法苑珠林 93.5

93.5

夫酒為放逸之門。大聖知其苦本。所以遠酣肆離酒緣。棄醉朋近法友。出昏門入惺境。肉是斷大慈之種。大聖知其殺因。所以去腥臊淨身口。噉蔬菜澄心神。招慈善感延年。故俗禮記云。見其生不忍其死。聞其聲不食其肉。斯亦不殺之義也。若使噉食酒肉之者。即同畜生豺狼禽獸。亦即具殺一切眷屬飲噉諸親。翻讎怨報。歷劫長夜無有窮已。如上論說。有一女人五百世害狼兒。狼兒亦五百世害其母。又有女人。五百世斷鬼命根。鬼亦五百世斷其命根。故知經歷六道備受怨報。或經為師長。或是父母。或是兄弟。或是姊妹。或是兒孫。或是朋友。今是凡身。各無道眼。不能分別。還相噉食不自覺知。噉食之時此物有靈。即生瞋恨還成怨讎。向到至親反變成怨。如是之事豈可不思。暫爭舌端一時少味。永與至親長為怨對。可為痛心。難以言說。是故涅槃經云。一切肉者悉斷。及自死者。自死猶斷。何況不自死者。又楞伽經云為利殺眾生。以財網諸肉。二業俱不善。死墜噭呼獄。何謂以財網肉。陸設罝罘。水設網𮊁。此是以網網肉。若於屠殺人間以錢買肉。此是以財網肉。若令此人不以財網肉者。習惡律儀。捕害眾生。此人為當專自供口。亦復別有所擬。若別有所擬。向食肉者。豈無殺分。何得云我不殺生。此是灼然。違背經文。斷大慈種。障不見佛也。

Alcohol is the gateway to heedlessness; the Great Sage knows it to be the root of suffering. Therefore, he distanced himself from indulging in revelry, kept apart from the conditions of alcohol, discarded drunken companions, drew close to Dharma friends, exited the gate of stupor, and entered the realm of awakening. Meat severs the seed of great compassion; the Great Sage knows it to be the cause of killing. Therefore, he cast away fishy stench, purified body and speech, ate vegetables, clarified the mind and spirit, attracted benevolence and goodness, and gained longevity. Thus the secular Book of Rites says: 'Seeing them alive, one cannot bear to see them die; hearing their cries, one cannot bear to eat their meat.' This also conveys the meaning of not killing. If one eats meat and drinks alcohol, one is no different from beasts, jackals, and wolves; one also fully slaughters all of one's own kin and drinks and devours one's own relatives. Turning into enemies and taking retribution, through kalpas of long nights there is no end. As the treatise quoted above explains: a woman killed a wolf cub for five hundred lives, and the wolf cub also killed her as its mother for five hundred lives. Furthermore, a woman severed the life-faculty of a ghost for five hundred lives, and the ghost also severed her life-faculty for five hundred lives. Hence one knows that undergoing transmigration through the six destinies, one fully receives vengeful retribution: they may once have been one's teachers, one's parents, one's brothers, one's sisters, one's children and grandchildren, or one's friends. Now, in this mortal body, each lacks the eye of the Way and cannot distinguish them; devouring one another in turn, they do not realize it themselves. When devouring them, this creature possesses a spirit; it immediately gives rise to anger and hatred, turning back into an enemy. What were once the closest kin on the contrary become enemies. How could one not ponder such a matter? To momentarily vie for a brief trivial taste on the tip of the tongue, and forever become hostile adversaries with one's closest kin—this is truly heartbreaking and difficult to put into words! Therefore the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'All meat is entirely severed, including that which dies of itself.' Even what dies of itself is still prohibited, how much more so that which does not die of itself! Furthermore, the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra says: 'For profit, living beings are killed; with wealth, meat is netted. Both karmas are unwholesome; dying, they fall into the Raurava Hell.' What is meant by 'netting meat with wealth'? On land one sets traps and snares; in water one sets nets and fish-traps: this is netting meat with nets. If one buys meat with money among butchers, this is netting meat with wealth. If one causes this person not to net meat with wealth, practicing evil vows and capturing and harming living beings, does this person intend merely to feed his own mouth, or does he also intend it for something else? If he intends it for something else, does the one who eats the meat not partake in the act of killing? How can one say 'I do not kill living beings'? This is obvious: it contradicts the sūtra texts, severs the seed of great compassion, and creates an obstacle to seeing the Buddha.