諸經要集 14.16

14.16

Third is stealing by interchanging the use of property. As the Baoyin jing states: The two categories of property belonging to the Buddha and the Dharma must not be used interchangeably. This is because there is no owner to act on behalf of the Buddha's and Dharma's property, nor is there anyone to consult; unlike the property of the Saṅgha, whether of the resident saṅgha or the saṅgha of the four directions, where there are individuals to consult with one another. If one uses Saṅgha property to repair a stupa of the Buddha, it must be taken according to the Dharma: if the Saṅgha is in harmony, it may be used; if not in harmony, one should encourage laypeople to repair it. If there is property belonging to a stupa of the Buddha, even of one coin or more, because the donor relinquished it with a deeply reverent mind, devas and humans should produce the thought of the Buddha and the thought of the stupa toward this property. Even if it is blown by the wind and rots away, it must not be traded to make offerings, for no one may set a price on the property of the Tathāgata's stupa. Furthermore, the Shisong lü states: The Buddha permitted the monastic quarters and the Buddha stupa to keep servants as well as elephants, horses, cattle, sheep, and so forth, each having its respective owner, and they must not be used interchangeably. Furthermore, the Sengqi lü states: If there are many flowers offered to the Buddha, it is permitted to resell them to buy incense and lamps; if there is still an excess, resell them into inexhaustible wealth. Furthermore, the Oral Decisions on the Five Hundred Inquiries states: If there are many banners of the Buddha and one wishes to use them for other Buddha-affairs, it is permitted; if the donor does not allow it, it is not permitted. Furthermore, the Sifen lü states: Regarding food offered to a Buddha stupa, those who maintain the stupa may eat it. Furthermore, the Shanjian lun states: Regarding meals offered before the Buddha, a bhikṣu who attends to the Buddha may eat them; if there is no bhikṣu and a white-robed [layman] attends to the Buddha, he may also eat them. Furthermore, the Zuifu jueyi jing states: When first offering to the Buddha, the senior, middle, and junior seat-holders must instruct the white-robed [laypeople] to present it to the Buddha and the Saṅgha; after offering to the Buddha, it is not an offense to distribute it to the Saṅgha to eat. If not done thus, because one eats the Buddha's property, one will fall into the Avīci Hell for a thousand billion years. If the dānapati does not accept the master's instruction, he will also incur the aforesaid retribution; if born among humans, he will fall into a lowly station for nine million years. Why is this? Because no one can appraise the value of the Buddha's property. (In ordinary lay households holding vegetarian feasts or in monasteries, regarding the regular food of the two meal-times offered to the Buddha and the holy Saṅgha, if it is not restricted exclusively to the Buddha and Saṅgha, there is no need to ransom it; after the remaining food is formally announced, all may eat it. If the donor's intention was explicitly marked that the offered food is definitively for the Buddha and Saṅgha and not open to the white-robed, it should be ransomed before taking it to eat.) Or if a donor originally intended to make a Śākyamuni image but changes it to Amitābha; originally intended to produce the Large Prajñāpāramitā but changes it to supply the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra; originally intended to build monastic rooms but changes it to supply food for the Saṅgha; originally donated to the two assemblies but changes it to go to one assembly; originally intended for the ten directions but redirects it to the present Saṅgha; originally intended for the great assembly but redirects it to an individual; originally intended for the Saṅgha but redirects it to the white-robed—these all contravene the donor's intent. Counting the amount of money, reaching five coins constitutes a grave offense; less than five incurs a light offense. Therefore the Sifen lü states: Promising to this place and then giving to that place all incur offenses. (Determining the gravity of the offense is still weighed according to the prior donor's intention.) Following this text, if there are leftover paints from inspecting and decorating an image of the Buddha, they must not be used to fashion the forms of bodhisattvas, holy monks, and so on; because the statuses of master and disciple differ, they must not be used interchangeably. They may, however, be made into other adornments and brought back to offer to the Buddha without offense. If the donor's intention was open—a single tableau of Buddha images freely adorned with various images of monastics and laypeople, ordinary and holy beings, miscellaneous offerings, famous flowers, plants and trees, mountains, ponds, birds and beasts—and not restricted to the Buddha image, executing all of these incurs no offense. Thus the Five Hundred Inquiries states: Using paints of the Buddha to make the forms of birds and beasts incurs an offense, except when it is before the Buddha for the purpose of making offerings, in which case there is no offense. (I have often heard that monastics and laypeople in border regions do not understand the monastic precepts; although they have good intentions to manage affairs for the Triratna, they indulge their own ordinary sentiments and use the property of the Triratna interchangeably, even taking the holy coins from a vegetarian feast either for personal use, or entering them into the resident saṅgha, or making Buddha images, or painting images of Kāśyapa, Ānanda, and others on walls. None of this is permissible and incurs an offense, as detailed in the