天台菩薩戒疏 3.13

3.13

Forty-fifth: The precept against failing to transform sentient beings. The bodhisattva's vast vow is to cross over boundless beings, encouraging the thought of awakening wherever one sees or hears [them]. Therefore the sūtra states that not speaking of bodhi is called killing, for the damage and destruction of the sprout of the path never fails to stem from this; hence the offense is instituted. Specifically, it possesses three conditions: (1) facing beings to be transformed, (2) not giving rise to compassion, and (3) abandoning them without encouraging and guiding; then one incurs an offense. The text has three parts: first, indicating the mind capable of transforming, which is called great compassion because it pulls out all sufferings everywhere; second, from 'entering' downward, making vows in response to circumstances; third, from 'if this bodhisattva' downward, establishing the offense for violating the prohibition. The first is as in the text. The second text also has three parts: first, showing the encounter with humans, causing them to receive the refuges and precepts; next, from 'if one sees' downward, showing the encounter with various kinds of beings, causing them to generate the mind of the path; third, from 'yet this bodhisattva' downward, showing the universal exhortation, causing all sentient beings to generate the intention for the path. In the first part, 'three refuges' refers to the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha being the fertile field of the world; if one does not take refuge in them, there is no way to attain liberation. Thus the Dharmapada relates: When the Buddha was in the world, the heavenly lord Śakra knew that his life was coming to an end and that he was destined for retribution as a donkey. Taking refuge in the Buddha, while he was making prostrations his life ended, and he was conceived in the womb of a donkey. The mother donkey broke her tether and kicked and destroyed some pots; beaten by the potter, she miscarried the fetus, which immediately returned into the body of the heavenly lord. Before the space of a single meal had elapsed, the heavenly lord revived. If by giving rise to refuge even at the point of death one can escape such retribution, how much more so with prolonged practice! Therefore, one first encourages and instructs them to receive the three refuges, and next confers the ten precepts, because the three refuges are the essence of the ten precepts. The remaining three are as in the text.