翻譯名義集 7.70

7.70

[Saṃbhatta]: This is the procedure of chanting for equal offering of meals. The Jigui zhuan says: "Saṃprahāta was anciently corrupted as saṃbhatta." The King Brahmāya Sūtra says: "Those who wish to give food should all do so equally, regardless of great or small. Thereupon the Buddha ordered Ānanda to chant saṃbhatta before meals. Saṃbhatta means that the food for the Saṅgha is entirely equal." The Alaṅkāra-śāstra says: "It explains that the elder Śrīgupta, receiving the bidding of non-Buddhists, mixed poison into food and invited the Buddha and the Saṅgha. Knowing this, the Buddha ordered Ānanda to chant saṃbhatta; only after the chant was completed did they eat, and once chanted, the poison dispersed." The Shishi chao says: "Moreover, the Saṅgha's food is universally shared across the ten directions; when others take their share, one should in principle rejoice with them. Yet human feelings are jealous and narrow, and people's intentions are unequal. Some even close their gates to obstruct visiting monks; is this not foolish! How could the original intent of striking the bell ever be like that? Having left household life to abandon attachment, one especially should not act thus. Merely on account of a frail and brittle body, they are unable to steadfastly protect the True Dharma; for the sake of a floating, illusory life, they are unwilling to share the Saṅgha's food far and wide. They violate the teachings of the Buddhas, diminish the merit of the dānapatis, wound the feelings of the assembly at the time, and block the road for monks of the ten directions. Passing on this error to later generations, the ruin caused is far-reaching! To correct past delusions and return to the Way, would that not be good? (Greedily keeping food to eat alone is the karma of hungry ghosts!) Someone may ask: 'The Saṅgha's provisions are limited, while outside guests are endless. If one uses limited food to provide for endless monks, the matter will surely fail.' I answer: 'This is merely the shallow calculation of the vulgar and the short-sighted worry of petty persons; how could it be called the deep understanding of pure wisdom or the lofty vision of an enlightened person? The offerings of the four requisites and the field of merit of the Three Jewels are like the growth of heaven and earth, and the bounty of mountains and seas—how could they ever be exhausted? Thus the Buddhapiṭaka-sūtra says: "You should single-mindedly practice the Way, following the practice of the Dharma; do not fret over necessary food and clothing. Even a single portion from the Tathāgata's white curl (ūrṇā) could provide for all disciples who have left household life, and yet never be exhausted." From this it is clear: if one diligently cultivates moral precepts, protects the Dharma with utmost sincerity, obtains benefit through the Way, and uses it universally according to the Way, then with every monastery opening its gates and every place sharing meals, provisions will certainly be sufficient, and decisively there will be no lack.' Whenever receiving food, one should engage in the five contemplations: first, to calculate the amount of labour and measure where it comes from (The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: 'Furthermore, contemplate this food: tilling, planting, weeding, harvesting, threshing, hulling, grinding, winnowing, and cooking before it is complete—the labour expended is extremely heavy. Calculating a single bowl of rice, the labourers' sweat, if gathered and measured, would exceed the amount of food. The labour of making this food is heavy, and the hardship is like this. Entering the mouth and eaten, it immediately becomes impure, with nothing of value left; in a day and a night, it turns into feces and urine. What was originally delicious food craved by people turns into foul impurity that one hates and does not wish to see. The practitioner contemplates: "If I greedily attach to such vile food, I shall fall into hell to swallow burning iron balls. Emerging from hell, I will be born as an animal—an ox, sheep, or camel—to repay past debts; or become a pig or dog, always eating filth and dung." When contemplating food like this, thoughts of revulsion arise.'); second, to assess one's own virtuous conduct, whether complete or deficient, abundant or lacking; third, to guard the mind against overt faults, not exceeding the three poisons; fourth, to treat it properly as good medicine, taken to rescue the body from suffering; fifth, to accept it for the sake of accomplishing the path of the Way, not for worldly retribution. The Shishi chao says: "Food should not exceed three spoonfuls: the first spoonful to cut off all evil; the middle spoonful to cultivate all good; the last spoonful to deliver all sentient beings." The Ekottarika-āgama says: "Eating much leads to suffering and disease; eating little causes qi and strength to decline; one who eats moderately is like a scale with neither high nor low."