chapter on 'Receiving Invitations' above. Question: Nowadays at feasts there are Buddha-coins; into what use may these coins be directed? Answer: If the donor's original mind was definitively to make images, it is just like the preceding text on interchangeable use: they may only be used to make Buddhas and not for other purposes. If, as in today's feast households, after ordinary monks have eaten, they produce coins broadly for the Buddha and Saṅgha without the donor specifically designating or restricting them, one may freely take them to buy incense, purchase oil, make banners, construct Buddha halls, and make various offerings to the Buddha; to use them thus is entirely permissible. But they must not enter into use for the scriptures, the Saṅgha, or individuals. The above brief explanation is entirely judged according to the texts of sūtras and vinayas, not human sentiment. If one does not act according to the Dharma, one conversely incurs the offense of ignorance and failing to study. For anything not exhaustively stated here, see the detailed explanation in the ten-fascicle Vinaya Commentary for Monks and Nuns. Hence we know that superintending the Triratna is a momentous matter, not a light one. Unless one clearly understands the monastic precepts, deeply believes in cause and effect, exercises caution in mind, fears the karmic paths, is constantly diligent in mindfulness, and does not yield to human sentiment, only such a person is competent to act as a rector (karmadāna) or administrator; others should not do so.) Furthermore, the Baoliang jing states: The Buddha told Kāśyapa: 'I permit two kinds of bhikṣus to manage the affairs of the assembly. What are the two? First, those who can purely uphold the precepts; second, those who fear the future world, like adamantine (vajra). There are another two kinds. What are the two? First, those who recognize and understand karmic retribution; second, those who have shame, conscience, and repentance. There are another two kinds. What are the two? First, arhats; second, those who can cultivate the eight liberations (aṣṭa vimokṣāḥ). Such two kinds of bhikṣus I permit to manage affairs; being free of flaws themselves, they can protect others.' Because this matter is difficult, he told Kāśyapa: 'Within the Buddha's Dharma, there are diverse kinds of pravrajyā, diverse clans, diverse minds, diverse liberations, and diverse severings of fetters. There are those in araṇya, those who beg for food, those who delight in dwelling in mountain forests, those who delight in being near settlements while purely upholding the precepts, those who can abandon the four yokes, those who diligently cultivate extensive learning, those who eloquently explain all dharmas, those who well uphold the monastic precepts, those who well uphold the vinaya rites and deportment, and those who travel through cities, towns, and settlements preaching the Dharma for people. To such various bhikṣus of the Saṅgha, the bhikṣu managing affairs must skillfully grasp these people's thoughts.' Therefore the sūtra states: 'That bhikṣu managing affairs should differentiate: property of the resident saṅgha must not be given to the saṅgha of the four directions; property of the saṅgha of the four directions must not be given to the resident saṅgha (these two kinds of property must not be used interchangeably). Property of the resident saṅgha and property of the saṅgha of the four directions must not be mixed together with the property of the Buddha (the Buddha's property must also not be mixed together with these two properties). If property of the resident saṅgha is abundant and the saṅgha of the four directions has a need, the bhikṣu managing affairs should assemble the Saṅgha, distribute voting tallies (śalākā), and solicit their consent (chanda). If the Saṅgha is in harmony, he should take property of the resident saṅgha and share it with the saṅgha of the four directions. If the stupa of the Tathāgata has a need or is falling into ruin, and if property of either the resident saṅgha or the saṅgha of the four directions is abundant, the bhikṣu managing affairs should assemble the Saṅgha, distribute voting tallies, and solicit their consent, speaking thus: "This Buddha stupa is ruined and now has a need. Property of this resident saṅgha or saṅgha of the four directions is abundant. Let the venerable Saṅgha listen! If the time has arrived for the Saṅgha, may the Saṅgha give permission: if the Saṅgha does not begrudge the donated property received, whether of the resident saṅgha or the saṅgha of the four directions, I shall now take and use it to repair the Buddha stupa." If the Saṅgha is not in harmony, the bhikṣu managing affairs should encourage and convert laypeople, seeking wealth from them to repair the Buddha stupa. If the property of the Buddha is abundant, it must not be divided and given to the resident saṅgha or the saṅgha of the four directions. Why is this? Toward this property one should produce the thought of the Bhagavat. Property belonging to the Buddha, even down to a single thread, was donated to the Buddha by donors with a faithful mind. Therefore devas and worldly people produce the thought of the Buddha stupa toward this property, let alone toward precious items! If in a Buddha stupa, it would be better to let the wind blow and rain rot it until completely destroyed; one must not trade these robes for precious items. Why is this? Because no one can set a price on property of the Tathāgata's stupa, and also because the Buddha has no needs. In this way, managers of affairs must not cause the property of the Triratna to be mixed. By mixing and using it themselves, they will receive great suffering retribution, whether for one kalpa or exceeding one kalpa, because of encroaching upon the property of the Triratna.'