釋門歸敬儀 1.76

1.76

The preface states: As for the person devoted to learning, there is no time when they do not practice; they must urge their mind thought by thought, newly cultivating from moment to moment. How could it be that in the former thought one turns away from evil, painfully subduing and stilling defilements, while in the later thought one bullies goodness, giving free rein to intention and giving rise to indolence? Therefore, the treatises praise the four cultivations (meaning long-term, uninterrupted, respectful, and without remainder), and the sūtras admire single-minded reflection (meaning constantly having one mind while walking, standing, eating, and resting); only then can one possess correct contemplation and cut off ordinary sentiments. But because inverted thoughts boil and surge, they are difficult to grasp; the teaching calls them wild deer, and compares them to round pearls, impossible to summon and tame, with no way to confront them; one must discuss and distinguish stages, deliberating them with the Dharma. Thus a treatise states: 'Bodhisattvas, three times during the day and three times during the night, pay homage to and are mindful of the Buddhas.' This causes those who honor the texts to venerate this teaching, dividing the day into six periods to purify the three karmas. During the remaining time, they let go and indulge, still following their past habits. This yields shallow blessings and deep guilt, offering no way to pull up the root. Furthermore, it is utterly contrary to principle and intolerable to sentiment. How is this known? The schedule of the six periods receives the constant conventions of the world, akin to the eight precepts, identical to the five precepts. Though the words have numbers, their phenomena and principles are endless. Deliberating on this basis, we know that selecting days and dividing periods can be standardized accordingly.