梵網經菩薩戒本疏 3.4

3.4

初、制意者，略有十義：一、業道重故。謂若是邪十惡業攝，負此重愆，不堪入道，故須制也。二、繫縛深故。謂生死獄中，愛為枷鎖。《智論》云：「婬欲心雖不惱眾生，心繫縛故，為大罪」也。三、生死本故。由貪染婬，蕩生死輪迴，欲海愛河，漂溺無岸。四、壞功德故。《僧祇律》云：「可畏之甚，無過女人。敗正毀德，莫不由之。」染心看者，越毘尼。小乘尚爾，況菩薩等。《地持》云：菩薩怖生死，過等聲聞百千萬倍。五、壞世間故。《正法念處經》云：「世間男得苦，皆由於女婦。非少非中年，莫不由此因。女人壞世間，令善悉滅盡。天中大繫縛，莫過於女色。女人縛諸天，將至三惡道。」六、亂靜心故。謂欲火喧心，令失禪失念。欲海波浪，破定水故。七、入魔網故。斤舐刀刃之密，貪毒花之色，損害眾生，是魔意願。經云：此五欲者，是眾魔境界。八、失神通故。如仙人見女生染，失通墮落。又如獨角仙人，騰空巖岫，後為婬女騎頸，將至人間。九、障涅槃，故律中：婬欲為初戒，比丘犯此，今世不得涅槃。十、障菩提，故經云：五欲者，是障道法，能障生天，況無上道。如是等無量過失，故須制也。

First, regarding the intention behind the proscription, there are briefly ten meanings: First, because the karmic path is heavy. If it is illicit, it is subsumed under the ten unwholesome karmas; bearing this heavy offense, one is incapable of entering the path, and so it must be proscribed. Second, because the bondage is deep. Within the prison of saṃsāra, lust is the cangue and lock. The Dazhidulun says: "Although the mind of sexual desire does not torment sentient beings, because it binds the mind, it is a great offense." Third, because it is the root of saṃsāra. Driven by greedy attachment to sexual indulgence, one drifts in the transmigration of saṃsāra; in the ocean of desire and the river of lust, one drowns without shore. Fourth, because it ruins wholesome qualities. The Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya states: "Nothing is more terrifying than women. There is nothing through which righteousness is ruined and virtue destroyed that does not stem from them." Looking with a defiled mind is a transgression of the vinaya. If it is so even for the Hīnayāna, how much more so for the bodhisattvas and others. The Bodhisattvabhūmi states that a bodhisattva fears saṃsāra hundreds of thousands of millions of times more than a śrāvaka. Fifth, because it ruins the world. The Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra states: "The suffering obtained by men in the world is all due to wives and women; whether young or middle-aged, all stems from this cause. Women ruin the world, causing all good to be utterly destroyed. Among the devas, there is no greater bondage than female form. Women bind the devas and lead them to the three evil destinies." Sixth, because it disturbs the calm mind. The fire of desire agitates the mind, causing one to lose dhyāna and lose mindfulness. The waves of the ocean of desire shatter the water of samādhi. Seventh, because one enters the net of Māra. Licking the honey on a blade's edge and coveting the color of a poisonous flower harms sentient beings, which is Māra's wish. A sūtra states: "These five desires are the realm of the Māras." Eighth, because one loses supernatural powers. Just as an ṛṣi saw a woman, gave rise to defilement, and lost his powers and fell; or just as the unicorn ṛṣi soared through the air among the cliff peaks, and was later ridden on the neck by a courtesan and brought into the human world. Ninth, because it obstructs nirvāṇa. Hence in the vinaya, sexual misconduct is the first precept; if a monk violates this, he cannot attain nirvāṇa in this life. Tenth, because it obstructs bodhi. Hence a sūtra states: "The five desires are dharmas that obstruct the path; they can obstruct rebirth in heaven, how much more so the unsurpassed path!" Because of such limitless faults, it must be proscribed.