梵網經古迹記 2.59

2.59

述曰：初、制意者，說佛法過，必壞他信，失壞菩薩興法利生，況復能招廣大苦果？是故制為他勝處法。如《正法念處經》云：入拔舌地獄，耕其舌等。《大智論》云：勝意比丘持戒清淨，聞喜根比丘無戒，說偈：婬欲即是道，恚癡亦復然。便生誹謗，陷入地獄。又《不思議光菩薩經》云：饒財菩薩說賢天菩薩過故，九十一劫常墮婬女腹中生，生已棄之，為狐狠所食，乃至廣說。第二、釋文。違犯相者，如經「口自說」至「教人說罪過」。今此戒中，初門兼攝境界事門。此中初二受菩薩戒，後二聲聞，俱是內眾人天師故。若實有犯，說過何失？猶有堪作福田義故。如《本業經》云：「有而犯者，勝無不犯。有犯名菩薩，無犯名外道。」又《十輪》云：占匐花雖萎，猶勝諸餘花；破戒諸比丘，猶勝諸外道。說出家人過，若破戒、若持戒，若有戒、若無戒，若有過、若無過，說者過出萬億佛身血。解云：出血不能障道，說僧過時壞多人信，生彼煩惱障聖道故。是故菩薩樂求彼德，不樂求失。求失之者，麟角聖上有失可取。求德之者，斷善者身有德可錄。如《涅槃》云：若彼眾生無善可讚，當念佛性而讚歎之。世間無有，凡而無失。談人之短，短在己身。如《大集經》新發菩薩十六行中云：不說己德而起高心，不說他失而起嫌心。《諸法無行經》頌云：「若見破戒人，不說其過惡，應當念彼人，久久亦得道。」結成罪者，如經「而菩薩」至「波羅夷罪」。言「常生悲心」者，如《菩薩地》云：憐愍惡人勝於正行。又云：若憎犯戒行不饒益，是名菩薩相似功德。故說悲心教化惡輩。問：下輕戒云說七逆十重，如何此重彼為輕耶？答：彼向同法說故罪輕，此向異道說故過重。或說彼無事不能被罪過，此說有實犯故制為重罪。

He states: First, as for the intention behind the enactment: speaking of the faults in the Buddha-Dharma will certainly destroy others' faith and undermine the bodhisattva's promotion of the Dharma and benefiting of sentient beings, to say nothing of the immense suffering it brings about. Therefore, it was enacted as a pārājika transgression. As the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says, one enters the Tongue-Pulling Hell, where one's tongue is plowed, and so forth. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: 'The bhikṣu Sheng-yi (Viśeṣamati) upheld the precepts purely. Hearing that the bhikṣu Xigen had no precepts and spoke the verse: "Sensual desire is just the path, / Anger and delusion are likewise so," he immediately gave rise to slander and sank into hell.' Furthermore, the Acintyaprabhāsa-bodhisattva-sūtra states: 'Because the Bodhisattva Raocai (Dhanapāla) spoke of the faults of the Bodhisattva Xiantian, for ninety-one kalpas he was constantly born in the wombs of courtesans; after being born he was abandoned and eaten by foxes and wolves,' and so on at length. Second, in explaining the text, as for the marks of transgression, it is as the sūtra says, from 'speaks with his own mouth' to 'instructs others to speak of transgressions.' Now, in this precept, the initial section subsumes the objective domain and the matter. Here, the first two have received the bodhisattva precepts, and the latter two are śrāvakas, since all are members of the inner assembly and teachers of humans and devas. If they actually committed [an offense], what fault is there in speaking of their transgressions? Because there is still the meaning that they can serve as a field of merit. As the Benye jing says: 'One who has [the precepts] and violates them is superior to one who does not have them and does not violate them. One who violates them is called a bodhisattva; one who does not violate them is called an outsider.' Also, the Daśacakra-sūtra says: 'Though a campaka flower is withered, it is still superior to other flowers; the bhikṣus who have broken the precepts are still superior to all outsiders.' If one speaks of the faults of an out-goer from home—whether precept-breaking or precept-upholding, whether possessed of precepts or devoid of precepts, whether having faults or having no faults—the fault of the speaker surpasses that of shedding the blood of myriad koṭis of Buddhas. It is explained: Shedding blood cannot obstruct the path; [but] when speaking of the Saṃgha's faults, one destroys the faith of many people, giving rise to their afflictions and obstructing the noble path. Therefore, the bodhisattva takes joy in seeking their virtues, not in seeking faults. As for those who seek faults, there are faults to be found even in the Pratyekabuddha sages; as for those who seek virtues, there are virtues to be recorded even in the bodies of those who have severed good roots. As the Nirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'If that sentient being has no good to praise, one should be mindful of the Buddha-nature and praise it.' In the world there is no ordinary person without faults. When talking about another's shortcomings, the shortcoming is in oneself. As the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra says among the sixteen practices of a newly resolved bodhisattva: 'Do not speak of one's own virtues and give rise to an arrogant mind; do not speak of others' faults and give rise to a resentful mind.' A verse in the Sarvadharmāpravṛtti-sūtra says: 'If one sees a person who breaks the precepts, / Do not speak of their faults and evils; / One should consider that that person, / After a long time, will also attain the path.' As for concluding the transgression, it is as the sūtra says, from 'Yet the bodhisattva' to 'a pārājika offense.' The words 'constantly generates a compassionate mind' mean, as the Bodhisattvabhūmi states, that feeling compassion for evil persons is superior to [regarding those of] correct practice. It also says: 'If one hates precept-breakers and practices non-beneficence, this is called an apparent virtue of a bodhisattva.' Hence it speaks of teaching and transforming evil sorts with a compassionate mind. Question: The minor precepts below speak of talking about the seven inexpiables and the ten majors; why is this one major while that one is minor? Answer: Because that one is spoken to those of the same Dharma, the transgression is minor; because this one is spoken to different paths, the fault is major. Alternatively, it is said that in the former, there is no fact and so one cannot accuse them of the fault, whereas here it is enacted as a major transgression because there is an actual offense.