諸經要集 4.28

4.28

Furthermore, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* (Zhidu lun) states: Those who have gone forth in the Buddha's Dharma, although they break the precepts and fall into sin, when the retribution for the sin is exhausted, they attain liberation. As is said in the *Jātaka of the Nun Utpalavarṇā*: When the Buddha was in the world, this nun attained the six supernormal knowledges and achieved the fruit of an arhat. Entering the households of the noble, she constantly praised the teaching of going forth, saying to the noblewomen: "Sisters, you may go forth." The noblewomen said: "We are young and vigorous, with lush and beautiful complexions. Upholding the precepts is difficult; we might perhaps break the precepts." The nun said: "If you break the precepts, then break them; just go forth." They asked, saying: "If one breaks the precepts, one will fall into hell; how can they be broken?" She replied, saying: "If you fall into hell, then fall." The noblewomen laughed at her and said: "One suffers punishment in hell; how could one fall into it?" The nun said: "I recall myself that in a past life I was an actress. Wearing various garments, I spoke miscellaneous words, and sometimes wore the robes of a nun as a playful jest. By these causes and conditions, at the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, I became a nun. Relying on my noble family and beauty, arrogance arose in my mind, and I broke the prohibitive precepts. Therefore, I fell into hell and suffered various punishments. When the retribution for sin was ended, I encountered Śākyamuni Buddha, went forth, and attained the path of an arhat. Although one breaks the precepts, one may still attain the fruit of the Way. Furthermore, when the Buddha was at the Jetavana, there was a drunken brāhmaṇa who came to the Buddha's place and sought to become a monk. The Buddha instructed Ānanda to shave his head and dress him in the Dharma robes. When the intoxication cleared, he was alarmed and terrified that his own body had suddenly become a monk, and he immediately ran away. The monks asked the Buddha: 'Why did you allow this drunken brāhmaṇa to become a monk?' The Buddha said: 'Throughout immeasurable kalpas, this brāhmaṇa had no mind to go forth at all. Now, because of intoxication, he temporarily gave rise to a slight thought [of it]. Through this cause and condition, he will in the future go forth and attain the Way.' Due to such various causes and conditions, the benefit and merit of going forth are immeasurable. For this reason, although the white-robed [laity] have the five precepts, their merit is not as great as that of going forth."