[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [宋高僧傳](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2061) › 16.45 # 宋高僧傳 16.45 宋高僧傳 16.45 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [16.45](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2061.16.45) 原夫人有人法，禁戒、威儀是也；天有天法，光潔、靜慮是也。我佛利見，據于大千，化境斯寬，法門必眾。舉其會要，不過戒也、定也、慧也。此三為路，出其生死之鄉；專一為門，通其涅槃之域。若乃資乎急用，在乎毘尼。毘尼防閑三業，三業皆淨，六塵自祛。聖賢踐修，何莫由斯道也？故《論》云：「生死流轉者三縛縛心，心難解脫。」當知此唯善說法律，能令解脫，非由惡說。因是而窺，禁律乃度世之檢括也。且夫菩薩戒淨，則彰離垢之名；辟支戒完，則引無師之智；聲聞戒足，時俱解脫而可期；內眾戒堅，招感人天之不墜。由是觀之，戒法之時大矣哉！自所推能，從言索理，則毘尼也，木叉也。因則聲教律焉，果則別解脫焉。直以時論，三世諸佛咸同制也；橫從界說，十方淨剎悉共行之。所以優波離、過去七佛，咸以戒律囑累之。《論》云：「戒如捉賊，善擒制也。定如縛賊，用機械也。慧如殺賊，清道路也。」以此成功立効，克取究盡三菩提者，決達清靜之域也。戒律之功，功無與比。矧以此法在師而不在資，唯聞佛制；行內而不通外，無許俗傳。故曰：「曲授祕方，賜諸內眾。」事有懸合，物宜象求，在乎家人，嚴君設訓。家人嗃嗃，同佛制教焉；婦子嘻嘻，同佛聽門矣。一聽一制，見其猛以濟寬；一陰一陽，見其開物成務。夫如是，知戒律是佛之家法明矣！大則三聚感三身於果中，小則形俱持盡形於因地。受既如是，隨則若何？有威儀焉，有細行焉。為有順違，乃生持犯，由是繁廣，因事制宜。 > Now, human beings have human laws, namely the prohibitive precepts and deportment; the heavens have heavenly laws, namely luminous purity and quiet meditation. Our Buddha appeared for the benefit of beings and held sway over the trichiliocosm; since the realm to be transformed was broad, the Dharma gates were necessarily manifold. To summarize their crucial essence, they do not exceed discipline, concentration, and wisdom. These three serve as the path to escape the realms of birth and death; concentrated focus serves as the gate leading to the domain of nirvāṇa. If one relies upon what is of urgent utility, it lies in the vinaya. The vinaya guards against and restrains the three karmas; when the three karmas are all purified, the six sensory dusts are naturally expelled. When the noble and worthy tread the path of cultivation, how could they not proceed by this way? Thus the śāstra states: 'Those who transmigrate through birth and death have their minds bound by the three bonds, and their minds are difficult to liberate.' One should know that only the well-expounded Dharma and vinaya can bring about liberation, not ill-expounded teachings. Examining things from this standpoint, prohibitive vinaya is the standard of restraint for crossing over the world. Furthermore, when the bodhisattva's precepts are pure, the name 'stainless' is manifested; when the pratyekabuddha's precepts are complete, the uninstructed wisdom is brought forth; when the śrāvaka's precepts are sufficient, liberation in both parts can be expected; when the precepts of the internal assembly are firm, they bring about the non-falling among humans and devas. Viewed from this, the timeliness of the disciplinary teachings is great indeed! Inferring its capacity and seeking its principle through words, it is the vinaya, the prātimokṣa. As a cause, it is the verbal teachings and rules; as an effect, it is individual liberation. Viewed along the dimension of time, all the Buddhas of the three periods of time uniformly instituted it; viewed across the realm of space, the pure lands of the ten directions all practice it together. For this reason, Upāli and the seven past Buddhas all entrusted beings with the precepts and vinaya. The śāstra states: 'Precepts are like catching a thief, being good at seizing and restraining. Concentration is like binding a thief, employing mechanical devices. Wisdom is like killing a thief, clearing the road.' By achieving success and establishing efficacy through these, thereby attaining the ultimate threefold bodhi, one will definitely reach the domain of ultimate purity. The efficacy of the precepts and vinaya is beyond compare. How much more so since this teaching rests with the master and not the disciple, being solely heard as the Buddha's institution; and it is practiced internally and does not extend outside, with no permission for transmission to the laity! Therefore it is said: 'Secret formulas are conferred privately, bestowed upon the internal assembly.' Things have hidden correspondencies, and one must seek their likeness in worldly affairs: in the family, the strict father sets down instructions. When 'the family members are stern and strict,' this corresponds to the Buddha's restrictive precepts; when 'the wives and children are merry and laughing,' this corresponds to the Buddha's permissive gates. The alternating of permission and restriction displays the tempering of severity with leniency; the alternating of yin and yang displays the bringing forth of things and the completion of affairs. Such being the case, it is evident that the precepts and vinaya are the Buddha's family rules! In the great vehicle, the threefold pure precepts bring about the three bodies in the state of fruition; in the lesser vehicle, they are upheld along with bodily life until the end of one's days on the causal ground. The receiving being thus, what of the observance? There are matters of deportment, and there are minor practices. Because there are compliance and violation, upholding and transgressing arise; from this they become extensive and complex, suiting the measures to the circumstance. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 16.44](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2061.16.44) - [Next: 16.46](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2061.16.46) - [Up: 16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2061.16) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2061~en-mt.16.45) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2061.16.45](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2061.16.45) · Pramāṇa