廣弘明集 26.45

26.45

Today, virtuous monks and nuns, monks and nuns who study doctrine, and temple administrators: you ought to exercise caution and purify your assemblies. If any are indolent and do not comply with the Buddha's teachings, they are still registered commoners of the Liang state, and this disciple currently has the power to punish and regulate them. If they still do not abide by the Buddhadharma, the sangha administrators should interrogate them according to the law. In recent years in the capital, the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra has been lectured on continuously, the wheel of Dharma turning without interruption, with audiences frequently numbering in the thousands. Today, I once again order Dharma Master Fayun to lecture to the monks and nuns on a small portion of the Chapter on the Four Marks. The monks and nuns frequently listen to the Nirvāṇa-sūtra: have they heard this teaching, or have they not heard it? If they have already heard it, they should not violate it; if they have not yet heard it, they should now bear it in mind. In the Buddhist sūtras, the definitive teaching cuts off all meat, to the extent that even meat from animals that died naturally is not permitted to be eaten, how much less that which did not die naturally! The monks and nuns left home and are called disciples of the Buddha; why do they not follow their teacher's instructions today? The sūtra states: 'Those who eat meat sever the seed of great compassion.' What is meant by 'severing the seed of great compassion'? In general, one of great compassion causes all sentient beings equally to attain peace and happiness. If one eats meat, all sentient beings become one's adversaries and are equally devoid of peace and happiness. If one eats meat, one is far removed from the dharma of the śrāvakas. If one eats meat, one is far removed from the dharma of the pratyekabuddhas. If one eats meat, one is far removed from the dharma of the bodhisattvas. If one eats meat, one is far removed from the bodhisattva path. If one eats meat, one is far removed from the fruition of buddhahood. If one eats meat, one is far removed from great nirvāṇa. If one eats meat, it obstructs birth in the six desire heavens, how much more so the fruit of nirvāṇa! If one eats meat, it obstructs the dharma of the four dhyānas. If one eats meat, it obstructs the dharma of the four formless realms. If one eats meat, it obstructs the dharma of the precepts. If one eats meat, it obstructs the dharma of concentration. If one eats meat, it obstructs the dharma of wisdom. If one eats meat, it obstructs the faculty of faith. If one eats meat, it obstructs the faculty of diligence. If one eats meat, it obstructs the faculty of mindfulness. If one eats meat, it obstructs the faculty of concentration. If one eats meat, it obstructs the faculty of wisdom. To state the essentials: it obstructs the thirty-seven factors of awakening. If one eats meat, it obstructs the four noble truths. If one eats meat, it obstructs the twelve links of dependent origination. If one eats meat, it obstructs the six pāramitās. If one eats meat, it obstructs the four great vows. If one eats meat, it obstructs the four means of embracing. If one eats meat, it obstructs the four immeasurable minds. If one eats meat, it obstructs the four unhindered knowledges. If one eats meat, it obstructs the three samādhis. If one eats meat, it obstructs the eight liberations. If one eats meat, it obstructs the nine successive absorptions. If one eats meat, it obstructs the six supernormal powers. If one eats meat, it obstructs the hundred and eight samādhis. If one eats meat, it obstructs all samādhis. If one eats meat, it obstructs the oceanic seal samādhi (sāgara-mudrā-samādhi). If one eats meat, it obstructs the śūraṅgama samādhi. If one eats meat, it obstructs the vajra samādhi. If one eats meat, it obstructs the five eyes. If one eats meat, it obstructs the ten powers. If one eats meat, it obstructs the four fearlessnesses. If one eats meat, it obstructs the eighteen unshared dharmas. If one eats meat, it obstructs the knowledge of all modes (sarvākārajñatā). If one eats meat, it obstructs unexcelled bodhi. Why is this? If one eats meat, it obstructs the bodhicitta, and there is no bodhisattva dharma. Because of eating meat, one is obstructed from attaining the first bhūmi; because of eating meat, one is obstructed from attaining the second bhūmi, and so forth up to being obstructed from attaining the tenth bhūmi. Because there is no bodhisattva dharma, there are no four immeasurable minds; because there are no four immeasurable minds, there is no great compassion and great empathy. Through this causal condition, the lineage of the Buddha's sons is not continued. Therefore the sūtra says: 'Those who eat meat sever