法苑珠林 79.15

79.15

The Satyaka-nirgrantha-sūtra also states: "Formerly, when the Buddha was in the world, in the city of Ujjayinī there was King Pradyota. He asked Satyaka Nirgrantha, saying: 'If there is an evil person who does not believe in the Three Jewels, who burns down stūpas, monasteries, scriptures, and images, and reviles them with harsh words, saying that those who make them have no merit, and that those who make offerings to them waste what they have in the present and gain no benefit in the future; or who dislikes stūpas, monasteries, and various images as obstructing a location, so destroys, eradicates, and moves them elsewhere; or destroys the chambers and cave dwellings of śramaṇas; or takes the property of the Buddha, the property of the Dharma, the property of the Saṅgha, [such as] orchards, fields, houses, elephants, horses, carriages, male and female servants, the six domestic animals, clothing, food, drink, and all precious treasures; or seizes śramaṇas, subjecting them to forced labour and driving them as servants, demanding taxes and levies from them, and forcing them to return to lay life; or at times treats them with frivolous contempt, mocking them in various ways; or at times insults, scolds, and slanders them; or beats them with sticks with his own hands; or injures their bodies in various ways—among which class of sentient beings is such an evil person included?' [Satyaka] answered, saying: 'Great King, he is included in the class of evilly rebellious sentient beings. The Great King should punish his crime with the highest penalty. Why is this? Because he has committed fundamental, extremely grave offenses. There are five kinds of offenses called fundamental. What are the five? First, destroying stūpas and monasteries, burning scriptures and images, and taking the property of the Three Jewels—whether committing this oneself, instructing others to do so, or rejoicing when seeing it done: this is called the first fundamental grave offense. Second, slandering the Dharma of the three vehicles, reviling it, obstructing it, concealing it, and covering it up: this is called the second fundamental grave offense. Third, if there is a śramaṇa who with a faithful mind has gone forth, shaving off beard and hair and wearing the kāṣāya robe on his body, whether he keeps the precepts or does not keep the precepts, [if someone] locks him in prison, fetters, beats, and binds him, subjects him to forced labour and drives him as a servant, demands various taxes and levies from him, or strips off his kāṣāya robe to force him back to lay life, or cuts off his life: this is called the third fundamental grave offense. Fourth, among the five rebellious offenses, if one commits any single one: this is called the fourth fundamental grave offense. Fifth, slandering and denying all karmic retribution of good and evil deeds, constantly practicing the ten unwholesome actions through the long night [of saṃsāra], having no fear of future lives, committing them oneself and instructing others, and clinging obstinately without abandoning them: this is called the fifth fundamental grave offense. If one commits such fundamental grave offenses and does not repent of them, they will decisively incinerate all roots of goodness, and he will go to the great hell to undergo the sufferings of Avīci with no time of release. If there are such evil persons in a kingdom who destroy the Three Jewels, all arhats, buddhas, and sages will depart and leave the kingdom; the devas will weep; the good spirits will not offer protection; people will kill one another; bandits will arise from the four quarters; the dragon kings will hide away; water and drought will be unseasonable; wind and rain will miss their proper times; the five grains will not ripen; the people will starve and devour one another; white bones will fill the fields; epidemics will multiply; and those who die will be countless. The people will not know to reflect upon these faults of their own, but will instead resent the devas and the good terrestrial spirits.' The Sūtra on the Samādhi of Contemplating the Buddha also states: 'There are seven kinds of grave offenses, each of which can cause sentient beings to fall into the Avīci hell for eighty-four thousand mahākalpas: first, not believing in cause and effect; second, slandering and denying the buddhas of the ten directions; third, cutting off the study of prajñā; fourth, committing the four pārājika offenses and eating the offerings of the faithful in vain; fifth, misusing the property of the Saṅgha; sixth, coercing and raping a bhikṣuṇī of pure conduct; and seventh, committing impure conduct with any of the six close relations.'