法苑珠林 24.4

24.4

夫法師昇座。先須禮敬三寶自淨其心。觀時擇人具慈悲意。救生利物。然後為說。故報恩經云。聽者坐說者立不應為說。若聽者求說者過。不應為說。若聽者依人不依法。依字不依義。依不了義經不依了義經。依識不依智。並不應為說。何以故。是人不能恭敬諸佛菩薩清淨法故。若說尊重於法。聽法之人亦生崇敬。至心聽受不生輕慢。是名清淨說。故阿含經偈云。

When a Dharma master ascends the seat, he must first pay homage to the Three Jewels and purify his own mind, observe the time and select the persons, and be endowed with the intention of loving-kindness and compassion to save living beings and benefit creatures; only then should he preach for them. Therefore, the *Bao’en jing* states: If the listener sits and the speaker stands, one should not preach for him. If the listener seeks the speaker’s faults, one should not preach for him. If the listener relies on the person and not on the Dharma, relies on the letter and not on the meaning, relies on sūtras of non-definitive meaning and not on sūtras of definitive meaning, or relies on consciousness and not on wisdom, for all such one should not preach. Why? Because such a person cannot venerate the pure Dharma of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. If the speaker shows reverence toward the Dharma, the listener will also give rise to veneration, listening and receiving with utmost sincerity without generating contempt. This is called pure preaching. Therefore, an Āgama verse says: