天台菩薩戒疏 3.15

3.15

Forty-seventh: the precept against establishing regulations to destroy the Dharma. Persons of power have received the Buddha's entrustment; since they are capable of taking up the precepts, they should protect the Three Jewels, hoping to allow the Buddha-Dharma to abide long and serve as the guiding track for the five vehicles. If they now rely on their influence to establish unprincipled regulations, violating the Buddha's entrustment and running counter to their original mind when receiving [the precepts], causing the sun to be concealed and the boat to sink, extinguishing the eyes of the populace, an offense is therefore established. It specifically comprises four conditions: (1) having received the precepts with faithful mind; (2) relying on high prestige and power; (3) establishing unprincipled regulations; (4) damaging and destroying the Buddha-Dharma, upon which one commits the offense. As for the text, there are three parts: first, stating the person possessing the precepts. "Four assemblies" means that all four, such as bhikṣus and so on, have the power to destroy the Dharma. Next, from "relying on prestige" down, setting forth the unprincipled regulations: imposing restrictions on the four [assemblies] of lawful bhikṣus, binding them to official registers so they lack [the freedom for] shaving the hair and leaving household life, and forbidding those who have already left household life from studying, resolving doubts, and cultivating merit, making them manage only secular affairs; hence it says "not permitting leaving household life" down to "unlawful and non-vinaya." Third, from "if a bodhisattva" down, concluding with the offense of violating the regulation.