藥師經疏 1.32

1.32

經。及餘信心至受持諸戒　二戒德資潤。云何名為受八分齋。智論十三云。先受三歸。次為懺悔。後為受戒。應云如諸佛盡形壽不殺生。我某甲一日夜不殺生能持不。如是不盜不婬不妄語不飲酒不坐高廣大床不著花香瓔珞不觀伎樂過中食等名八分齋。問何以六齋日受於八戒。答是日惡鬼逐人欲奪人命。疾病凶衰不仁不吉。劫初聖人。教人持齋修善。作福以避凶衰。是時齋法不受八戒。直以一日不食為齋。後佛出世教言。汝當一日一夜如諸佛持八戒過中不食。以是功德將人至涅槃。如四天王經中說。四天王等自下觀察四天下人布施持戒孝順父母少者。四天王等便上忉利以啟帝釋一切諸天心皆不悅自傷歎言。修羅種多諸天種少。若布施持戒孝順多者。帝釋諸天心皆歡喜言。增益諸天眾減損阿修羅。是時帝釋自說偈言。六齋神足月。受持清淨戒。是人壽終後。功德必如我。佛告帝釋。汝三衰三毒未除。云何妄言持一日戒功德福報必得如我。若受持此戒。必應如佛諸天歡喜福德增多。又此六齋日惡鬼害人惱亂一切。若所在國邑有持齋受戒人者。惡鬼遠去住處安隱。以是義故。六日持齋得福增多　問何故諸惡鬼輩以此六日惱害於人。答天地本起經說。劫初成時有異梵天王子諸鬼神父修梵志苦行滿天上十二歲。於此六日割肉出血以著火中。以是義故。諸惡鬼神。於此六日輒有勢力　問諸鬼神父母。何以於此六日割身肉血以著火中。答諸天神中摩醯首羅最為第一。諸神皆有日分。摩醯首羅一月有四日分。八日二十三日十四日二十九日。餘神一月有二日分。月一日十六日月二日十七日其十五日三十日屬一切神。摩醯首羅為諸天王。又得日多故。數其四日為齋。二日是一切神日亦數為齋。是故諸鬼神。於此六日輒有勢力。又諸鬼神父於此六日割肉出血以著火中。過十二年已天王來下語其子言。汝求何願。答言。我求有子。天王言。仙人供養法以燒香甘菓諸清淨事。汝云何以肉血著火中。如罪惡法破善法樂為惡事。令汝生惡子敢肉飲血。當說是時火中有八大鬼出。身黑如墨。髮黃眼赤。有大光明。一切鬼神皆從此八鬼生。以是義於六日割身肉血以著火中而得勢力。如佛法中日無好惡。隨世惡日教持齋受戒。戒復一年者。謂一年中月別六日常持八分齋戒。謂白月八日十四十五日。黑月亦爾。或復三月者。謂未能一年常持月六。但經一年持三。長月謂正月即春分。四月之初月。五月即夏分。四月之初月。九月即冬分。四月之初月。以彼天竺國法一年但有三時。三時之中各於初月持齋戒。即表一年常修善也。