the seed of great compassion.' Although those who have left home may not yet be able to practice great compassion and great empathy, fully realize the bodhisattva practice, and accomplish unexcelled bodhi, why can they not endure this foul and rank [stench] to cultivate the paths of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha? Kites and crows relish rats; centipedes find small snakes sweet: inferring from this, how could one relish or be attached to it? Even jackals, dogs, and wild foxes all know to relish meat. Humans possess the greatest understanding, surpassing all living creatures; yet intimately with these [beasts] they relish the same foul and rank [matter]. Not only do they constantly harbor killing intent and sever the seed of great compassion, but all who eat meat are inherently contemptible! When the virtuous monks and those who understand the doctrine expound the Nirvāṇa-sūtra, how could they not earnestly emphasize this sentence, causing the listeners to attain awakening and understanding in their minds? Furthermore, there is a foolish kind of person who says, 'I only eat fish; I truly do not eat meat.' They should also be instructed that in this regard there is no difference between water and land: all living beings are equally called 'meat.' How could those who listen to the lectures not carefully and truly accept, uphold, and practice according to what is taught? All that pertains to eating meat has been explained above; these, however, are distant matters and not yet immediate and urgent. Virtuous monks and nuns, you should know that feeding on living beings is the conduct of māras; feeding on living beings is the seed of hell; feeding on living beings is the cause of terror; feeding on living beings is the cause of cutting off life; feeding on living beings is the cause of being burned oneself; feeding on living beings is the cause of being boiled oneself; feeding on living beings is the cause of being roasted oneself; feeding on living beings is the cause of being broiled oneself; feeding on living beings is the cause of being cut oneself; feeding on living beings is the cause of being flayed oneself; feeding on living beings is the cause of having one's head severed; feeding on living beings is the cause of having one's hands severed; feeding on living beings is the cause of having one's feet severed; feeding on living beings is the cause of having one's belly ripped open; feeding on living beings is the cause of having one's back split open; feeding on living beings is the cause of having one's entrails scooped out; feeding on living beings is the cause of having one's marrow crushed; feeding on living beings is the cause of having one's eyes gouged out; feeding on living beings is the cause of having one's nose cut off; feeding on living beings is the cause of having one's ears lopped off; feeding on living beings is the cause of poverty; feeding on living beings is the cause of low birth; feeding on living beings is the cause of freezing and starvation; feeding on living beings is the cause of ugliness; feeding on living beings is the cause of deafness; feeding on living beings is the cause of blindness; feeding on living beings is the cause of dumbness; feeding on living beings is the cause of muteness; feeding on living beings is the cause of lameness; feeding on living beings is the cause of crippledness; feeding on living beings is the cause of sores; feeding on living beings is the cause of ulcers; feeding on living beings is the cause of scabies; feeding on living beings is the cause of ringworm; feeding on living beings is the cause of tumors; feeding on living beings is the cause of goiters; feeding on living beings is the cause of favus; feeding on living beings is the cause of blemishes; feeding on living beings is the cause of carbuncles; feeding on living beings is the cause of furuncles; feeding on living beings is the cause of hemorrhoids; feeding on living beings is the cause of cellulitis; feeding on living beings is the cause of fistulas; feeding on living beings is the cause of leprosy; feeding on living beings is the cause of attracting fleas; feeding on living beings is the cause of attracting lice; feeding on living beings is the cause of attracting mosquitoes; feeding on living beings is the cause of attracting horseflies; feeding on living beings is the cause of encountering venomous insects; feeding on living beings is the cause of encountering ferocious beasts; feeding on living beings is the cause of emaciating illness; feeding on living beings is the cause of chills and fever; feeding on living beings is the cause of headaches; feeding on living beings is the cause of heartaches; feeding on living beings is the cause of abdominal pain; feeding on living beings is the cause of chest