諸經要集 10.49

10.49

如優婆塞戒經云。若施畜生得百倍報。施破戒者得千倍報。施持戒者得十萬倍報。施外道離欲人得百萬報。施向道者得千億報。施須陀洹得無量報。向斯陀含亦無量報。乃至成佛亦無量報。我今為汝。分別諸福田故作是說。若能至心生大憐愍施於畜生。專心恭敬施於諸佛。其福正等無有差別。言百倍者。得如願壽命色力安辯。施於彼者。施主後得壽命色力安樂辯才。各各百倍。乃至無量亦復如是。故我於契經中說。我施舍利弗。舍利弗亦施於我。然我得多非舍利弗得福多也。或有人說。受者作惡。罪及施主是義不然。何以故。施主施時為破彼苦。非為作罪。是故施主應得善果。受者作惡罪自鍾已。不及施主。問若施聖人得福多者。云何經說。智人行施不簡福田。答今釋此意義有多途。明能施之人有愚智之別。所施之境有悲敬之殊。悲是貧苦。敬是三寶。悲是田劣而心勝。敬是田勝而心劣。若取心勝施佛。則不如施貧。故像法決疑經云。有諸眾生。見他聚集作諸福業。但求名聞。傾家財物以用布施。及見貧窮孤獨。呵罵驅出不濟一毫。如此眾生名為顛倒作善。癡狂修福名為不正作福。如此人等甚可憐愍。用財甚多獲福甚少。善男子。我於一時告諸大眾。若人於阿僧祇。身供養十方諸佛并諸菩薩及聲聞眾。不如有人施畜生一口飲食。其福勝彼百千萬倍無量無邊。乃至施與餓狗蟻子等。悲田最勝。

As the *Upāsaka-śīla-sūtra* states: Giving to an animal yields a hundredfold reward; giving to a precept-breaker yields a thousandfold reward; giving to one who upholds the precepts yields a hundred-thousandfold reward; giving to an outsider who has abandoned desire yields a millionfold reward; giving to one directed toward the Path yields a hundred-billionfold reward; giving to a srotāpanna yields an immeasurable reward; giving to one directed toward the sakṛdāgāmin likewise yields an immeasurable reward; up to attaining Buddhahood, it likewise yields an immeasurable reward. I have now spoken thus for your sake in order to distinguish the various fields of merit. If one can, with an earnest mind, give birth to great compassion and give to an animal, or with focused mind and reverence give to the Buddhas, their merit is exactly equal and without difference. As for the 'hundredfold', one obtains lifespan, physical complexion, strength, ease, and eloquence as wished; the donor who gives to them will later obtain lifespan, physical complexion, ease, and eloquence, each a hundredfold; and so forth up to the immeasurable, which is likewise so. Therefore, I said in a sūtra: 'I gave to Śāriputra, and Śāriputra also gave to me; yet I obtained much, whereas Śāriputra did not obtain much merit.' Some people say: 'If the recipient does evil, the sin extends to the donor.' This principle is incorrect. Why is that? When the donor gave, it was to dispel that person's suffering, not to commit sin. Therefore, the donor should obtain good fruits; if the recipient commits evil, the sin collects upon themselves alone, and does not reach the donor. Question: If giving to sages yields much merit, why do the sūtras say that a wise person in practicing dāna does not discriminate between fields of merit? Answer: Now to explain this principle, there are multiple avenues. This clarifies that the person capable of giving has the distinction of foolish and wise, and the object of giving has the distinction of compassion and reverence. Compassion is for the poor and suffering; reverence is for the Triratna. With compassion, the field is inferior while the mind is superior; with reverence, the field is superior while the mind is inferior. If we take superiority of mind, giving to the Buddha is not as good as giving to the poor. Therefore the *Xiangfa jueyi jing* states: There are sentient beings who see others gather to perform meritorious deeds, yet seeking only renown, they exhaust their household wealth to give dāna; but when they see the impoverished, orphaned, and solitary, they scold them and drive them out, not helping by a single hair. Such sentient beings are called those who perform goodness topsy-turvy, cultivating merit in foolish madness; this is called improperly creating merit. Such people are deeply pitiable; spending much wealth, they obtain very little merit. Good sons, I once told the great assembly: If someone for an asaṃkhyeya of lifetimes were to make offerings to the Buddhas of the ten directions together with bodhisattvas and the śrāvaka assembly, it would not be as good as someone giving a single mouthful of food or drink to an animal. Their merit would surpass the former by a hundred thousand myriad times, immeasurably and boundlessly. Even down to giving to hungry dogs, ants, and the like, the field of compassion is the most supreme.