天台菩薩戒疏 3.11

3.11

Forty-third: The precept against intentionally violating the prohibitive dharmas. The bodhisattva's vinaya possesses both vehicle and precepts; it is the boat and oar across the two kinds of death, the ford and bridge to the other shore. Now, to conversely violate them oneself, and furthermore to disparage them, saying either through evil talk of emptiness that there is neither upholding nor violating, or that it is merely an expedient means of the Buddhas to frighten people into entry, lacking faith that the precept deities secretly assist and covertly protect—this is like weeds in a fertile field, a corpse in the ocean of precepts; slandering the vaipulya teachings, this fault exceeds the seven cardinal sins. In addition to any particular violation, this precept is established separately. Specifically, it possesses four conditions: (1) receiving the precepts with faith, (2) facing an object, (3) intentionally generating a disparaging mind, and (4) disparaging even a single precept; then one incurs an offense. The text has two parts: first, stating the title and rebuking; second, from 'if one violates' downward, establishing the offense for violating the prohibition. The first part has three aspects: clarifying that one cannot consume worldly offerings, next, from 'five thousand' downward, clarifying that ghosts and spirits rebuke [such a person], and third, from 'all worldly people' downward, clarifying the scorn and curses of the entire world. In the first part, there are two losses: first, losing present offerings made in faith; second, stealing the king's water and land. Because past lands renounced their earth and water to those who uphold precepts, those without precepts who pay taxes cannot be called thieves; but now, stealing both precepts and taxes, acting as a thief and drinking like a thief, all ghosts and spirits call them great thieves. Next, regarding the rebuke of ghosts and spirits: when the precepts are intact, they benefit beings, and spirits protect while ghosts revere; now that one has violated them, the spirits depart and the ghosts bully them, so five thousand [ghosts] block them in front, cursing them as thieves, detesting their coming and going, sweeping behind them to obliterate their footprints, and eradicating the places where they dwell. Third, the scorn and curses of the entire world. Next, the transgression of the prohibition is established, both being as in the text.