梵網經菩薩戒本疏 6.101

6.101

八、釋文者，文中有四：一、制堅持戒，二、制守大信，三、制護大心，四、故違結犯。初中二：先、法說，謂制於四威儀六時誦持戒品，自撿三業無毀纖塵。二、舉喻中，一、「如金剛」者，明持心堅固無有能壞。二、「持浮囊」者，明用堅心正持戒品，若輕若重無犯纖毫，如浮囊塵許漏則溺。撿《涅槃經》（云云）。三、「如草繫比丘」者，依《莊嚴論》，有諸比丘為賊所剝，裸形伏地，以草連根縛之，經宿不轉。國王因獵，見草中裸形，謂是外道。傍人答云：是佛弟子。何以得知？以其右膊全黑，是褊袒之相。王即以偈問云：「看時似無病，肥壯有多力，如何為草繫，日夜不轉側？」比丘偈答：「此草甚危脆，斷時豈有難？但為佛世尊，金剛戒所制。」王發信心，解放與衣，將至宮中，為造新衣，種種供養。是故知為持小戒，不惜身命。小乘尚爾，況大乘乎？二、「常生」下，明制守大信。謂信知自是未成之佛者，信佛性定有故，行必可成，故此信因決定也。「佛是已成」者，信佛亦曾如我今修成此信果也。由此信故，行無退轉。三、「發菩提心」下，明制護大心。謂由前信故，令菩提心念念相續，無暫離心，故云也。四、「若起」下，明故違結犯。《大般若．淨戒品》中，菩薩設起無量世間心，不名犯戒；起一念二乘心，則名毀犯。菩薩淨戒，廣有狹量，具如彼說，可知。

Eighth, regarding the explanation of the text: the text has four parts: first, prescribing firmly upholding the precepts; second, prescribing maintaining great faith; third, prescribing protecting the great aspiration; fourth, adjudicating the offense for intentional violation. In the first part, there are two: first, the doctrinal explanation, meaning the prescription to recite and uphold the chapter on precepts throughout the four postures and six periods of the day, examining one's own three karmas so that not a speck of dust is broken. Second, in citing the metaphors: first, 'like a vajra' clarifies that the upholding mind is steadfast and cannot be broken by anything. Second, 'upholding a flotation bladder' clarifies using a resolute mind to properly uphold the chapter on precepts without violating the slightest hairsbreadth, whether light or heavy, just as a flotation bladder will sink if it leaks by even a speck of dust. Examine the Nirvāṇa Sūtra (and so forth). Third, 'like the monk bound with grass': according to the Sūtrālaṃkāra, several monks were stripped by thieves, lying naked on the ground, bound with rooted grass, and did not turn over throughout the night. The king went hunting, saw the naked figures among the grass, and thought they were tīrthikas. A bystander replied, 'They are disciples of the Buddha.' 'How do you know?' 'Because their right shoulders are completely dark, which is the mark of baring one shoulder.' The king then asked in verse: 'Looking at you, you seem free from illness, robust and having much strength; why, being bound by grass, do you not turn day and night?' The monk answered in verse: 'This grass is extremely frail and brittle; when breaking it, how could there be any difficulty? It is only that I am constrained by the vajra precepts of the World-Honoured One, the Buddha.' The king gave rise to faith, released them and gave them robes, brought them to the palace, made new robes for them, and offered various provisions. From this one knows that for upholding minor precepts, they did not spare their physical life. If Hīnayāna is yet like this, how much more so Mahāyāna? Second, from 'constantly give rise to' downward, clarifies prescribing maintaining great faith. That is, having faith and knowing oneself to be an unaccomplished Buddha means having faith that the Buddha-nature is definitely present, so practice must be accomplishable; thus this faith in the cause is definite. 'The Buddha is one already accomplished' means having faith that the Buddha also once cultivated as I do now to accomplish this fruit of faith. Due to this faith, one's practice will not retrogress. Third, from 'arouse bodhicitta' downward, clarifies prescribing protecting the great aspiration. That is, due to the previous faith, one causes bodhicitta to continue thought after thought without departing from the mind for even a moment; hence it is stated thus. Fourth, from 'if one gives rise to' downward, clarifies adjudicating the offense for intentional violation. In the 'Chapter on Pure Precepts' of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, if a bodhisattva gives rise to immeasurable worldly thoughts, it is not called a violation of precepts; but if they give rise to a single thought of the two vehicles, it is called a violation. The pure precepts of a bodhisattva have broad and narrow measures, fully as explained there, which may be understood.