法苑珠林 44.9

44.9

王過部第三

As the Xiangfa jueyi jing states: “Furthermore, all laypeople, regardless of high or low station, must not beat or strike the slaves, maids, or domestic animals belonging to the Three Jewels, nor may they receive the bows and prostrations of the slaves and maids of the Three Jewels. All such acts incur calamity and guilt.” Therefore, the Satyaka-nirgrantha-sūtra says: “If one destroys stupas or monasteries, or takes the property of the Buddha; or if one encourages others to do so and rejoices in it; or if there is a śramaṇa wearing dyed robes, whether keeping the precepts or breaking the precepts, and one detains, beats, binds, forces him to return to lay life, or cuts off his life—if one commits such root grave offenses, one will certainly fall into hell to suffer the torment of Avīci. Because such unwholesome deeds are carried out in the kingdom, the ṛṣis and sages will leave the country, the powerful gods will not protect its realm, the ministers will contend with each other, uprisings will occur in all four directions, droughts and floods will fall out of harmony, winds and rains will lose their season, the people will starve, bandits will run rampant, pestilence and illness will cause countless deaths, and not knowing that this is of their own making, they will resent the gods.”