法苑珠林 22.26

22.26

又智度論云。佛法中出家人。雖破戒墮罪。罪畢得解脫。如優鉢羅華比丘尼本生經中說。佛在世時。此比丘尼得六神通獲阿羅漢果。入貴人舍常讚出家法語諸貴人婦女言。姊妹可出家。諸貴婦女言。我等少壯容色盛美。持戒為難。或當破戒。比丘尼言。破戒便破。但出家。問言。破戒當墮地獄。云何可破。答言。墮地獄便墮。諸貴婦女笑之言。地獄受罪云何可墮。比丘尼言。我自憶念。本宿世時作戲女。著種種衣服而說雜語。或時著比丘尼衣以為戲笑。以是因緣故。迦葉佛時作比丘尼。自恃貴姓端正心生憍慢。而破禁戒。故墮地獄受種種罪。受罪畢已。值釋迦牟尼佛出家得阿羅漢道。雖復破戒可得道果。復次如佛在祇桓。有一醉婆羅門。來到佛所求作比丘。佛勅阿難。與剃頭著法衣。醉酒既醒驚怖己身忽為比丘。即便走去。諸比丘問佛。何以聽此醉婆羅門作比丘。佛言。此婆羅門無量劫中都無出家心今因醉故暫發微心。以此因緣故。後當出家得道。如是種種因緣。出家之利功德無量。以是故白衣雖有五戒。不如出家功德大也。

Furthermore, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* states that one who leaves home in the Buddha’s Dharma, even if they break the precepts and fall into sin, will attain liberation once their sin has ended. As explained in the *Utpalavarṇā-bhikṣuṇī-jātaka-sūtra*, when the Buddha was in the world, this nun attained the six supernatural faculties and realized the fruit of an arhat. Entering the households of nobles, she would always praise the practice of leaving home and say to the noblewomen, “Sisters, you may leave home.” The noblewomen said, “We are young, and our beauty is flourishing. Upholding the precepts is difficult; we might break them.” The nun said, “If you break the precepts, then let them be broken; just leave home.” They asked, “Breaking the precepts entails falling into hell; how could one break them?” She answered, “If you fall into hell, then let yourself fall.” The noblewomen laughed at her and said, “Suffering punishment in hell—how could one fall into that?” The nun said, “I recall that in a past life I was an actress. Wearing various costumes, I spoke frivolous words, and sometimes I put on a nun’s robe as a joke. Through this causal condition, in the era of Kāśyapa Buddha, I became a nun. Relying on my noble lineage and beauty, arrogance arose in my mind, and I broke the prohibitive precepts. Consequently, I fell into hell and suffered various punishments. When that punishment was ended, I encountered Śākyamuni Buddha, left home, and attained the path of an arhat. Thus, even if one breaks the precepts, one may still attain the fruit of the path.” Furthermore, once when the Buddha was at Jetavana, an intoxicated brahmin came to where the Buddha was and asked to become a monk. The Buddha instructed Ānanda to shave his head and dress him in the Dharma robes. Once the intoxication wore off, he was startled and terrified to find that he had suddenly become a monk, and immediately ran away. The monks asked the Buddha, “Why did you allow this drunk brahmin to become a monk?” The Buddha said, “For immeasurable kalpas, this brahmin had no intention of leaving home whatsoever. Now, due to drunkenness, he temporarily gave rise to a slight inclination. Because of this causal condition, he will later leave home and attain the path.” Through various causal conditions such as these, the benefits and merits of leaving home are limitless. For this reason, although a layperson may observe the five precepts, it does not equal the great merit of leaving home.