翻譯名義集 4.102

4.102

[Pravāraṇā (鉢剌婆剌拏)] The Yinyi zhigui says: "Translated as 'at will' (suiyi)." The Records of the Western Seas Sent Home says: "At the conclusion of the summer retreat and the end of the year, this day should be called 'at will'—that is, allowing others, among three matters, to point out at will and declare transgressions to remove offenses. The old rendering zici ('unrestricted confession') is a semantic translation." However, the expression zici can refer to both good and evil; here it is restricted to the good. Hence the Shichao says: "Cultivating the Way for ninety days thoroughly tempers body and mind. People are often blind to themselves and do not see their own faults; by principle, one should rely on the pure assembly to extend compassion and offer instruction. Giving free rein to declare one's own faults and permitting the saṅgha to point out errors, one internally reveals that there is nothing selfishly concealed and externally shows where flaws lie. Entrusting one's body and speech to others is why it is called zici." The Mātṛkā-śāstra says: "Why is pravāraṇā instituted? So that the bhikṣus are not left isolated; so that each recalls faults and openly confesses transgressions; so that through harsh words they are disciplined and attain purity; and because one's mind rejoices at being faultless. As for why it is prescribed at the end of the summer: at the beginning of the summer they first assemble with an agreed pact, establishing an undertaking for ninety days to cultivate renunciation together. If they were to point out [faults] against each other beforehand, it is feared that enmity and dispute would arise, spreading among them, thereby abandoning the Way and disrupting religious work. The reason it is instituted at the end of the summer is that after three months of intensive cultivation, having dwelled together advancing in their practice, the time ends and they bid farewell, each going off in their own direction. If there have been evil deeds, one would not declare them alone; deep faults that obstruct the Way must not be covered up by principle, hence one must request instruction—the true reason lies here." Therefore the Vinaya permits pravāraṇā after the conclusion of the retreat; this means speaking oneself to permit others to point out transgressions, not acting licentiously to do evil. As for the earlier explanation of timing: if there is an intercalary month, one observes the retreat according to the intercalary month and performs pravāraṇā on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. If not observing the intercalary month, then according to the Mātṛkā, one performs pravāraṇā upon completing ninety days. If there is an intercalary seventh month, one takes the preceding month for pravāraṇā. If one does not observe the earlier summer retreat, after the intercalary month passes, one completes ninety days and performs pravāraṇā. If one cultivates the Way in peace and comfort and extends the days of pravāraṇā, one may extend up to the fifteenth day of the eighth month. Yet the Vinaya specifies only pravāraṇā on the fourteenth and fifteenth days. When it comes to the distribution of robes, through progressive increase, pravāraṇā is on the sixteenth day; in an increase of three, pravāraṇā is over three days. The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya says: "Upon concluding the retreat, performing pravāraṇā is fixed on the sixteenth day of the seventh month." The Vinaya also says: "The monks perform pravāraṇā on the fourteenth day and the nuns on the fifteenth day; this refers to inquiring into offenses in reliance on one another, hence different days are established." When it comes to performing the ritual, the three days are used interchangeably. Strictly fixing a single period, the sixteenth day is determined. If there are difficulties, as in the Five Hundred Questions, pravāraṇā may be observed for one month. The Shichao asks: "After performing pravāraṇā on the fifteenth day, may one go beyond the boundary?" Answer: "One may not break the retreat and leave the robes, because the nighttime portion has not yet ended." Question: "Having observed the retreat within this boundary, may one perform pravāraṇā elsewhere?" Answer: "According to the Mahāsāṃghika, one may not; it incurs an offense." The Retreat Chapter also says: "If binding the retreat on the sixteenth day of the fourth month, reaching the end of the night of the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the summer is called concluded when the morning light appears." The Dharmaguptaka also says: "If a person in the later retreat performs pravāraṇā alongside those in the earlier retreat, they must remain until their days are complete." The Shichao asks: "After completing pravāraṇā, may the precepts be recited?" Answer: "According to the Vinītadeva-vyākhyā, first recite the precepts, and then perform pravāraṇā." The Dharmaguptaka says: "Pravāraṇā is itself the recitation of the precepts." Question: "May pravāraṇā be performed before those who have not received full ordination?" Answer: "The Vinaya directs them to go to a place out of sight and hearing to perform the karmavācanā for pravāraṇā. If they refuse to leave, the saṅgha itself goes to a place out of sight and hearing to perform it." Question: "After the retreat ends, must one leave the original place?" Answer: "Not leaving after the retreat ends incurs an offense." The Vinayamātṛkā says: "After the bhikṣus finish the retreat, they should move elsewhere. If there is an impediment and they cannot leave, it is not an offense. If there is no impediment, going outside the boundary for one night and returning incurs no offense." The Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra says: "After my nirvāṇa, preceptless bhikṣus will fill Jambudvīpa; those who wish to leave home should examine and supervise them." The Zhihua chao says: "Across the sūtras and vinayas, the sixteenth day of the seventh month is the year in which the bhikṣu's fivefold dharmakāya is born. Thus the fifteenth day of the seventh month is the conclusion of the retreat year (la). When bhikṣus leave the secular world, they do not calculate by secular years, but count retreat years (xia la)." Zenghui says: "La means connection; it refers to the meeting of the new and the old."