禪林寶訓 4.3

4.3

Fozhi said to Shui'an: 'The substance of abbothood has four aspects: first, the Way and virtue; second, speech and action; third, benevolence and righteousness; fourth, propriety and regulations. The Way, virtue, speech, and action are the root of the teaching; benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and regulations are the branches of the teaching. Without the root it cannot stand; without the branches it cannot be completed. The ancient sages, seeing that practitioners could not govern themselves, established monastic groves to settle them and instituted abbots to lead them. Thus the honour of the monastic grove is not for the sake of the abbot, nor are the abundant four requisites for the sake of the practitioners; both are entirely for the sake of the Way of the buddhas and patriarchs. Therefore, one who is skilled at being an abbot must first honour the Way and virtue and abide by speech and action; one capable of being a practitioner must first preserve benevolence and righteousness and observe propriety and regulations. Hence without practitioners an abbot cannot stand; without an abbot practitioners cannot be accomplished. The abbot and practitioners are like the body and the arms, or the head and the feet: when large and small are well-proportioned and not in conflict, they rely upon each other to function. Therefore it is said: practitioners are preserved by the monastic grove; the monastic grove is preserved by the Way and virtue. If the person who is abbot lacks the Way and virtue, one will witness the ruin of the monastic grove.' (True Records)