法苑珠林 42.10

42.10

The commentary says: Nowadays we see that many families hosting vegetarian feasts do not act according to the Dharma, but merely arrange things following human sentiments. Ordinary people show no concern at all for the Buddha and the holy saṃgha. As the aforementioned sūtra states, the dānapati must first sweep and sprinkle the Buddha hall and arrange the seat for the holy saṃgha in advance, bathe to purify their bodies, burn supreme fine incense, hang silk banners and canopies, and scatter diverse flowers. Holding an incense burner in their hands with utmost sincerity and reverent devotion, they should invite the Three Jewels and the holy saṃgha. All the holy and the ordinary throughout the dharma-realms of the ten directions should also be invited universally: 'Accept the invitation of your disciples; condescend with your holy presence to visit our residence.' Young and old throughout the whole family should unite in devotion, arousing this earnest mindset seven days in advance. If it is a poor household that lacks fine incense and flowers, and also has no place to accommodate them, they must then deliberate as the occasion arises. Before the saṃgha sits, they should first arrange the Buddha's seat in a fine, superior spot, sweeping and sprinkling according to the Dharma. Next, in a fine spot, they should arrange the seat for the holy saṃgha, spreading soft, newly purified white items, with cloth and cotton wool on top. If the dānapati's mind is earnest and evokes a response, after the meal is finished, upon observing what resembles the place where someone has sat, one knows that the saṃbhogakāya has arrived to accept the invitation. If no sign appears, only the nirmāṇakāya has come. If there is utter disrespect, neither the saṃbhoga- nor the nirmāṇakāya will arrive. On that seat, one must not place painted patterns, brocades, damasks, silks, miscellaneous gold and silver ornaments, or scatter flowers upon it. Although he is an arhat, he nonetheless shares with ordinary monks the reception of the two hundred and fifty prātimokṣa precepts; for this reason, he does not accept miscellaneous patterned fabrics, gold, silver, and other such things. If it were the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and persons of the Mahāyāna who are not limited to the appearance of renunciants, they would therefore be able to accept all kinds of offerings. Setting up the holy saṃgha's seat and presenting food likewise must not exceed one foot six inches in height; at one foot six inches or lower, it is an appropriate monastic seat according to the Dharma and is permissible. One also must not make a sculpted image of the holy saṃgha and place it on the seat. If the saṃbhogakāya should come in person, how could he push aside the sculpted image to sit down? Furthermore, one must not bring the permanent monastic vessels of the monastery to hold food, for fear that if the saṃbhogakāya comes, it would not do to touch the pure vessels of the saṃgha to eat. If one uses alms bowls and secular platters and vessels to make offerings, this accommodates both the nirmāṇakāya and saṃbhogakāya, which is most in accordance with the Dharma. If there are funds dedicated to the holy saṃgha, they must be used solely for the holy saṃgha, to purchase alms bowls, spoons, chopsticks, bronze bowls, and hand towels, and to buy superior platters and utensils, inscribing them on the back with vermilion characters to mark them so that other people dare not use them mixed with other things. Daily, following the family's ordinary meals, each morning and noon food should be served and constantly offered to the Buddha and the saṃgha—is this not a good deed? If there are surplus funds, purchase a camp bed and an oilcloth; after eating, wash clean with soap bean powder, place it on the camp bed, and cover it with an oiled napkin. Doing so daily symbolizes making offerings to the Three Jewels; when the mind is constantly uninterrupted, one attains great merit. If one obtains substantial funds, then following the method of the temples of the Western regions and the vacant, quiet, superior places of lay houses, build a chamber and hall for the holy saṃgha, arranging items to make offerings according to the four seasons of winter and summer. If in summer, inside the hall daily spread fine, clean mats, underblankets, bronze basins, bronze flasks, soap bean powder, and clean towels; when noon approaches, also present food and drink; in the night, light lamps and burn incense, making offerings according to the Dharma in line with one's intent and capacity. When the cold of winter arrives, provide quilts, thick capes, felt rugs, charcoal fires, hot water, and lamps, making offerings according to the season. Even if there are surplus funds and goods for the holy saṃgha, they must not be diverted to the use of individual monks or even the permanent saṃgha, nor may they be diverted to the use of the Buddha or the Dharma, nor may one make images of other holy monks. I have frequently seen people solicit funds for the holy saṃgha to paint Buddha figures and paint images of holy monks such as Kāśyapa and Ānanda on the four walls. Because the holy person Piṇḍola the Arhat is presently living and has not entered nirvāṇa, since one has not received the holy monk's instructions regarding actions and cessations, how could one interchange them and carelessly divert them to other uses? If one uses them for oneself, one must repay double; failing to repay incurs sin. Therefore, the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya states: 'If promised for this place, it cannot be used in another place; doing so incurs an offense.' (Just like one's own property, if another person takes it for other purposes without asking, how could that be permissible?) What has been narrated above is all recorded in accordance with the sūtras, the vinaya, and the holy intent, and must not fail to be put into practice. The property of the Three Jewels is momentous and must not be interchanged; fear lest 'a miss by a hair's breadth leads to a loss of a thousand miles.' The true words have not fallen away; examine oneself and put them into practice. Thus during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Liang, the eminent virtuous monks and brilliant scholars of the Han lands together invited a tripiṭaka master of the Western regions to compile the liturgical practices for the holy saṃgha, translating them in five fascicles; what was described previously is also the same as this.