法苑珠林 82.8

82.8

如大莊嚴論云。若能至心持戒乃至歿命得現果報。我昔聞。難提跋提城有優婆塞。兄弟二人。並持五戒。其弟爾時卒患脇痛氣將欲絕。時醫語之。食新殺狗肉。并使服酒所患必除。病者白言。其狗肉者為可於市買索食之。飲酒之事願捨身命。終不犯戒而服於酒。其兄見弟極為困急。齎酒語弟。捨戒服酒。以療其病。弟白兄言。我雖病急。願捨我身命。不犯戒而飲此酒。即說偈言。

As the Mahālaṃkāra-śāstra says: 'If one can wholeheartedly uphold the precepts even unto the end of life, one will attain present retribution.' Formerly I heard that in the city of Nandivardhana there were two lay brothers who both upheld the five precepts. At that time, the younger brother suddenly suffered from flank pain, and his breath was about to cease. The physician then told him: 'Eat freshly killed dog meat and take it together with wine; your ailment will surely be eliminated.' The sick man said: 'As for the dog meat, it may be bought and sought in the market to be eaten. As for the matter of drinking wine, I would rather give up my body and life; I will never violate the precepts to drink wine.' His elder brother, seeing his younger brother in extreme distress and urgency, brought wine and told his younger brother: 'Renounce the precept and take the wine to treat your sickness.' The younger brother said to the elder brother: 'Although my sickness is urgent, I would rather give up my body and life than violate the precepts and drink this wine.' He then spoke a verse: