西方合論 9.14

9.14

七、淨戒者，一切淨法，以戒為址。如人作舍先求平地；如畫師畫諸山水，先治光明素練，然後著彩，戒亦如是。是故戒為諸善法之首，入淨國之初門，若不持戒，如惡露敝女，欲入齋壇，無有是處。一、慳貪戒，謂行財命二施及與法施，無愛惜故。二、毀禁戒，謂五戒律儀戒，乃至無漏戒，滿足持故。三、嗔恚戒，謂以忍調心及于身口，若遇惡口刀杖所加，但自思惟業因緣法，作償負想、作導師想、作風寒冷熱想故。四、放逸戒，謂生死險道無放身處，如人持滿油鉢行懸繩上，不得左右顧視，及生第二念故。五、散亂戒，謂守攝諸根，息諸緣影，如護風燈，如防生鳥故。六、愚癡戒，謂以智慧破諸迷悶，如作務人常借日光，若是長夜諸作皆廢故；又如登覽當用開目，若是盲人及與睡眠，諸山河大地，與無等故。七、憍慢戒，謂不應以才辯故貢高，不應以悟解故貢高，不應以諍論故貢高；一切所得，如大地上塵，如鏡面上垢，不應以此垢驕彼垢故。八、覆藏戒，謂一切處諸佛，一切處菩薩，一切處神明，無可覆故。如日中逃影，波中逃濕，沙中逃塵，無可逃故。九、無益戒，謂一切嬉戲事無益，一切詩文無益，一切塵緣無益，一切口解脫無益，當遠離故。十、不住戒，謂如上持戒，但為生淨土饒益眾生，不求聞譽法，及諸人天二乘果故。菩薩如是行於淨戒，則能攝諸眾生，生于淨土。何以故？一切眾生，雖至冥頑，莫不欽仰戒德故。

Seventh, pure precepts: All pure dharmas take precepts as their foundation. Just as a person building a house first seeks level ground, or a painter depicting mountains and rivers first prepares bright white silk and then applies the colors, so too are precepts. Therefore, precepts are the chief among all wholesome dharmas, the initial gate for entering the pure realm. If one does not keep precepts, it is like a wretched, foul-smelling woman wishing to enter the vegetarian altar—it is impossible. First, the precept against parsimony, meaning practicing the two givings of material goods and life, as well as the giving of Dharma, without clinging or stinginess. Second, the precept against breaking prohibitions, meaning fulfilling and upholding the five precepts, the moral vows, and even the taintless precepts. Third, the precept against anger, meaning using patience to regulate the mind as well as the body and speech, so that if one encounters verbal abuse or blows with knives and staves, one merely contemplates the dharma of karma and conditions, considering it as repaying a debt, regarding [the abusers] as spiritual guides, and regarding [their abuse] as cold wind and hot air. Fourth, the precept against heedlessness, meaning that on the perilous road of saṃsāra there is no place to let down one's guard, just like a person carrying a brim-full bowl of oil walking upon a suspended rope, who cannot look left or right, or produce a second thought. Fifth, the precept against distraction, meaning guarding and restraining the sense faculties and quieting all conceptual reflections, just as one shelters a lamp from the wind or guards against wild birds. Sixth, the precept against ignorance, meaning using wisdom to break through all confusions and perplexities, like a laborer who always relies on the light of the sun, for if it were a long night, all works would be abandoned; again, like opening one's eyes when ascending to view the scenery, for if one were blind or asleep, the mountains, rivers, and great earth would be as if non-existent. Seventh, the precept against arrogance, meaning that one should not be haughty on account of talent and eloquence, should not be haughty on account of awakening and understanding, and should not be haughty on account of disputation; all that one has attained is like dust upon the great earth, or grime upon a mirror's surface—one should not use this grime to look down on that grime. Eighth, the precept against concealment, meaning that with the buddhas everywhere, the bodhisattvas everywhere, and the spirits everywhere, there is nothing that can be concealed; it is like trying to escape a shadow in the midday sun, escape dampness in the waves, or escape dust in the sand—there is nowhere to flee. Ninth, the precept against uselessness, meaning that all play and frivolous activities are useless, all poetry and literature are useless, all worldly conditions are useless, and all mere lip-service liberation is useless, and they should be kept far away. Tenth, the precept of non-abiding, meaning that upholding the precepts as above is solely for taking rebirth in the Pure Land to benefit sentient beings, and not to seek worldly fame and reputation, nor the fruits of humans, devas, or the two vehicles. When a bodhisattva practices pure precepts in this manner, he is able to gather sentient beings and take rebirth in the Pure Land. Why? Because all sentient beings, even the most stubbornly ignorant, cannot help but revere the virtue of the precepts.