集沙門不應拜俗等事 3.34

3.34

The fifty-third fascicle of the Sūtra of the Buddha's Past Practices states: "King Śuddhodana, together with all his retinue and the hundred officials, having bowed to the Buddha in order, the Buddha said: 'The King may now bow to Upāli and the other monks.' The King, hearing the Buddha's teaching, immediately arose from his seat and bowed his head to the five hundred newly ordained monks, paying homage in order." The Satyaka-nirgrantha Sūtra states: "If one slanders the Dharma of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, or the Mahāyāna Dharma, defaming and obstructing it, one commits a fundamental offense." (Now the monks, relying on the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna scriptures, do not bow to ruler or parents, which is following the Buddha's instruction. If they were now completely to violate the Buddha's teaching by bowing and kneeling to secular people, they would disbelieve the Buddha's words and commit a fundamental offense.) "Moreover, if one slanders [the Dharma by denying] that there is retribution for good and evil karmas, has no fear of future rebirths, acts thus oneself and teaches others to do so, firmly holding to it without abandoning it, this is called a fundamental grave offense. Great King, if you commit this offense and do not repent of it yourself, your good roots will be burned away and you will endure the suffering of the Avīci Hell. Because the King commits this grave unwholesome karma, those of brahma-conduct, arhats, and all the ṛṣis and sages will leave the country and depart. The gods will weep, and the good ghosts and spirits will not protect his state. Ministers and counsellors will contend and harm each other, and brigands will arise on all four sides. The heavenly king will not descend, the dragon kings will remain hidden, flood and drought will be irregular, and death will be countless. The people of the time will not understand this fault, but will resent the heavens and complain to the ghosts and spirits. Therefore, a Dharma-practicing king, to rescue them from such suffering, does not commit this fault." It is extensively as stated in the sūtra. There are further treatise passages, which are mostly not recorded here.