梵網經菩薩戒本疏 1.18

1.18

自下第二歎戒勸持中有二：初有三行一句歎益勸受，後三行一句舉法勸信。初中有六：初二句辨戒德圓滿，於中初能破無明大闇，出生死長夜、顯無住涅槃，故云「如日月」也。二能莊嚴行者，令諸佛護念、人天樂觀，故「如瓔珞珠」也。又釋初是慧嚴、後是福嚴。又釋律儀戒，以能破諸黑惡，故如日也。攝眾生戒，以大悲清涼為相，故如月也。攝善法戒，以能攝修具諸勝善法而自珮，故如瓔珞珠也。二、次二句明戒用深廣，謂微塵菩薩是多人同行故勝也，由此成正覺能成大果故勝也，亦則前句是廣、後句深也。三、次二句明大人誦持故勝，謂初句報佛、後句化佛。四、次二句舉益勸學成自利行。五、次二句教令轉授成利他行。六、次三句誡聽所誦，以此戒中含攝蘊積備具眾德，故云藏也。又為簡定道二戒，故言波羅提木叉戒。梵云「波羅提」，此言別。若具，應云「毘」。木叉，此云解脫。謂持此戒行，於諸犯境皆別別解脫，故名也。又可當於生死而得解脫故也。

From here below, the second [part], praising the precepts and encouraging their upholding, has two sections: first, three verses and one line praise the benefits to encourage receiving them; later, three verses and one line bring up the Dharma to encourage faith. The first has six: 1. The first two lines distinguish the perfection of the virtues of the precepts: therein, first, they can break the great darkness of ignorance, emerge from the long night of saṃsāra, and reveal non-abiding nirvāṇa, hence "like the sun and moon." Second, they can adorn the practitioner, causing all Buddhas to protect and be mindful of them, and humans and gods to joyfully gaze upon them, hence "like a necklace of pearls." Another explanation is that the former is the adornment of wisdom and the latter is the adornment of merit. Yet another explanation is: the precepts of restraining conduct, because they can break all dark evils, are like the sun; the precepts collecting sentient beings, taking the coolness of great compassion as their mark, are like the moon; the precepts collecting good dharmas, because they can gather and cultivate all supreme good dharmas to wear upon oneself, are like a necklace of pearls. 2. The next two lines clarify that the function of the precepts is profound and vast: "bodhisattvas like dust motes" means many people practice together, hence it is superior; "by this attaining correct enlightenment" means they can achieve the great fruit, hence it is superior; thus the former line is vast and the latter line is profound. 3. The next two lines clarify that they are superior because great persons recite and uphold them: the first line refers to retribution Buddhas, and the second line refers to transformation Buddhas. 4. The next two lines bring up the benefits to encourage studying them, accomplishing the practice of self-benefit. 5. The next two lines instruct them to transmit them to others, accomplishing the practice of benefiting others. 6. The next three lines admonish them to listen to what is recited: because within these precepts all virtues are contained, accumulated, and fully provided, it is called a treasury. Furthermore, in order to distinguish them from the precepts of concentration and the Path, they are called the prātimokṣa precepts. In Sanskrit it is *prāti*, which here means separate; if complete, it should say *vi-*. *Mokṣa* here means liberation. It means that by upholding this practice of precepts, with respect to all realms of transgression one is individually liberated, hence the name. Alternatively, it is because one attains liberation in the face of saṃsāra.