[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) › [集沙門不應拜俗等事](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2108) › 5.21 # 集沙門不應拜俗等事 5.21 集沙門不應拜俗等事 5.21 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [5.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2108.5.21) 一謹案老子道德經云。域中四大王居一焉。又案仁王般若經云。地前三賢菩薩位。當四天下主。內經又云。假令比丘得須陀洹果。經八萬劫始見於地前。今令道士女官拜敬域中之大僧之及尼。拜敬地前菩薩。此乃不乖本教。正合其宜（彈曰佛經所以不令僧敬俗者良以出處不同故也。縱使三賢菩薩。為四天下主。而猶現有妻子相不捨家位。厚信曰如然。致敬則無誠說故涅槃經云。諸出家人從諸白衣諮受未聞。不應禮拜。據此則殊乖本教。何謂正合其宜耶）皇后皇太子。尊同於君。理合敬拜（彈曰。仁王經云。出家人法不拜國王。國王尚不許拜。自下斷焉可知）一又案道經云。道士一人得道乃追榮七葉父母。此則立身成道。貴於追顯前葉。今時未得道者見生父母。理合拜敬。又案內經云。西方妙樂國土。本為法藏比丘願力所成。是知妙樂之所。乃是比丘願往生處也。又案無量壽觀經云。願生妙樂國土者。先須孝養父母。後云具足戒行。然經宿不見即須跪問孝之儀也。不拜父母何成孝養。今令僧尼道士女官拜敬父母。亦是不違本教（彈曰。如經所云生西方者該通道俗言孝養父母者。此明處俗往生因也。言具足戒行者。此明出家往生因也。此則道俗懸隔修行兩殊。安得混彼二因。俱言釋侶且孝養異宜。寧唯跪禮揚名後代亦其至也。故五分律云。若諸沙門左右二肩荷擔父母。親於身上便利不淨縱使一劫。猶不能報須臾之恩。若教父母識三寶四諦。受持五戒行十善道於一念頃即為以報父母之恩。何以故荷擔等事是人中善。不能令彼生天證聖。若教父母識諦寶因果受齋持戒。由此因緣即能證聖。又四分律云。佛言比丘不應禮敬一切白衣。父母雖曰居尊。終同白衣之列。佛教不令禮拜。若拜乃陷於親生有致敬之容。死招無量重罪。不孝之。極寧越是乎）一謹案周禮有九拜之儀。一曰稽首。注云。首至地也。又案尚書言。於禹益等拜。皆言稽首。此為拜君之敬。通於古今也。然今之僧尼禮拜。正當稽首之法。是以維摩經云。導眾以寂故稽首。然今若令尼作婦女跪拜。但為衣服不稱。恐爽於常情。聖人無心。以百姓心為心。俗行已久不求改變。今令尼等拜敬。望請許其稽首。此則不乖古今之儀。順於輿人之頌（彈曰。夫希顏之士亦顏之儔。慕驥之乘亦驥之類。今尼等辭榮是一入道不殊。何獨慮爽常情則欲令其稽首。若也不求改變稽首。未是循常常情既也不循。豈順輿人之頌）謹議。 > First, we respectfully examine the Daodejing of Laozi, which says: "Within the realm there are four greats, and the king occupies one of them." We also examine the Humane Kings Prajñā Sūtra, which says: "Bodhisattvas at the position of the three kinds of worthies prior to the stages serve as the lords of the four continents." An inner scripture also says: "Even if a bhikṣu attains the fruit of srotāpanna, only after eighty thousand kalpas will he first see \[a bodhisattva\] prior to the stages." Now, ordering Daoist priests and priestesses to bow in reverence to the Great One within the realm, and monks and nuns to bow in reverence to bodhisattvas prior to the stages, does not contravene the original teachings; it is precisely appropriate. (Critique: The reason the Buddhist scriptures do not allow monks to revere laypeople is truly that their stations of renunciation and mundane life are different. Even though bodhisattvas of the three kinds of worthies are lords of the four continents, they still display the appearance of possessing wives and children and do not abandon their domestic status. While \[scriptures\] express deep faith in them in this manner, there is no explicit statement that one should pay homage to them. Hence, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Renunciants, when inquiring about and receiving what they have not yet heard from laypeople, should not make prostrations." According to this, it profoundly contravenes the original teaching; how could one say it is "precisely appropriate"?) The Empress and Crown Prince share equal honor with the Sovereign; by principle, it is appropriate to pay homage to them. (Critique: The Humane Kings Sūtra says: "The rule for renunciants is not to bow to kings." When bowing even to kings is not permitted, it can be clearly known regarding those below them.) Furthermore, we examine the Daoist scriptures, which state: "When a single Daoist priest attains the Way, posthumous glory extends to parents of seven generations." This means that establishing oneself and achieving the Way values glorifying earlier generations posthumously. Those of the present day who have not yet attained the Way should, by principle, bow in reverence to their living parents. Moreover, we examine the inner scriptures, which state that the Western Land of Wonderful Joy was originally established by the power of the vows of the bhikṣu Dharmākara; thus we know that the place of Wonderful Joy is the realm to which bhikṣus vow to be reborn. We also examine the Contemplation of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life Sūtra, which says: "Those who vow to be reborn in the Land of Wonderful Joy must first be filial and support their parents," and later states, "and fully observe the rules of monastic conduct." Now, not seeing one's parents overnight requires kneeling and inquiring after them; this is the etiquette of filial piety. If one does not bow to parents, how can that constitute filial support? Now, requiring monks, nuns, Daoist priests, and priestesses to bow in reverence to their parents also does not violate the original teachings. (Critique: What the