四分戒本疏卷第一．第二．第三 3.39

3.39

Precept 19: Using water containing living creatures. / The intention behind its enactment: Compassionately saving living beings is the very essence of the path. Knowing that water contains living creatures and intentionally using it will harm living beings and violate the path of compassion; selfishly looking after oneself in this way is unprincipled, and the matter is not light. Therefore it was enacted. / There are four specific conditions: first, it is water with living creatures; second, knowing that there are living creatures in the water; third, not filtering it; fourth, committing the offense according to whatever use is made of it. Below, the text of the precept is directly clarified. This precept was enacted because the bhikṣu Channa committed a fault: when building a house, he mixed mud with water containing living creatures, drawing criticism from householders; the Buddha then enacted the precept.