三教平心論 1.15

1.15

From this we know that there are mundane dharmas and supramundane dharmas. The two teachings of Confucianism and Daoism are mundane dharmas. Buddhism begins with mundane dharmas and concludes with supramundane dharmas. Why is it called 'mundane'? The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'There is the heavenly world, there is the human world, and there is the realm of King Yama.' Within the traidhātuka, all is called 'mundane'. If there is a dharma that causes people to cycle through life and death endlessly without departing from within the traidhātuka, it is called a mundane dharma. The one true awakened nature enfolds the ten directions and cannot be bound by the traidhātuka; this is called a supramundane dharma. The Buddha established teachings by means of the five vehicles. The former two vehicles, called the human vehicle and the heavenly vehicle, are mundane dharmas. The latter three vehicles, called the śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva vehicles, are supramundane dharmas. The human vehicle refers to the five precepts. The first is not killing, which means one should cherish life and must not lightly commit violence against any creature, not merely abstaining from eating its flesh. The second is not stealing, which means not taking what is not right, not merely abstaining from seizing others' possessions. The third is not committing sexual misconduct, which means not behaving debauchedly with anyone who is not one's spouse. The fourth is not speaking falsely, which means not deceiving people with words. The fifth is not drinking liquor, which means not throwing one's cultivation of the mind into confusion through intoxication. Upholding these five is what provides the basis for being human. The five constants of Confucianism are precisely this meaning.