sūtra refers to regarding rebirth in the Western land covers both monastics and laity. Mentioning "filial support of parents" clarifies the cause for rebirth while dwelling in secular life; mentioning "fully observing the rules of monastic conduct" clarifies the cause for rebirth through renunciation. These represent a vast distance between the monastic and the secular, with two entirely distinct tracks of practice. How can one conflate those two causes and apply them both to the monastic assembly? Furthermore, filial support takes different forms according to station; how could it be limited to the rite of kneeling? Making one's name renowned in subsequent generations is also its ultimate reach. Thus, the Mahīśāsaka Vinaya states: "If śramaṇas were to carry their parents on their left and right shoulders, letting them defecate and urinate upon their bodies, even for an entire kalpa, they still could not repay a moment of their kindness. If they teach their parents to recognize the Three Jewels and the Four Noble Truths, receive and observe the five precepts, and practice the ten virtuous paths, in a single thought-moment they have repaid the kindness of their parents. Why is this? Carrying them and such things are merely mundane good deeds and cannot cause them to be born in heaven or realize sagely attainments. If they teach their parents to recognize the Noble Truths, the Jewels, and cause and effect, and to observe the upavāsa and keep the precepts, through these conditions they will be able to realize sagely attainments." The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya also states: "The Buddha said that a bhikṣu should not pay homage to any layperson." Although parents are said to occupy a revered place, they ultimately belong to the ranks of laypeople. The Buddha's teaching does not permit bowing to them; if one bows, one traps one's living parents in the posture of receiving reverence, bringing upon them immeasurable severe transgressions upon death. Could unfiliality at its extreme exceed this?) Respectfully examining the Rites of Zhou, there are nine types of prostrations; the first is called the "grounding-head bow" (qishou), about which the commentary states: "The head touches the ground." Examining the Book of Documents, the prostrations before Yu, Yi, and others are all described as the "grounding-head bow." This is the reverence of bowing to the ruler, universal throughout antiquity and the present. Now, the prostrations performed by monks and nuns precisely accord with the method of the grounding-head bow. Therefore, the Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: "Guiding the multitude through quietude, hence they bow with grounded heads." However, if nuns are now ordered to perform the kneeling and prostrations of secular women, it is feared that because their robes are unsuited, this would violate conventional sentiment. The Sage has no fixed mind; he takes the minds of the hundred surnames as his own. When secular customs have long been practiced, one does not seek to alter them. Now, in requiring nuns and the like to bow in reverence, we request that they be permitted the grounding-head bow. This will not contravene the rituals of antiquity and the present, and will accord with the praise of the common people. (Critique: He who aspires to Yan Hui belongs to Yan's kind; the team of horses that emulates the swift steed belongs to the steed's category. Now, the nuns have relinquished worldly splendor alike and entered the Way without distinction; why should one solely worry about violating conventional sentiment and therefore wish to have them use the grounding-head bow? If one does not seek alteration, the grounding-head bow is not yet following the ordinary; since conventional sentiment is not followed, how could it accord with the praise of the common people?) We respectfully submit our deliberation. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 5.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2108.5.20) - [Next: 5.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2108.5.22) - [Up: 5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2108.5) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2108~en-mt.5.21) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2108.5.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2108.5.21) · Pramāṇa