法苑珠林 81.8

81.8

如優婆塞戒經云。若施畜生得百倍報。施破戒者得千倍報。施持戒者得十萬報。施外道離欲人得百萬報。施向道者得千億報。施須陀洹得無量報。向斯陀含亦無量報。乃至成佛亦無量報。我今為汝分別諸福田。故作是說。若能至心生大憐愍施於畜生。專心恭敬施於諸佛。其福正等無有差別。言百倍得。如以壽命色力安辯施於彼者。施主後得壽命色力安樂辯才。各各百倍。乃至無量亦復如是。是故我於契經中說。我施舍利弗。舍利弗亦施於我。然我得福多。非舍利弗得福多也。或有人說。受者作惡罪及施主。是義不然。何以故。施主施時為破彼苦。非為作罪。是故施主應得善果。受者作惡。罪自鍾己。不及施主。問若施聖人得福多者。云何經說智人行施不簡福田。答今釋此意義有多途。明能施之人。有愚智之別。所施之境。有悲敬之殊。悲是貧苦。敬是三寶。悲是田劣而心勝。敬是田勝而心劣。若取心勝施佛。則不如施貧。故像法決疑經云。有諸眾生。見他聚集作諸福業。但求名聞。傾家財物以用布施。及見貧窮孤獨。呵罵驅出不濟一毫。如此眾生名為顛倒作善癡狂禍福。名為不正作福。如此人等甚可憐愍。用財甚多獲福甚少。善男子。我於一時告諸大眾。若人於阿僧祇身供養十方諸佛并諸菩薩及聲聞眾。不如有人施畜生一口飲食。其福勝彼百千萬倍無量無邊。乃至施與餓狗蟻子等。悲田最勝。

As the Upāsakaśīla Sūtra states: "Giving to an animal yields a hundredfold retribution; giving to one who has broken the precepts yields a thousandfold retribution; giving to one who maintains the precepts yields a hundred-thousandfold retribution; giving to an outsider who has abandoned desire yields a millionfold retribution; giving to one who is directed toward the path yields a hundred-billionfold retribution; giving to a srotaāpanna yields immeasurable retribution; giving to one directed toward sakṛdāgāmin yields immeasurable retribution; up to becoming a Buddha, it also yields immeasurable retribution. I now distinguish the various fields of merit for your sake, and therefore make this statement: If one can, with a sincere mind, give rise to great compassion and give to an animal, and with single-minded reverence give to the Buddhas, the merits are precisely equal without any distinction. What is called obtaining a hundredfold means: just as one gives lifespan, physical form, strength, ease, and eloquence to the other, the donor later obtains lifespan, physical form, strength, ease, and eloquence, each a hundredfold; and so forth up to immeasurable, it is also like this. Therefore, I said in a sūtra: 'I gave to Śāriputra, and Śāriputra also gave to me, yet I obtained much merit, while Śāriputra did not obtain much merit.' Some people say: 'If the recipient commits evil, the sin extends to the donor.' This meaning is not so. Why? When the donor gives, it is to relieve the other's suffering, not to commit sin. Therefore, the donor will certainly obtain good fruit. If the recipient commits evil, the sin concentrates on himself and does not reach the donor." Question: If giving to sages yields much merit, why do scriptures say that a wise person practices giving without selecting the field of merit? Answer: There are many aspects to interpreting this meaning now. Clarifying the person capable of giving, there is the distinction between foolish and wise; regarding the realm to which one gives, there is the difference between compassion and reverence. Compassion is directed toward the poor and suffering; reverence is directed toward the Three Jewels. Compassion involves an inferior field but a superior mind; reverence involves a superior field but an inferior mind. If one takes the superior mind of giving to a Buddha, it is not as good as giving to the poor. Thus, the Sūtra on the Resolution of Doubts Concerning the Semblance Dharma states: "There are sentient beings who see others gathering to perform various meritorious deeds, yet they only seek fame and renown, emptying their family wealth to practice giving; but when they see the poor and solitary, they scold them and drive them out, not aiding them by a single hair. Such sentient beings are called those who perform goodness upside down, with deluded and wild notions of misfortune and fortune; this is called improperly producing merit. Such people are deeply pitiable: they expend a great deal of wealth but obtain very little merit. Good sons, at one time I told the great assembly: 'If a person over asampkheya lifetimes makes offerings to the Buddhas of the ten directions, along with the bodhisattvas and śrāvaka assemblies, it does not equal someone giving a single mouthful of food or drink to an animal: the latter's merit surpasses the former by hundreds of thousands of myriad times, immeasurably and boundlessly, up to giving to a hungry dog or an ant. The field of compassion is supreme.'"