法苑珠林 74.17

74.17

Furthermore, the Ratnarāśi-sūtra says: 'The Buddha addressed Kāśyapa: "I permit two kinds of monks to manage community affairs. What are the two? First, those capable of purely upholding the precepts; second, those who fear the future world as if it were a vajra. There are another two kinds. What are the two? First, those who recognize and understand karmic retribution; second, those who possess various senses of shame, conscience, and repentance. There are another two kinds. What are the two? First, arhats; second, those capable of practicing the eight liberations. Monks of these two kinds I permit to manage affairs: free from blemish themselves, they are able to protect the minds of others." Because this matter is difficult, he addressed Kāśyapa: "Within the Buddha's Dharma there are various renunciants, various clans, various minds, various liberations, and various severances of fetters. There are those in the araṇya, those who beg for food, those who delight in dwelling in mountain forests, those who delight in staying near settlements while purely upholding the precepts, those capable of leaving behind the four yokes, those who diligently cultivate extensive learning, those who eloquently explain the dharmas, those who excel at upholding the Vinaya, those who excel at maintaining the Vinaya's ceremonial decorum, and those who travel among cities and settlements to preach the Dharma for people. For there being such various monks of the Saṃgha, the monk who manages affairs must skillfully grasp the mental characteristics of such people."
'Therefore the sūtra says: "That monk who manages affairs ought to distinguish: property of the permanent Saṃgha must not be given to the Saṃgha of the four directions (cāturdiśa-saṃgha), and property of the Saṃgha of the four directions must not be given to the permanent Saṃgha." (These two kinds of property must not be mutually exchanged.) "Property of the permanent Saṃgha and property of the Saṃgha of the four directions should not be mixed with the property of the Buddha." (Property of the Buddha also must not be mixed with the two.) "If the property of the permanent Saṃgha is plentiful and the Saṃgha of the four directions has a need, the monk who manages affairs should assemble the Saṃgha, distribute tally sticks, and solicit consent. If the Saṃgha is in harmony, one should distribute property of the permanent Saṃgha to give to the Saṃgha of the four directions. If the Tathāgata's stūpa has a need or is about to fall into ruin, and either the property of the permanent Saṃgha or the property of the Saṃgha of the four directions is plentiful, the monk who manages affairs should assemble the Saṃgha, distribute tally sticks, and solicit consent, speaking thus: 'This stūpa of the Buddha is ruined and now has a need. This property of the permanent Saṃgha or property of the Saṃgha of the four directions is plentiful. May the venerable Saṃgha listen! If the time has arrived for the Saṃgha, and the Saṃgha is patient to listen: if the Saṃgha does not begrudge the donated property received, whether property of the permanent Saṃgha or property of the Saṃgha of the four directions, I shall now take it and use it to repair the Buddha's stūpa.' If the Saṃgha is not in harmony, the monk who manages affairs should exhort laypeople, seeking wealth from them to repair the Buddha's stūpa. If the property of the Buddha is plentiful, it must not be divided and given to the permanent Saṃgha or the Saṃgha of the four directions. Why is this? Toward this property one ought to give rise to the perception of the World-Honoured One. Even a single thread belonging to the Buddha was donated to the Buddha by a donor with a faithful mind. Therefore, the devas and people of the world ought to give rise to the perception of the Buddha's stūpa toward this property, how much more so toward precious items! Even if it would be left in the Buddha's stūpa to be blown by the wind, rotted by the rain, and completely destroyed, one should not trade these robes for precious items. Why is this? For the property of the Tathāgata's stūpa, there is no one who can set a price on it; moreover, the Buddha has no needs. As for such a person who manages affairs, they should not cause the property of the Three Jewels to become mixed. Because using it in a mixed way by oneself brings great painful retribution: whether undergoing it for one kalpa, or exceeding one kalpa, because of encroaching upon the property of the Three Jewels."
'Furthermore, the Ratnarāśi-sūtra says: The Buddha said, "If a monk managing affairs gives rise to anger and, toward venerable persons who uphold the precepts, drives and employs them at will, he will therefore fall into hell. If he obtains birth as a human, he will be a servant or slave, subjected to bitter labor by masters and beaten by others. Furthermore, if a monk managing affairs, acting at will, institutes heavy restrictions exceeding the Saṃgha's regular limits, punishes monks, and compels them to work at improper times, because of this unwholesome root he will fall into the Minor Hell of Many Nails. Having been born therein, his body will be pierced and pinned with hundreds of thousands of nails, his body blazing like a great mass of fire. Furthermore, if a monk managing affairs intimidates those of great virtue who uphold the precepts with grave matters and speaks with an angry mind, he will be born in hell. The tongue he obtains will be five hundred yojanas long, and with hundreds of thousands of nails his tongue will be pinned, with a great flame issuing from every single nail. Furthermore, if a monk managing affairs repeatedly obtains Saṃgha property and stingily hoards it, either giving it to the Saṃgha at an improper time, or making it difficult to give, or giving it grudgingly, or giving little, or not giving it, or giving to some and not to others, because of this unwholesome root, there are foul hungry ghosts (pretas) who constantly eat balls of excrement, and when this person's life ends he will be born among them. For hundreds of thousands of years he will constantly fail to obtain food, or sometimes the food will transform into feces, or turn into pus and blood. Therefore, Kāśyapa, a monk managing affairs had rather eat his own flesh than ever mix and use the property of the Three Jewels to make robes, bowls, food, or drink."