四分戒本疏卷第一．第二．第三 2.76

2.76

The twentieth precept: Commercial trading. Regarding the intention behind the prohibition: In general, renunciant persons should, in principle, cease practical affairs and sit in quietude to practice the Path. How could they, for profit, engage in personal trading and gallop through marketplaces, upsetting and violating proper deportment and incurring the ridicule and ugliness of the world? When material wealth changes hands, one might even commit a grave offense; walking on the verge of danger is not a noble conduct. Due to all these faults, the holy one did not permit it. According to the Sarvāstivāda-vinaya-vibhāṣā, there are four reasons the Buddha instituted this precept: 1. to show the supremacy of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha; 2. to stop disputes and quarrels; 3. to bring about the holy lineage; 4. to increase faith and reverence and prevent slander. The particular conditions are six: 1. laypeople, 2. the twofold assembly [of non-monastics], with non-Buddhists also included, 3. trading together with each other, 4. fixing a price, 5. for oneself, 6. trading personally, 7. receiving it immediately constitutes an offense. Below, the text of the precept is properly explained. This arose from Upananda's fault of exchanging fresh ginger for food. Furthermore, he bartered robes with non-Buddhists, regretted it, and could not retrieve them, whereupon criticism arose, and the Buddha established the precept.