pain; feeding on living beings is the cause of back pain; feeding on living beings is the cause of hand pain; feeding on living beings is the cause of foot pain; feeding on living beings is the cause of marrow pain; feeding on living beings is the cause of intestinal pain; feeding on living beings is the cause of cramped tendons; feeding on living beings is the cause of gastroptosis; feeding on living beings is the cause of severed pulses; feeding on living beings is the cause of hemorrhages; feeding on living beings is the cause of throat obstruction; feeding on living beings is the cause of sore throats; feeding on living beings is the cause of wind disorders; feeding on living beings is the cause of water disorders; feeding on living beings is the cause of disharmony among the four elements; feeding on living beings is the cause of disharmony among the five zang organs; feeding on living beings is the cause of disharmony among the six fu organs; feeding on living beings is the cause of epilepsy; feeding on living beings is the cause of madness; feeding on living beings is even the cause of all the four hundred and four ailments; feeding on living beings is the cause of heat; feeding on living beings is the cause of vexation; feeding on living beings is the cause of being crushed; feeding on living beings is the cause of encountering floods; feeding on living beings is the cause of encountering fires; feeding on living beings is the cause of encountering storms; feeding on living beings is the cause of suffering theft; feeding on living beings is the cause of suffering robbery; feeding on living beings is the cause of suffering banditry; feeding on living beings is the cause of being whipped; feeding on living beings is the cause of being caned; feeding on living beings is the cause of being flogged; feeding on living beings is the cause of being beaten; feeding on living beings is the cause of being reviled; feeding on living beings is the cause of being humiliated; feeding on living beings is the cause of being chained; feeding on living beings is the cause of being bound; feeding on living beings is the cause of being confined; feeding on living beings is the cause of being imprisoned; feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of birth; feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of old age; feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of sickness; feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of death; feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of encountering what is hated; feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of parting from what is loved; feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of not getting what one seeks; feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of the five clinging-aggregates; feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of conditioned existence (saṃskāra-duḥkhatā); feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of change (vipariṇāma-duḥkhatā); feeding on living beings is the cause of the suffering of suffering (duḥkha-duḥkhatā); feeding on living beings is the cause of the Samjñā Hell; feeding on living beings is the cause of the Kālasūtra Hell; feeding on living beings is the cause of the Saṃghāta Hell; feeding on living beings is the cause of the Raurava Hell; feeding on living beings is the cause of the Mahāraurava Hell; feeding on living beings is the cause of the Tapana Hell; feeding on living beings is the cause of the Pratāpana Hell; feeding on living beings is the cause of the Avīci Hell; feeding on living beings is the cause of the eight cold and eight hot hells, and even the cause of the eighty-four thousand subsidiary hells, and even the cause of inexpressibly inexpressible subsidiary hells; feeding on living beings is even the cause of [becoming] all hungry ghosts; feeding on living beings is even the cause of [becoming] all beasts. You should know that hungry ghosts have immeasurable suffering; you should know that beasts have immeasurable suffering. Beasts are born for a moment and die for a moment, being harmed by others; when alive they experience immeasurable terror, and when dying they experience immeasurable terror. All these are karmic conditions of killing resulting in such retribution. If one wished to enumerate in full the retributions of killing, unfolding endlessly, the plants and trees of the great earth could not contain them. Although what was stated above follows many paths, to state the essentials: they are the same fruition of suffering, which contains its own lighter and heavier degrees. The reason various fruits of suffering are incurred today is entirely due to the karma of killing and tormenting sentient beings. I have merely cited one corner and spoken roughly of a small fraction.