Sūtra: and other faithful […] uphold the precepts. / Second, the virtue of the precepts provides enrichment. What is called receiving the eightfold fasting [vows]? Fascicle thirteen of the *[Da] zhidu lun* says: "First receive the three refuges, next perform repentance, and afterwards receive the precepts. One should say: 'Just as all Buddhas, to the end of their lives, do not kill living beings, so I, so-and-so, for one day and night do not kill living beings. Can you uphold this or not?' Likewise, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, not drinking alcohol, not sitting on high, broad, or large beds, not wearing flower garlands, perfumes, or necklaces, not watching dancing or music, and not eating after midday—these are called the eightfold fasting [vows]." Question: Why are the eight precepts received on the six fasting days? Answer: On these days evil demons pursue people, wishing to take their lives, bringing illness, calamity, decline, cruelty, and misfortune. At the beginning of the kalpa, sages taught people to observe fasting and cultivate goodness, creating merit to avert calamity and decline. At that time, the method of fasting did not involve receiving the eight precepts; it was simply taking not eating for one day as fasting. Later, when the Buddha appeared in the world, he instructed, saying, "You should, for one day and one night, like all Buddhas, uphold the eight precepts and not eat after midday. Through this merit, you will be led to nirvāṇa." As stated in the *Sūtra of the Four Heavenly Kings*: When the Four Heavenly Kings and their retinue descend to observe the people of the four continents and find few who practice giving, uphold precepts, and are filial to their parents, the Four Heavenly Kings ascend to Trāyastriṃśa to report this to Śakra. All the devas are displeased in their minds and lament, sighing, "The asura stock is multiplying, while the deva stock is diminishing." If those who practice giving, uphold precepts, and are filial are many, Śakra and all the devas are delighted in their minds, saying, "The host of devas is increased, and the asuras are reduced." At that time Śakra recited a verse himself, saying: "On the six fast days and the months of spiritual power, / receiving and upholding the pure precepts, / after this person's life ends, / his merit will surely equal mine." The Buddha said to Śakra: "You have not yet eliminated the three decays and the three poisons; how can you falsely say that the merit and retribution of upholding the precepts for one day will surely equal mine? If one receives and upholds these precepts, one will surely be like the Buddha; the devas will rejoice, and merit will increase." Furthermore, on these six fast days evil demons harm people and trouble everyone; if in that country or town there are people who observe fasting and receive the precepts, the evil demons will go far away and the dwelling place will be secure. For this reason, observing fasting on the six days brings increased merit. Question: Why do all the evil demons trouble and harm people on these six days? Answer: The *Tiandi benqi jing* says: When the kalpa first formed, there was a prince of a different Brahmā heaven, the father of all ghosts and spirits, who practiced the austerities of a brahmacārin for a full twelve celestial years. On these six days he cut his flesh and drew his blood to place into fire. For this reason, all evil ghosts and spirits habitually possess power on these six days. Question: Why did the father of all ghosts and spirits cut the flesh and blood of his body to place into fire on these six days? Answer: Among all heavenly spirits, Maheśvara is foremost. The spirits all have assigned days: Maheśvara has four assigned days in a month—the eighth day, twenty-third day, fourteenth day, and twenty-ninth day. The other spirits have two assigned days in a month: the first and sixteenth days of the month, and the second and seventeenth days of the month. The fifteenth day and thirtieth day belong to all spirits. Because Maheśvara is king of the devas and also has the most days, his four days are counted as fast days. The two days are the days of all spirits and are also counted as fast days. Therefore all ghosts and spirits habitually possess power on these six days. Furthermore, the father of all ghosts and spirits cut his flesh and drew his blood to place into fire on these six days; after twelve years had passed, a heavenly king descended and spoke to his son, saying, "What wish do you seek?" He replied, saying, "I seek to have a son." The heavenly king said, "The method of offering of ṛṣis uses burning incense, sweet fruit, and various pure things. Why do you place flesh and blood into fire? Resembling sinful and evil dharmas, destroying the good Dharma, and delighting in doing evil deeds, this will cause you to give birth to evil sons who dare to eat flesh and drink blood." When he said this, eight great demons emerged from the fire, their bodies black as ink, their hair yellow and eyes red, possessing great radiance. All ghosts and spirits were born from these eight demons. It is for this reason that cutting the flesh and blood of one's body to place into fire on the six days gave them power. In the Buddha's Dharma there is no good or bad day, but in accord with the world's bad days people are taught to observe fasting and receive the precepts. "Holding the precepts for another year" means constantly upholding the eightfold fasting precepts on the six days in each month throughout a year—namely, the eighth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days of the bright fortnight, and likewise for the dark fortnight. "Or for three months" means that those unable to constantly uphold the six days of the month for a full year observe them only through the three long months of a year: the first month, which is the spring division, the first of the four months; the fifth month, which is the summer division, the first of the four months; and the ninth month, which is the winter division, the first of the four months. Since by the law of that Indian land a year has only three seasons, observing the fasting precepts in the first month of each of the three seasons represents constantly cultivating goodness throughout a year.