天台菩薩戒疏 3.4

3.4

Thirty-eight: The precept against seating the assembly contrary to the Dharma. When entering the pure assembly of the Path, the times are different from those of deviant groups. One does not take secular age as noble or base, but uses only the precept rules for precedence, revering the semantic norms of Śākya's texts and crushing the banner of conceit of worldly currents. Taking the reception of precepts as one's true birth, those who received them earlier are therefore senior. It separately possesses three conditions to constitute an offense: first, one is physically in the assembly; second, one knows the time of ordination; third, one sits out of order—then one offends. Regarding the text, there are four [parts]: first, stating the title and summarizing the list; second, from 'do not be like' downward, citing outsiders as a warning; third, from 'within my Buddha-Dharma' downward, reiterating the prescribed rule; fourth, from 'and a bodhisattva' downward, violating the prohibition constitutes an offense. First, as for 'in sequence' and so forth: if the lesser is first and the greater is after, all are permitted. If the greater is first and the lesser is after, in the greater it is greater, and in the lesser it is lesser. Furthermore, in this region there is no division between the greater and the lesser; it is also appropriate to conform to time and place. As for 'bhikṣu' and so forth: these are different. If they are renunciants, the two inner assemblies naturally distinguish precedence among themselves; hence it is said that when a prince goes forth, he is of the same class as commoners. If they are householders, precedence applies among the two outer assemblies; the men and women of royal families are likewise so when at home. This does not distinguish that the ultimate is identical to the conventional, but it does not mean that men and women sit mixed together according to their precepts. The remaining three are as in the text.