菩薩戒本疏 2.108

2.108

Selling sūtras and images has the fault of debasing and insulting them; selling practitioners brings the torment of imprisonment and coercion. Since the great being takes protecting the Dharma and relieving suffering to heart, they must ransom them according to their ability. If one neither ransoms nor rescues them, one violates reverence and violates compassion; therefore it was instituted. The treatise says: 'Furthermore, with respect to all classes of sentient beings fallen into various terrors—lions, tigers, wolves, demonic spirits, kings, bandits, flood, fire, and so forth—the bodhisattvas are all able to rescue and protect them, causing them to be freed from such places of terror.' This is not shared between the Greater and Lesser [Vehicles]. If a śrāvaka sees a member of their assembly being sold and does not ransom them, they commit an offense of the seventh class. For sūtras, images, and other persons, there is no separate rule seen [for śrāvakas]. For bodhisattvas, in all cases they must rescue them, except only where their ability does not reach. The seven assemblies train together in this. In the text, regarding 'selling images of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, or parents', one explanation says: the [bodhisattva] of this chapter is the father and mother of great compassion, hence it says 'images of bodhisattvas and parents'. Another explanation says: carving or casting images of one's father and mother, like Ding Lan and his kind, hence it says 'images of parents'. From 'trafficking in bhikṣus' downward, it clarifies ransoming practitioners. In the text, it only mentions 'practitioners' because the obstruction and harm are great; when other persons fall into distress, in principle one should also rescue them.