大乘義章 10.32

10.32

次辨長短不同之義。小乘之戒，止在一形，不通異世，名之為短。菩薩戒法，一受得已，若不退失菩提之心，及不增上起煩惱犯，盡未來際畢竟不失，名之為長。故《地持》云「菩薩無有捨身失律儀戒。」何故如是？聲聞為欲一形期果，受戒之時自誓要故，言盡形壽。一形已來，是彼要期分齊之限，故不失戒。一形已後，不復是彼要期之眼，所以失戒。菩薩為欲多身求果，受戒之時自誓要期盡未來際。盡未來際是彼要期分齊之限，故不失戒（此四門竟）。

Next is to explain the difference in length and shortness. The Hīnayāna precepts are limited to a single physical existence and do not extend to other lifetimes; this is called short. When the bodhisattva precepts are received once, if one does not backslide from the bodhicitta and does not commit an offense through dominant defilements, they are ultimately never lost through the end of future time; this is called long. Therefore the *Bodhisattvabhūmi* says, "For a bodhisattva, there is no losing the restraint precepts through abandoning the physical body." Why is it so? Because the śrāvaka vows to attain the fruit within a single physical existence, at the time of receiving the precepts he takes a vow, saying, "for the duration of this bodily life." From this single physical existence onward is the limit of his vow; therefore he does not lose the precepts [during it]. After this single physical existence, it is no longer within the scope of his vow, and therefore he loses the precepts. Because the bodhisattva seeks the fruit over many lifetimes, at the time of receiving the precepts he vows for the end of future time. The end of future time is the limit of his vow; therefore he does not lose the precepts (this concludes the fourth section).