法苑珠林 95.10

95.10

夫四大難調六腑更反。以有報身忽嬰疚疾。或有捨俗出家孤游獨宿。或有貧病老弱無人侍衛。若不互看命將安寄。故四分律。佛言。自今已去。應看病人。應作瞻病人。若欲供養我者應。先供養病人乃。至路值五眾出家人病佛。制七眾皆令住看。若捨而不看。皆結有罪。故諸佛心者。以大慈悲為體。隨順我語。即是佛心也。

Now, the four great elements are difficult to harmonize, and the six entrails turn against each other. Because one has a retributive body, one suddenly falls victim to disease and distress. Some renounce worldly life and go forth into homelessness, traveling alone and sleeping in solitude; some are poor, sick, old, and weak, without anyone to attend to them. If they do not look after one another, where can their lives be entrusted? Therefore, in the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya, the Buddha said: 'From this day forth, you must care for the sick and act as attendants to the sick. If you wish to make offerings to me, you should first make offerings to the sick.' Furthermore, when encountering sick monastic members of the five assemblies on the road, the Buddha instituted that all members of the seven assemblies must stay and nurse them. If they abandon them without caring for them, all incur an offense. Therefore, the mind of all Buddhas takes great compassion as its essence. Complying with my words is precisely the mind of the Buddha.