法苑珠林 46.16

46.16

Furthermore, the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra states: When one becomes a monk, all the various requisites of life that one obtains are given by faithful donors. Yet some beings either consume them themselves or give them to others, or conspire with a group to steal, conceal, and secretly use them in private. Due to such karma, they fall into the three evil destinies and endure intense suffering for a long time. Furthermore, there are beings who are poor, lowly, and unfree; they therefore go forth into the homeless life hoping to obtain wealth, liberation, peace, and happiness. Yet having gone forth, they become indolent and lazy, neither reading nor reciting the sūtras, abandoning vigorous practice of meditation and wisdom without cultivating them, and taking pleasure only in administering monastic affairs. Furthermore, there are monks who are diligent day and night, delighting in cultivating wholesome dharmas, reading and reciting the scriptures, and sitting in meditation to cultivate wisdom without relinquishing it for an instant. Because of this, they inspire the fourfold assembly to make various offerings. At that time, those in charge of monastic affairs, having obtained these offerings, either privately eat them themselves or steal and give them to acquaintances and laypeople. Because of such conditions, they remain for a long time in the evil destinies; emerging, they return again, being so foolish and blind that they do not see the gravity of future retributions. I now admonish and command my śramaṇa disciples to be mindful of maintaining the Dharma. They must not claim of themselves: ‘I am a śramaṇa, a true practitioner of the Dharma,’ and relying on the Saṃgha receive the offerings of faith from others—whether pastries, vegetables, fruits, or flowers—and, as long as it is food for the Saṃgha, casually give it to any layperson; nor must they say, ‘This is my own property,’ and eat it apart from the assembly. Furthermore, they must not stockpile the property of the Saṃgha, engage in business, or carry out various types of trade, claiming it is profitable while incurring worldly criticism and reproach. Nor must they sell high and buy low, competing for profit with the world. Nor must they, for the sake of food or Saṃgha affairs, cause living beings to fall into the three evil destinies. They must encourage, guide, and establish people in wholesome dharmas, causing the assembly of monks to have true faith in the Three Jewels, and gather in living beings up to one’s parents, causing them to attain peace and ease and establishing them in the three liberations.