法苑珠林 88.9

88.9

又優婆塞戒經云。佛言。若欲受優婆塞戒增長財命。先當諮啟所生父母次報妻子奴婢等次白國王（此須白者為國王禁制不許受戒所以須白若先不禁。不勞須白也）既問聽已。誰有出家發菩提心者。便往其所頭面作禮。軟言問訊。作如是言。大德。我是丈夫具男子身。欲受菩薩優婆塞戒。惟願大德憐愍故聽（一說便得若受聲聞別解脫戒縱無發。菩提心人。但發小乘心。出家五眾人邊受並得戒也）是時比丘應作是言。汝之父母妻子奴婢國主並聽不。若言聽者。復應問言。汝不曾負佛法僧物及他物耶。若言不負。復應問言。汝今身中將無內外身心病耶。若言無者。復應問言。汝不於諸比丘比丘尼所作非法耶。若言不作。復應問言。汝將不作五逆罪耶。汝不作盜法人不。汝非無根二根人不。汝不受八戒齋不犯重耶。汝父母師病不棄去耶。汝將非殺發菩提心人耶。汝不盜現前僧物耶。汝不兩舌惡口成於惡人耶。汝不於母女姊妹作非法耶。汝不於大眾作妄語乎。若言無者。復應語言。善男子。此戒甚難。能為沙彌十戒大比丘戒及菩薩戒乃至菩提而作根本。至心受持則能獲得如是等戒無量利益。若有毀破如是戒者。則於無量無邊世中處三惡道受大苦惱。汝今欲得無量利益。能志心受不。若言能者。次教受三歸。復應問言。此戒甚難。若歸佛已。寧捨身命終不依於自在天等。若歸法已。寧捨身命不依於外道典籍若歸僧已。寧捨身命終不依於外道邪眾。汝能如是志心歸依於三寶不。若言能者。應令滿六月日親近承事出家智者。智者復應志心觀其身四種威儀。若知是人能如教作。過六月已和合眾僧。滿二十人作白羯磨云。大德僧聽。是某甲今於僧中乞受優婆塞戒已。六月中淨四威儀。志心受持淨莊嚴地。是人丈夫具男子身。若僧聽者。僧皆默然。不聽者說（一說便得。若非信邪。舊來正信者。不須受此翻邪三歸六月試。直問遮難教令懺悔。已即與授五戒八戒三歸便得。不同此也）。

Furthermore, the Upāsakaśīla-sūtra says: The Buddha said: If one wishes to receive the upāsaka precepts to increase wealth and life, one should first consult one's natural parents, next inform one's wife, children, slaves, and servants, and next inform the king. (This need to inform is because if the king prohibits and does not permit the receiving of precepts, therefore one must inform him; if there was no prior prohibition, one need not trouble to inform him.) Having asked and received permission, whoever is a renunciant who has aroused the bodhicitta, one should go to their presence, bow with head to feet, gently make inquiries, and say: 'Venerable, I am a man endowed with a male body, wishing to receive the bodhisattva upāsaka precepts. May the Venerable take pity and permit it.' (At once speaking it is obtained. If receiving the prātimokṣa precepts of the śrāvakas, even if there is no person who has aroused bodhicitta, as long as one arouses a Hīnayāna intention, receiving them from any of the five groups of renunciants equally obtains the precepts.) At that time, the bhikṣu should speak thus: 'Did your parents, wife, children, slaves, servants, and king all give permission?' If he says they have permitted, he should further ask: 'Have you not owed property of the Buddha, Dharma, or Saṃgha, or the property of others?' If he says he owes nothing, he should further ask: 'Within your body now, are there no internal or external illnesses of body or mind?' If he says there are none, he should further ask: 'Have you not committed unrighteous acts against bhikṣus or bhikṣuṇīs?' If he says he has not done so, he should further ask: 'Have you not committed the five heinous sins? Are you not a person who has stolen the Dharma? Are you not a rootless person or a person of two roots? Have you not taken the eight fasting precepts and violated the grave ones? When your parents or teachers were ill, did you not abandon them? Have you not killed a person who has aroused bodhicitta? Have you not stolen the property of the present Saṃgha? Have you not become an evil person through slander and harsh speech? Have you not committed unrighteous acts against your mother, daughter, or sister? Have you not spoken falsely before the great assembly?' If he says none of these are so, he should further tell him: 'Good man, these precepts are extremely difficult. They can serve as the root for the ten precepts of a śrāmaṇera, the precepts of a fully ordained bhikṣu, the bodhisattva precepts, and even up to bodhi. Receiving and upholding them with a sincere mind, one can attain immeasurable benefits of such precepts. If someone violates such precepts, they will abide in the three evil destinies for immeasurable and boundless lifetimes, suffering great afflictions. Now, you wish to attain immeasurable benefits; can you receive them with a sincere mind?' If he says he can, he should next teach him to take the three refuges. He should further ask: 'These precepts are extremely difficult. Having taken refuge in the Buddha, would you rather forfeit body and life and never rely on Īśvara and the like? Having taken refuge in the Dharma, would you rather forfeit body and life and not rely on non-Buddhist texts? Having taken refuge in the Saṃgha, would you rather forfeit body and life and never rely on non-Buddhist heterodox assemblies? Can you thus sincerely take refuge in the Three Jewels?' If he says he can, he should be made to attend upon and serve a wise renunciant for a full six months. The wise one should further sincerely observe his four postures of deportment. If he knows that this person can act according to instruction, after six months have passed, the assembly of monks should be gathered to reach a full twenty persons to make the motion (jñapti-karman), saying: 'Let the Venerable Saṃgha listen. So-and-so now begs to receive the upāsaka precepts before the Saṃgha. In these six months, he has purified his four postures of deportment and sincerely received and upheld them, purifying the ground of adornment. This person is a man endowed with a male body. If the Saṃgha approves, let the Saṃgha remain silent; if not, let them speak.' (At once speaking it is obtained. If he did not believe in heterodoxy but has always had right faith, he does not need to receive this refuge reversing heterodoxy and undergo the six months' trial; simply questioning the obstructions and impediments and having him repent, one then directly confers the five precepts, the eight precepts, and the three refuges, and it is obtained; it is not like this.)