天台菩薩戒疏 2.36

2.36

第三十、時月媒嫁戒。持戒如護明珠，今反謗說空，媒嫁男女，致令年三月六行殺盜非，違法慢時，長自他惡，是故聖制。別具四緣：一、惡說空，二、通致男女，三、是年三月六之時也，四、自他行殺盜等，便犯。自行雙結二罪，為他之因，但結輕垢。就文為三：初總標犯境，次「於六齋日」下出所犯之時，三、「作殺生」下違制結犯。初言「惡心」者，說無三寶也。內無信心，執空行惡，委博養生，故云「詐現親附」。次出「行在有中」之相，故云「為白衣」等。次文中言「六齋日」者，初八、十四、十五、二十三、二十九、三十。《智論》：「問曰：何故六齋日制受八戒？答：是惡鬼奪命不吉之日，故劫初聖人相教，令持齋受戒，避八凶衰。《四天王經》中說，此之六日，使者太子及四天王自下觀察，若持齋戒，孝順父母，上白帝釋，諸天心悅，增益天眾，減損脩羅，鬼神遠去，住處安穩。若不爾者，諸天不悅，言：減損諸天，修羅盛。《天地本起經》說：劫初有異梵子，修外道行，於此六日，割肉出血，以著火中。過十二歲，為天王所責，願生惡子。當時火中有八鬼出，身黑眼赤，有大光明，一切鬼神皆從此生。故劫初聖人制此六日，持齋受戒。」《善生經》云：是外道祠祀之日也。年三長齋月者，正月是眾生現生之初，五月是興盛之中，九月是欲藏之始。又世傳云：天帝分月，判四天下，正月南天，二月西天，三月北天，四月東天，五月南天，乃至九月，還至南天。雖未見正教，深有其理。三、結犯，如文。

Thirtieth: the precept against matchmaking according to times and months. Upholding the precepts is like guarding a bright jewel; now, by contrast, [someone] slanders [them] by speaking of emptiness and acts as a matchmaker between men and women, causing them to commit the misdeeds of killing and stealing during the three months and the six days of fasting. Violating the Dharma and holding the times in contempt, one increases both one's own and others' wickedness; therefore, the Noble One instituted [this prohibition]. It specifically comprises four conditions: 1. wrongly speaking of emptiness; 2. bringing men and women together; 3. it being the time of the three [fasting] months and six [fasting] days; and 4. oneself or others committing killing, stealing, and so forth—whereupon one commits an offense. If one commits [it] oneself, two offenses are doubled and determined; if one serves as the cause for another, only a minor defilement is determined. The text has three parts: first, it generally indicates the domain of the offense; next, from "on the six days of fasting" onward, it identifies the time of the offense; third, from "commit killing" onward, it determines the offense for violating the prohibition. In the first [part], "malicious mind" means saying that the Three Jewels do not exist. Having no faith within, clinging to emptiness while acting evilly, and acting duplicitously to gain a livelihood, it therefore says "feigning intimacy and allegiance." Next, it reveals the marks of "abiding in being while acting"; hence it says "for white-robed [layfolk]" and so forth. In the next section, regarding the "six days of fasting," they are the eighth, fourteenth, fifteenth, twenty-third, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth. The Dazhidulun states: "Question: For what reason was receiving the eight precepts instituted for the six days of fasting? Answer: These are inauspicious days on which evil spirits take life. Therefore, the sages of the beginning of the kalpa instructed one another to maintain the fast and receive the precepts to avert the eight perils and declines. In the Sutra of the Four Heavenly Kings it says that on these six days, messengers, princes, and the Four Heavenly Kings themselves descend to observe: if [beings] maintain the fast and precepts and are filial to their parents, they report upward to Śakra; the devas are pleased, the heavenly hosts increase, the asuras decrease, and ghosts and spirits depart far away, so that dwellings are peaceful. If not, the devas are displeased, saying: 'The devas decrease, and the asuras flourish.' The Tiandi benqi jing states: 'At the beginning of the kalpa there was a peculiar son of Brahmā who practiced non-Buddhist ways. On these six days, he cut his flesh and drew blood, placing it into fire. After twelve years, being reprimanded by the heavenly king, he vowed to give birth to evil sons. At that time, eight demons emerged from the fire with black bodies and red eyes, possessing great radiance; all ghosts and spirits were born from them. Therefore, the sages of the beginning of the kalpa instituted these six days for keeping the fast and receiving the precepts.'" The Sujāta-sūtra states that these are days of sacrifice for non-Buddhists. As for the three extended fasting months of the year: the first month is the beginning of the manifestation and birth of sentient beings; the fifth month is the midst of flourishing; the ninth month is the beginning of concealment. Furthermore, it is traditionally said: Śakra divides the months, governing the four continents: the first month is the southern continent; the second month, the western continent; the third month, the northern continent; the fourth month, the eastern continent; the fifth month, back to the southern continent; and so on up to the ninth month, returning again to the southern continent. Although this has not yet been seen in authoritative teachings, it has profound reason. Third, the determination of the offense is as in the text.