翻譯名義集 7.71

7.71

[Poṣadha] In Chinese, this means "fasting day" (upavasatha/poṣadha). The Commentary on the Qing Guanyin jing says: "Fasting (zhai) means aligning (qi); it aligns the actions of body and speech. Aligning is simply the Middle Way. Not eating after noon represents that outside the realm of phenomena (dharmadhātu) of the Middle Way, there is no other phenomenon. Being permitted to eat before noon, though it is not the exact midday, clearly represents the prior expedient means: within the semblance of the path, realization can be attained, hence one is permitted to eat. It also represents that outside the realm of phenomena of the Middle Way there are phenomena." The Chanyi quotes the Jitong saying: "The word 'fast' (zhai) means 'to align' (qi); it means to align the unaligned in order to attain fasting. Therefore, unless there is a great event or an occasion of reverence, the noble person does not fast. If one does not fast, one does not guard against external things and has no cessation of desires. When one is about to fast, one guards against depraved things, terminates desires, and the ears do not listen to music. Now the Buddhists take not eating past noon as their fast, which likewise adopts the meaning of guarding against depravity, terminating desires, and aligning the unaligned." The Piluo sanmei jing states: "King Bimbisāra asked the Buddha: 'Why does the Buddha eat at midday?' He answered: 'Early in the morning the devas eat; at midday the Buddhas of the three periods of time eat; when the sun goes west, animals eat; at dusk, ghosts and spirits eat. The Buddha institutes [the fast] to sever the causes of the six realms and to make them eat together with the Buddhas of the three periods of time.'" Now, interpreting it according to principle, it is said that fasting is simply the Middle Way. Not eating after noon is the Buddha's rule against eating after midday. Here it represents the initial abodes and initial grounds, when one fully realizes the Middle Way and there are no phenomena outside the mind, just like not eating after noon. Being permitted to eat before noon refers to the Buddha's rule that foods before noon are not the formal meal and may all be eaten. The Vibhāṣā-śāstra states: "The essence of the fast is not eating after noon. It is supported and completed by eight matters, which mutually sustain one another; this is called the eight-limbed fasting method." The Bao'en jing says: "Because he lacks the lifelong precepts, he is not called an upāsaka, but merely an intermediate person." The Dazhidulun asks: "Why on the six fasting days does one receive the eight precepts and cultivate merit?" The answer is: "On these days evil ghosts pursue people, seeking to snatch their lives, causing illness, misfortune, and decline, making people unpropitious. Therefore, holy persons at the beginning of the kalpa taught people to observe fasts, cultivate goodness, and produce merit to avoid misfortune and decline. At that time, the method of fasting did not involve receiving the eight precepts, but simply taking not eating for one day as a fast. Later the Buddha appeared in the world and taught them, saying: 'For one day and one night, you should observe the eight precepts like all the Buddhas, not eating past noon (and so forth).'" This merit leads people to nirvāṇa. As in the Si tianwang jing, the Buddha said that on the six monthly fasting days, the emissaries, princes, and the Four Heavenly Kings themselves descend to observe whether there are few sentient beings who give alms, uphold the precepts, and are filial to their parents. If so, they ascend to Trāyastriṃśa to inform Śakra. The devas are all displeased and say: "The breed of asuras increases, while the breed of devas decreases." If those who give alms, uphold the precepts, and are filial to parents are many, the devas and Śakra are all joyful and say: "The celestial host increases, while the asuras are diminished (and so forth)." Also, the Tiwei jing explains the eight king days. What are the eight king days? They are the onset of spring, the spring equinox, the onset of summer, the summer solstice, the onset of autumn, the autumn equinox, the onset of winter, and the winter solstice; these are called the eight king days. The spirits of heaven and earth and the yin and yang alternate and exchange, hence they are called the eight king days.