菩薩戒義疏 2.19

2.19

Fourth, the precept against eating the five pungent roots: it is established because their foul odor obstructs the Dharma. The seven assemblies and the Great and Small [Vehicles] are as before. For a bodhisattva, it is slightly heavier because it stirs up passion. The narration of matters has three stages: first, explaining that the pungent roots should not be eaten on their own; second, explaining that they should not be eaten mixed into food and drink either; third, adducing the wrongdoing and concluding the offense. Traditionally it is said that the five pungent roots refer to garlic, scallions, asafoetida, leeks, and Chinese onions. This text only mentions chives, which is sufficient to account for the five. The Jianmingyuan differentiates the five pungent roots: garlic is dasuan (husu); mountain leek is xie; bunching onion is cong; chive is xiaosuan; asafoetida is xiji. Whether raw or cooked, they are all foul, so they are completely cut off. The sūtra states that the five pungent roots can cause a foul smell, and none of them should be eaten. If there is a severe illness and taking them as medicine cannot be avoided—as with Śāriputra's practice—for a bodhisattva it should also not be prohibited.