法苑珠林 22.26

22.26

Furthermore, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* states that one who leaves home in the Buddha’s Dharma, even if they break the precepts and fall into sin, will attain liberation once their sin has ended. As explained in the *Utpalavarṇā-bhikṣuṇī-jātaka-sūtra*, when the Buddha was in the world, this nun attained the six supernatural faculties and realized the fruit of an arhat. Entering the households of nobles, she would always praise the practice of leaving home and say to the noblewomen, “Sisters, you may leave home.” The noblewomen said, “We are young, and our beauty is flourishing. Upholding the precepts is difficult; we might break them.” The nun said, “If you break the precepts, then let them be broken; just leave home.” They asked, “Breaking the precepts entails falling into hell; how could one break them?” She answered, “If you fall into hell, then let yourself fall.” The noblewomen laughed at her and said, “Suffering punishment in hell—how could one fall into that?” The nun said, “I recall that in a past life I was an actress. Wearing various costumes, I spoke frivolous words, and sometimes I put on a nun’s robe as a joke. Through this causal condition, in the era of Kāśyapa Buddha, I became a nun. Relying on my noble lineage and beauty, arrogance arose in my mind, and I broke the prohibitive precepts. Consequently, I fell into hell and suffered various punishments. When that punishment was ended, I encountered Śākyamuni Buddha, left home, and attained the path of an arhat. Thus, even if one breaks the precepts, one may still attain the fruit of the path.” Furthermore, once when the Buddha was at Jetavana, an intoxicated brahmin came to where the Buddha was and asked to become a monk. The Buddha instructed Ānanda to shave his head and dress him in the Dharma robes. Once the intoxication wore off, he was startled and terrified to find that he had suddenly become a monk, and immediately ran away. The monks asked the Buddha, “Why did you allow this drunk brahmin to become a monk?” The Buddha said, “For immeasurable kalpas, this brahmin had no intention of leaving home whatsoever. Now, due to drunkenness, he temporarily gave rise to a slight inclination. Because of this causal condition, he will later leave home and attain the path.” Through various causal conditions such as these, the benefits and merits of leaving home are limitless. For this reason, although a layperson may observe the five precepts, it does not equal the great merit of leaving home.