天台菩薩戒疏 2.41

2.41

Thirty-third: the precept against watching and listening to evil deeds. A bodhisattva by principle ought to contemplate subtlety in a quiet place and uphold the sacred scriptures; now, by contrast, to watch and listen to what is illicit, physically engaging in evil deeds, departs from the Dharma and invites censure; therefore, an offense was instituted. It specifically comprises three conditions: 1. there being an object confronted; 2. watching or listening with a malicious mind; and 3. seeing or hearing—whereupon one commits an offense. The text has three parts: first, indicating the mind capable of offending; second, from "watching all" onward, citing the faults to prohibit them; third, from "if intentionally" onward, determining the offense for violating the prohibition. First, "malicious mind" means not acting for reconciliation, but delighting in ignorance—this is called a malicious mind. The next text contains many points. First, regarding watching fights, "fight" refers to fighting and striking, which applies to both body and speech. "Armies, soldiers, and generals" refers to royal armies; "bandits and the like fighting" refers to rebel forces and the like. Whether oneself, instructing others, for testing, or for amusement, in all cases one must not watch; thus it says "and the like." From "one must also not" onward, it prohibits listening to music; if others do so as an offering or in accordance with worldly custom, and one observes or listens without defilement, there is no offense. From "must not" onward, it prohibits miscellaneous games. "Chupu" is [played with] four tallies. "Weiqi" is understood. "Polasai game" is a Western military game: two players each use twenty jade elephants; in this land, there are also boards painted with paths using ivory as pieces, where the one who contends and takes the vital routes wins. "Tanqi" means flicking game pieces with fingers, where achieving greater distance brings victory. "Liubo" is simply backgammon. "Paiqiu" is kicking and striking a ball (ti [趯]: pronounced ta and li; meaning to jump); it is also called hitting a ball, the meaning being the same. "Throwing stones" is sometimes called throwing stones, and sometimes throwing tuo. "Touhu" means throwing coins, wands, and the like into that hole, those entering counted as chips. "Qiandao" is at present called weizhi: two players face each other, each with twelve pieces; having three in a straight line means defeat, hence it is called qiandao. "Badao xingcheng" means eight interlocking paths, where movement forms a likeness of a citadel. "Nail-mirror" and so forth prohibits occult arts; Western sorcerers apply drugs to fingernails to manifest auspicious and inauspicious signs. As for "yarrow stalks" and the like, these three matters are incanted with spells to divine good and bad fortune. "Skulls": Western non-Buddhists strike human skull bones to definitively discern the causes and conditions of death and life. In this land, there are also practices of skull-spirit divination that reveal the fortunes and misfortunes of the world. "Divination" means resolving doubts. All of these are occult arts that deceive and confuse people's minds; becoming habituated to them life after life brings no benefit to oneself or others, so an offense was instituted. "Acting as an emissary for thieves" means being employed by thieves to assist in completing robberies. From the perspective of an auxiliary condition, a minor defilement is determined; if the deed of theft is completed, in principle it is included under the major [offense]. Third, determining the offense for violating the prohibition is as in the text.