釋門歸敬儀 2.75

2.75

次明受十善法者，謂身三、口四、意三善行。此之十業，戒善之宗，今多依相，罕有受者。比有愚夫不肯受之，云不作惡，即名為善。今謂不然。先須願祈，不造眾惡，依願起行，有可承準。若不預作，輒然起善，內無軌轄，後遇罪緣，便造不止。由先無願，故造眾惡，大聖知機，故令受善。若謂我不作惡，便是善者，汝不作善，亦應是惡。如是牛、馬、驢、騾亦不殺生，豈是善耶？此乃心在無記，無罪福業。故須起念，專至深重，方成業道，故《未曾有經》云：「下品十善，謂一念頃，中品十善，謂一食頃，上品十善，謂旦至午，於此時中，心念十善，止於十惡，故野干心念十善七日不食，生兜率天。」

Next, explaining the reception of the ten virtuous actions: this refers to the three physical, four verbal, and three mental virtuous practices. These ten karmic paths are the source of precept morality; nowadays most people follow mere external forms, and few actually receive them. Recently, foolish men have refused to receive them, claiming that not committing evil is itself called good. We now say this is not so. One must first make an aspiration not to commit various evils; only by generating practice based on an aspiration will there be a standard to rely upon. If one does not resolve beforehand and merely acts virtuously at whim, lacking internal discipline and restraint, then when encountering conditions for transgression later on, one will commit them without ceasing. It is because of the prior absence of vows that various evils are committed; the Great Sage knew their capacity and therefore had them receive the virtues. If it is said that 'my not committing evil is itself virtue,' then your not doing good should also be evil. Thus cattle, horses, donkeys, and mules do not kill living beings either—could that be called virtue? This is merely a mind residing in indeterminate neutrality, an action devoid of both sin and merit. Therefore, one must arouse the intention, dedicated, utmost, deep, and earnest, for the karmic path to be accomplished. Thus the Sūtra on the Extraordinary states: 'The lowest-grade ten virtues mean for the span of a single thought; the middle-grade ten virtues mean for the span of a single meal; the highest-grade ten virtues mean from dawn to midday. During this time, the mind contemplates the ten virtues and refrains from the ten non-virtues. Thus a jackal, keeping the mind on the ten virtues for seven days without eating, was born in the Tuṣita Heaven.'