釋氏要覽 2.31

2.31

釋氏序長幼。即不以老少貴賤但取夏臘多少也○毘婆沙論云。比丘受大戒。名生在佛家。是故應禮先受戒者○十誦律云。佛言從今先受大戒乃至大須臾時。是人應先坐先受食等○月燈三昧經偈云。當問其夏臘。若是耆宿者。應供養恭敬頭面接足禮○梵網經云。若佛子應如法次第坐。先受戒者在前坐不貴老少貴賤莫如兵奴外道之法而菩薩一一不如法者。犯輕垢罪○大莊嚴經云。佛弟難陀有僕名優婆離。投佛出家受戒。後依僧次坐。王子難陀後至出家。次第作禮。至優波離前念。是我僕不當設禮。爾時佛告難陀言。佛法如海容納百川。皆同一味。但據受戒前後不在貴賤。四大假名為身。於中空寂。本無吾我。當思聖法。勿生憍慢。爾時難陀去自貢高便禮（此以受戒先後。不以尊卑。若法門弟姪之行。必須依服序之）。

Buddhists arrange seniority not by youth or age, noble or base, but solely by the number of summer retreats. ○ The Mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra states: When a bhikṣu receives the full precepts, it is called being born into the Buddha's household; therefore, one should pay homage to those who received the precepts earlier. ○ The Sarvāstivāda-vinaya states: The Buddha said, "From now on, one who received the full precepts earlier, even by a brief moment, should sit first, receive food first, and so forth." ○ A verse in the Candrapradīpa-samādhi-sūtra says: / One should inquire of their summer retreats; / if they are an elder, / one should make offerings, revere them, / and touch the head and face to their feet in homage. / ○ The Brahmā Net Sūtra states: If one is a disciple of the Buddha, one should sit in order according to the Dharma; those who received the precepts earlier sit in front, not honoring age or youth, noble or base, not like the methods of soldiers, slaves, or non-Buddhists; and if a bodhisattva fails to comply with the Dharma in any detail, they commit an offense of minor defilement. ○ The Mahālaṃkāra-śāstra states: The Buddha's younger brother Nanda had a servant named Upāli, who took refuge in the Buddha, went forth, and received the precepts, afterward sitting in the monastic order. Prince Nanda later arrived, went forth, and paid homage in sequence. Coming before Upāli, he thought, "He is my servant; I should not pay him homage." At that time, the Buddha told Nanda, "The Buddha-Dharma is like the ocean, which accommodates hundreds of rivers, all becoming of one taste. It is solely based on precedence of receiving the precepts, not on noble and base. The four great elements are provisionally named a body; within it is empty and tranquil, fundamentally devoid of self and mine. You should contemplate the noble Dharma and not give rise to arrogance." At that time, Nanda abandoned his self-conceit and thereupon paid homage. (This is based on the precedence of receiving precepts, not on noble and base. If within the lineage order of disciples and nephews, one must arrange them by robes.)