摩訶止觀 4.47

4.47

The craving-rākṣasa says, "I will cause you to attain peaceful and stable entry into nirvāṇa": this is calling the gratification of desire and pleasure nirvāṇa. Like the hungry getting food, like the poor getting treasure, or a monkey getting wine, one then attains peace and pleasure. Peace and pleasure is called nirvāṇa, enticing and deceiving the practitioner. If one turns along with craving and breaks the four grave offenses, this is completely abandoning the float; this is called the "mark of violation." If, though craving arises, one cannot abandon it completely, why is that? [The practitioner thinks:] "I now wish to cross the great ocean of birth and death; if śīla is impure, I will fall back into the three destinies, and neither dhyāna nor wisdom can arise." Having considered this, great terror arises, so one says: "You would rather kill me, for the float cannot be had." This is called the "mark of upholding." Craving arises again, seeking pleasure in touching; if one follows craving to touch, this is abandoning half the float; this is called the "mark of violation." The practitioner reflects again: "How could I surrender half of the prohibitive precepts? In terms of its retribution, there is the suffering of hell; in terms of the immediate present, there is the shameful penance and expulsion, which is deeply humiliating; how could I ruin the great matter like this?" Therefore, guarding and cherishing it, one does not follow craving desires; this is called the "mark of upholding." Craving arises again, begging for grave preliminaries. If one violates them, this is begging for a hand's width; further violating a prāyaścittika is begging for a finger's width; further violating a duṣkṛta is begging for a minute dust particle's width. Although a duṣkṛta is small, it opens the door of negligence; though a minute dust particle is not much, water will gradually enter, and one will drown in the sea and die. This is breaking the moral deportment precepts through a mind of craving. Greedily pursuing the five desires breaks the precepts concurrent with concentration. Deeply attached to birth and death, creating karma for existence, breaks the precepts identical to emptiness. Not putting an end to worldly ridicule and having no thought of protecting others breaks the precepts identical to the provisional. Not believing that the good of the precepts is equal to empty space, not believing that these precepts fully possess the Buddha-Dharma, and not believing that these precepts are ultimately pure breaks the middle way precepts. These examples can be understood (and so forth).