法苑珠林 34.23

34.23

Fourth, 'mindfulness of the precepts': from the five precepts and ten precepts to the two hundred and fifty and five hundred precepts, all restrain body and speech, curbing all perversities and wrongs, gathering and controlling the six emotions, and severing all thoughts of desire. Being pure inside and out, one then accords with the nature of precepts. Formerly, there were two monks travelling together to the Buddha's place. On their road they passed through a vast wilderness and were completely depleted of water. At that time there was a small pool of standing water full of insects. One monk contemplated deeply on the vinaya prohibitions, taking non-violation as foremost: 'If I drink this water, I will kill many living beings; I would rather preserve the precepts and lose my life.' Thereupon he died and was immediately born in heaven. The other monk thought to himself: 'Drinking the water will preserve my life so I can reach the Buddha's place; how can I know what destiny I will be born into after death?' He then drank the insect-filled water, causing much harm. Although he got to see the Buddha, he was very far from me [the Buddha]. Weeping before the Buddha, he related that his companion had died. The Buddha pointed to the heaven above, saying: 'Do you recognise this deva? This is your companion. Through the merit of preserving the precepts, he was immediately born in heaven and has now come here. Although you see me, you are exceedingly far from me. Although he lost his life, he is constantly by my side. You now see me and merely behold my physical form; how could you know the true precepts?' Therefore a sūtra says: 'The Prātimokṣa is your great teacher; if you can uphold the precepts and practice them continuously, that is the Tathāgata's Dharmakāya, constantly present and unextinguished.' Now, there are three kinds of precepts: first, worldly precepts; second, path precepts; third, meditative concentration precepts. The five, eight, ten, and full precepts are worldly precepts. The four truths of no outflows are path precepts. Samādhi and dhyāna reflection are meditative concentration precepts. Directing the precepts with wisdom to make them free of outflows accords with the path precepts. The precepts of the Śrāvaka are like flowers on the knees: if one moves, they scatter. The Bodhisattva's upholding of the precepts is like wearing flowers in one's hair: whether moving or resting, they do not stir. The Hīnayāna restrains physical form: if one moves, one breaches deportment. The Bodhisattva grasps the mind, not constrained by external regulations. The regulations of the Great and Small differ; therefore they are distinguished by physical form and mind. Although inner and outer differ, both arrive at nirvāṇa. Hence it is called 'mindfulness of the precepts.'