熾盛光道場念誦儀 1.14

1.14

經云：「若有國界不安，災難競起，請清淨眾。」揀眾為二：一、舊行清淨，二、入道場行清淨。舊，即出家已來，精翫律範，定、慧循修，遍檢七支，曾無一過。《大集》開其悔淨，尚名污道。近世三學難具、四儀易頹，但取隨分如法之僧，不犯重戒，曾無醜露，檀越信奉，亦得清淨。恐揀眾太精，世少良導。若塵埃過甚，三業彰露及為貪供養，誑說清淨。南山云：「人前似人，屏處如鬼。」天龍惡見，鬼魅嗤誚，如此又何能持呪却災乎？又何能使列宿收光，妖怪滅影乎？二、入道場行清淨者，眾雖舊行淨潔，堪為福田，至入道場，更加嚴肅。先須洗染新淨衣服，料理威儀，令去就安庠，生人善敬。每日沐浴、飲食、洗漱，勿得語笑，為施主調謔；瞻望堂室，道場未滿，預籌信施，喜恚多少；非時湯果，無度須索，飲食麁細，勿起恚愛；勿睡、勿倚，謦咳、彈指，警喧俗舍。當可意知，勿使生人譏誚。或為國王大臣，彌加至誠，肅清三業，可以意知。

The sūtra says: 'If the state borders are unsettled and calamities arise in contention, invite a pure assembly.' Selecting the assembly has two parts: first, purity of prior conduct; second, purity of conduct upon entering the bodhimaṇḍa. 'Prior' means that since going forth, one has rigorously studied the vinaya models, cultivates concentration and wisdom sequentially, and completely investigates the seven branches of action without ever committing a single fault. The Mahāsaṃnipāta allows purifying it through repentance, yet still calls it a defiled path. In recent generations, the three learnings are hard to complete and the four deportments are easily corrupted; merely select monks who conform to the Dharma according to their capacity, do not break the grave precepts, have never committed scandalous deeds, and are trusted and venerated by dānapatis, which also attains purity. I fear that if selecting the assembly is too strict, the world will have few good guides. If defilement is excessive, the three karmas are exposed, or for the sake of coveting offerings one deceitfully claims purity—as Nanshan said: 'Before people they are like humans; in private they are like ghosts.' Devas and nāgas view them with disgust, and ghosts and spirits mock them; in such a state, how could they uphold the mantra and avert calamities? How could they cause the constellations to withdraw their light and the baleful anomalies to extinguish their shadows? Second, purity of conduct upon entering the bodhimaṇḍa: although the assembly's prior conduct is pure and clean and worthy to be a field of merit, upon entering the bodhimaṇḍa they must be all the more solemn. They must first wash, dye, and clean their robes, and regulate their deportment so that their actions are calm and dignified, inspiring wholesome reverence in people. Every day when bathing, eating, washing, and rinsing, do not talk and laugh or joke with donors; do not gaze at the halls and rooms, and before the bodhimaṇḍa is completed, calculate in advance the faithful offerings or feel pleasure or anger over their amount; do not demand unseasonable hot drinks and fruits without restraint, nor give rise to hatred or attachment over the coarseness or delicacy of food and drink; do not sleep or lean, and do not alarm or disturb the secular house with coughing or finger-snapping. One should be mindful of this and not cause people to give rise to ridicule. Or if it is on behalf of kings and ministers, add even greater utmost sincerity to purify the three karmas; this can be known in mind.