菩薩戒本疏 2.140

2.140

"A disciple of the Buddha! When transforming people and causing them to give rise to faith, if a bodhisattva acts as an instructing Dharma teacher for others, upon seeing a person wishing to receive the precepts, they should teach them to invite two teachers: the upādhyāya and the ācārya. The two teachers should ask, 'Do you have any of the seven impediment offenses or not?' If in their present body they have the seven impediment offenses, the teacher should not confer the precepts upon them. If they do not have the seven impediments, they may confer the precepts upon them. If anyone has violated the ten precepts, they should be taught to repent. Before an image of a Buddha or bodhisattva, six times day and night, recite the ten parājika and forty-eight minor precepts, and with utmost sincerity prostrate to the thousand Buddhas of the three periods, until they obtain a good sign. Whether for one seven-day period, two or three seven-day periods, or even up to one year, they must see a good sign. A good sign means: a Buddha coming and rubbing the crown of the head, seeing lights, flowers, and various extraordinary signs; then the offense is eradicated. If there is no good sign, though they repent there is no benefit; this person will not obtain the precepts in their present body, but they may increase their reception of the precepts. If one violates the forty-eight minor precepts, repenting before a counterpart will cause the offense to be eradicated, unlike the seven impediments. But the instructing teacher must understand each and every one of these Dharmas well; if they do not understand the marks of light and heavy, right and wrong in the Mahāyāna sūtras and Vinaya, do not understand the ultimate truth, the gotra of habit, the gotra of nurture, the gotra of indestructibility, the gotra of the Path, and the gotra of the true Dharma, and the quantity of contemplative practices therein, entering and emerging from the ten dhyāna factors and all practical methods, failing to grasp the meaning in each and every one of these dharmas; and yet the bodhisattva, for the sake of profit and offerings, for the sake of fame, with an evil quest and abundant seeking, coveting disciples for gain, falsely displays understanding of all sūtras and Vinaya—this is deceiving oneself and also deceiving others; therefore, conferring the precepts upon others constitutes a duṣkṛta offense."