法苑珠林 19.46

19.46

Furthermore, the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra states: The Buddha said: 'All sentient beings in the present age and in future ages should deeply believe in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṃgha. Those sentient beings will always receive superior, wonderful retributions among humans and devas, and before long will attain entry into the City of Fearlessness. Thus, down to offering to a single person who has gone forth for My sake, and to those who rely on Me by shaving their hair and beard and wearing a piece of kāṣāya without yet receiving the precepts—making offerings to such people also yields merit, even leading to entry into the City of Fearlessness. For this reason, I speak thus: If there is someone who has gone forth for My sake, does not observe the monastic rules, but has shaved their hair and beard and wears a piece of kāṣāya, if someone wrongfully torments and harms them, they even destroy the Dharma-body and retribution-body of all Buddhas of the three periods of time, and even cause the three evil destinies to be filled.' Therefore, the Buddha said: 'If there are sentient beings who go forth for My sake, shave their hair and beard, and put on the kāṣāya, even if they do not maintain the precepts, they have all already been sealed by the seal of nirvāṇa. If there are those who have gone forth and do not maintain the precepts, and someone wrongfully harasses and disturbs them, scolding, reviling, defaming them, beating, binding, or hacking them with hands, swords, or staves, or seizing their robes, bowls, and various necessities of life—such a person destroys the true retribution-body of all Buddhas of the three periods of time and gouges out the eyes of all devas and humans. Because this person desires to extinguish all the Saddharma and the seed of the Three Jewels of all Buddhas, causes all devas and humans to fail to gain benefit and fall into hell, and causes the three evil destinies to increase and become full.'