法苑珠林 89.61

89.61

第三問其漸頓。依菩薩善戒經云。優波離問菩薩戒法。菩薩摩訶薩成就戒法利益眾生者。先當具足學優婆塞戒沙彌戒比丘戒。若不具優婆塞戒得沙彌戒者。無有是處。若不具沙彌戒得比丘戒者。亦無是處。若不具如是三種戒者。得菩薩戒。亦無是處。譬如重樓四級次第。不由初級至二級者。無有是處。不由二級至於三級。不由三級至於四級者。亦無是處。若依薩婆多論云。若欲受沙彌戒先受優婆塞五戒。若欲受比丘具戒先受沙彌十戒。如人入海從淺至深。如是入佛法大海者。亦當如是。若有難緣不得漸受者。頓受比丘具戒者。亦得三種戒。然授者得小罪（准前菩薩。亦應如是。依地持論。頓發大乘心直受菩薩戒亦得也）。

The third inquires about gradual or sudden. According to the Bodhisattva-śīla-sūtra, Upāli inquired about the rules of the bodhisattva precepts: for a bodhisattva-mahāsattva who accomplishes the rules of the precepts to benefit sentient beings, he must first fully study the upāsaka precepts, the śrāmaṇera precepts, and the bhikṣu precepts. For one who does not possess the upāsaka precepts to obtain the śrāmaṇera precepts is impossible. For one who does not possess the śrāmaṇera precepts to obtain the bhikṣu precepts is likewise impossible. For one who does not possess these three kinds of precepts to obtain the bodhisattva precepts is also impossible. This is like a four-story tower with four successive stages: that one does not go from the first stage to the second stage is impossible; that one does not go from the second stage to the third stage, or from the third stage to the fourth stage, is likewise impossible. According to the Sarvāstivāda-śāstra, if one wishes to receive the śrāmaṇera precepts, one first receives the five precepts of an upāsaka; if one wishes to receive the complete precepts of a bhikṣu, one first receives the ten precepts of a śrāmaṇera. Just as a person entering the ocean proceeds from the shallow to the deep, so too should it be for one who enters the great ocean of the Buddha's Dharma. If there are adverse conditions such that one cannot receive them gradually, and one receives the complete precepts of a bhikṣu suddenly, one also obtains the three kinds of precepts; however, the conferrer incurs a minor offense. (By analogy with the aforementioned, the bodhisattva [precepts] should also be like this. According to the Bodhisattvabhūmi, suddenly arousing the Mahāyāna mind and directly receiving the bodhisattva precepts is also permissible.)