法界次第初門 1.218

1.218

次十善而辨三歸者，如來未興於世，爾時已有十善之化，是為世間舊善，豈有三寶之可歸？大聖初成正覺，方因提謂長者開授三歸之戒，翻邪歸正，以為入聖之根本。三乘行者歸宗進行，此為初首也。三歸之用，正破三邪，濟三塗、接三乘、出三有，佛法以此三歸為本，通發一切戒品及諸出世善法，豈同十善之舊法耶？問曰：「十二門禪亦是舊法，今何故不三歸前說？」答曰：「若依說教時節，實如所問。但今欲次論修行戒定之次，則不得爾。」今次三歸之下，備出諸戒科目，並同此意。

The explanation of the three refuges after the ten wholesome actions is given because before the Tathāgata appeared in the world, the transformation effected by the ten wholesome actions already existed; these were the old wholesome practices of the worldly realm, so how could there have been the Three Jewels to take refuge in? Only when the Great Sage first attained correct awakening did he, on account of the elder Trapuṣa, initiate and confer the precepts of the three refuges, overturning heterodoxy and turning toward the correct, taking this as the root for entering sagehood. When practitioners of the three vehicles take refuge in the primary principle and advance their practice, this stands as the very foremost. The function of the three refuges is precisely to crush the three heterodoxies, rescue [beings] from the three destinies, receive the three vehicles, and transcend the three states of existence. The Buddha-Dharma takes these three refuges as its root, broadly initiating all categories of precepts and all supramundane wholesome dharmas. How could it be identical with the old dharmas of the ten wholesome actions? Question: "The twelve gates of dhyāna are also old dharmas; why are they not stated prior to the three refuges now?" Answer: "If one went by the chronological sequence of the preached teachings, it would indeed be as you ask. But here, wishing to treat the sequence of the cultivation of morality and concentration in their proper order, it could not be so." Now, following below the three refuges, the headings of all the precepts are fully set forth, all sharing this same intention.