翻譯名義集 4.101

4.101

Varṣā (Vassa / Rains Retreat): Nanshan says: "Restraining body and mind in stillness is called *an* (tranquility); pledging to remain here for a set period is called *ju* (dwelling). Contemplating subtleties in a quiet place is the proper path of the Way. In principle, one must borrow the season to pursue merit and encourage one's mental practice, entrusting oneself to a place according to conditions, with one's aspiration solely honoring spiritual benefit, not permitting running about and distraction to disrupt the Way and hinder spiritual work. Therefore, the Vinaya generally establishes [retreats in] three seasons with the intention of securing the Way; yet the text specifically emphasizes the summer months out of regard for three faults: 1. Traveling about without cause, which hinders the cultivation of renunciation; 2. Harming living beings, which deeply violates compassion; 3. Since the conduct is improper, it incurs worldly censure. Because of these faults, the teaching arose here. While various purposes exist, the central aim is protecting life, for in the summer every square foot of earth is filled with insects. Thus the *Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra* says: 'In the summer, except for urination and defecation, one otherwise sits cross-legged.'" The *Shichao* asks: "Why enter retreat for only three months? First, physical life depends on bodily form, which necessarily requires material support; thus the first three months are bound for retreat, and the subsequent month is opened to accomplish the provision of clothing for the body. Second, if all four months were bound, then retreat would only succeed on the sixteenth day of the fourth month, and if there were any failure or omission, one could not enter retreat. The teaching would be too rigid and difficult to apply consistently. Therefore, the Tathāgata accommodated beings: starting from the sixteenth day up to the subsequent sixteenth day, he opened that one month to allow them to continue entering and succeed. Now regarding the summer, there are also three periods: the sixteenth day of the fourth month is the early retreat; from the seventeenth day onward up to the fifteenth day of the fifth month is the middle retreat; the sixteenth day of the fifth month is the late retreat. Thus in the Vinaya there are three kinds of retreat: early, middle, and late. The location must be free from five faults: 1. Too far from settlements, making necessities hard to obtain; 2. Too close to cities, hindering the practice of the Way; 3. Excessive distress from mosquitoes and ants, which bite people or whose lives are trampled and harmed; 4. Having no person to rely upon—a person who possesses five virtues: causing what is sought to be heard to be heard, purifying what has already been heard, resolving doubts, bringing about comprehension, and eliminating wrong views to attain right view; 5. Having no donor to provide food, drink, and medicines. Only without these five faults may one enter retreat." The *Chao* says: "Whenever requesting leave for days due to business, it must be because of an invitation by the Three Jewels that produces good and extinguishes evil, for which going is permitted; if the invitation is for material gain, is un-Dharmic concerning the Three Jewels, or involves breaking precepts or dangers, then even if leave is granted, it is invalid." The *Five Hundred Questions* says: "Taking a seven-day leave, if one returns to the original boundary in less than seven days and later travels again, one does not need to take leave again; only after the seven days are full must one take leave anew." The *Chao* says: "Even if the preceding business lasts only one day, all require the seven-day procedure. The Vinaya says: 'If unable to return on the same day, one is permitted to take a seven-day leave and depart; if only one day remains at the end of summer, one also performs the seven-day procedure.' The procedure for receiving leave face-to-face should follow proper decorum; facing a monk, one says: 'Venerable one, single-mindedly pay heed. I, monk so-and-so, now receive the seven-day rule to go outside the boundary for such-and-such a matter, and will return here to dwell in retreat' (recited three times). If the matter takes half a month or one month, only then should a karmavācanā be performed (the fourth fascicle above details the karmavācanā procedures). If there are many receiving days who receive for the same cause, two or three persons should receive a single karmavācanā together." The *Records of the Western Regions* states: "The country of Tokhāra—formerly mistakenly called Tuohuoluo—is bounded on the east by the Congling Mountains, borders Persia on the west, abuts the Great Snow Mountains on the south, and holds the Iron Gate on the north. The climate is warm and epidemics are numerous; in late winter and early spring, continuous rains follow one another. Hence the monastic saṅgha enters retreat on the sixteenth day of the twelfth month and dissolves retreat on the tenth day of the third month. This is based on its heavy rainfall and also reflects adapting the teaching to the seasons." It also says: "Monastic disciples in India, following the Buddha's holy teaching, sit in rains retreat during either the early three months or the late three months. The early three months corresponds here to from the sixteenth day of the fifth month to the fifteenth day of the eighth month; the late three months corresponds here to from the sixteenth day of the sixth month to the fifteenth day of the ninth month. Translators of sūtras and vinayas in previous generations sometimes called it 'sitting the summer' (zuoxia) or 'sitting the year' (zuola); these were all distant border customs that failed to understand the standard pronunciation of the Central Country (Madhyadeśa), or regional dialects not being harmonized, resulting in erroneous transmission and translation." It further states: "Monastic disciples in India, following the Buddha's holy teaching, all enter rains retreat on the first day of the first half of the month of Śrāvaṇa, which corresponds here to the sixteenth day of the fifth month; they dissolve the rains retreat on the fifteenth day of the second half of the month of Āśvayuja, which corresponds here to the fifteenth day of the eighth month. In India, month names are established according to constellations; unchanged from ancient to modern times, they do not differ among the various schools. It was truly because regional dialects were not harmonized and translations were erroneous that, in dividing the seasons and counting the months, these discrepancies arose." Thus, retreat is entered on the sixteenth day of the fourth month and dissolved on the fifteenth day of the seventh month.