念佛鏡 1.66

1.66

答：「《大雲密藏經》、《齋法清淨經》、《挍量齋福利經》中所說，齋有五時：寅時齋者，得八萬四千億歲餘糧；卯時齋者，得八萬億歲餘糧；辰時齋者，得六萬億歲餘糧；巳時齋者，得四萬億歲餘糧；午時齋者，得五百日餘糧。午時後不得成齋，得罪，無一分功德。言餘糧者，餘則不盡，故言餘糧。今生多足衣食，皆是過去持齋所獲。所以大行和上說：『念佛之人要須持齋。』又譬如一日得糧食，尚不可思議，何況十年糧食？十年糧食尚不可思議，何況百年糧食？乃至百億、千億、萬億、八萬億糧食？既准經說，故知持齋功德不可思議，念佛人要須持齋。」

Answer: "As explained in the Dayun mizang jing, the Zhaifa qingjing jing, and the Jiaoliang zhai fuli jing, the fast has five periods: one who observes the fast during the yin period (3–5 a.m.) obtains surplus provisions for eighty-four thousand kotis of years; one who observes the fast during the mao period (5–7 a.m.) obtains surplus provisions for eighty thousand kotis of years; one who observes the fast during the chen period (7–9 a.m.) obtains surplus provisions for sixty thousand kotis of years; one who observes the fast during the si period (9–11 a.m.) obtains surplus provisions for forty thousand kotis of years; one who observes the fast during the wu period (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) obtains surplus provisions for five hundred days. After the wu period, it cannot constitute a fast; one incurs transgression and does not gain a single fraction of merit. 'Surplus provisions' means surplus that is never exhausted; hence it is called surplus provisions. Being abundantly provided with clothing and food in this life is entirely obtained through having kept the fast in past lives. Therefore Preceptor Daxing said: 'A person who practices buddhānusmṛti must keep the fast.' Furthermore, by analogy, obtaining provisions for a single day is already inconceivable, how much more so provisions for ten years? Provisions for ten years are already inconceivable, how much more so provisions for a hundred years, up to provisions for a hundred kotis, a thousand kotis, ten thousand kotis, or eighty thousand kotis? Since it is explained according to the sūtras, one knows that the merit of keeping the fast is inconceivable, and a practitioner of buddhānusmṛti must keep the fast."