violates them, one is like a broken vessel, an outcast from the Buddha-dharma. "Unruptured" means upholding the thirteen [saṃghāvaśeṣas] without any damage. "Unperforated" refers to pāyattikas and the like; if one transgresses them, one is like a perforated, leaking vessel, unfit to receive the path. "Unmixed" means upholding meditation-concomitant precepts. Though upholding restraint, thinking of breaking precepts is called "mixed"; meditation-concomitant holds the mind so that thoughts of desire do not arise. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: jesting speech, the sound of bangles beyond the wall, and men and women chasing one another all defile pure precepts. "Path-conforming" means according with the truth and principle, able to destroy the delusions of view. "Unattached" means seeing the real and becoming a noble one, without any taint or attachment to the delusions of thought. These two discuss upholding precepts in terms of the ultimate truth. The precepts praised by the wise and sovereign precepts pertain to the bodhisattva converting others, being praised by the Buddha, and attaining sovereignty within the world. These discuss upholding precepts in terms of the conventional truth. The two precepts of meditation-conforming and complete mean conforming to the Śūraṅgama without arising from the cessation-absorption, manifesting all deportments, showing the images of the ten dharma realms, and guiding and benefiting sentient beings. Although deportment is activated, it is spontaneously and constantly pure; therefore it is called the meditation-conforming precept. As for the previous precepts, where restraint merely prevents and stops, they are called incomplete. The precept of the Middle Way leaves no precept unprovided; therefore it is called complete. Using the wisdom of the Middle Way to universally enter all dharmas, it is therefore called complete. This is upholding the precept of the supreme truth of the Middle Way.