四分戒本疏卷第一．第二．第三 3.40

3.40

"If a bhikṣu, knowing that water contains living beings, pours it on mud or pours it on grass, or tells another person to pour it, it is a prāyaścittika." / This full precept text has three clauses: first, the person who commits the offense; second, the offending act; third, the offense committed. "Bhikṣu" has the meaning explained above; the remaining two clauses below can be understood from this. Thus the Vinaya states: "If one does not know that the water contains living beings, there is no offense; if one knows, then one commits a prāyaścittika." By "water with living beings" is meant [beings] withheld by a water strainer and seen with the fleshy eye. The Sarvāstivāda Vinaya states: "Seen with the eye and withheld by a water strainer. If one uses this water, for each living being, whether few or many, one commits a prāyaścittika." The Mahāsaṅghika Vinaya states: "Using water with living beings, each breath entails one prāyaścittika; according to the number of breaths, one incurs a prāyaścittika for each." The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya states: "If one throws grass or dirt into water containing living beings; or if there are living beings in buttermilk-water, clear buttermilk-water, or steeped barley-water; or if vinegar contains living beings, and one uses it to immerse grass; or if one throws grass or dirt into water with living beings—all are falls [prāyaścittika]. Telling another person [to do so] is the same." The Mahīśāsaka Vinaya states: "For each living being used, one incurs a fall." The Vinaya states: "If one throws grass or dirt into water with living beings, for each fish or living being in the river or pond, one incurs a prāyaścittika." The Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra states: "The bodies of animals can be as minute as one-tenth of an atom, up to as large as hundreds of thousands or millions of yojanas." The Mahāsaṅghika Vinaya states: "Because they are minute, one should make a triple-layer strainer; if there are still [living beings], one discards [the water]." Therefore the Sarvāstivāda-vinaya-vibhāṣā states: "If one makes a dwelling place, one must first inspect the water. Having used a filter net to put it into a vessel, one should turn toward the sun and inspect it attentively with fine care. If there intentionally appear to be living beings, one should make a double- or triple-layered filter net. If there are still living beings, one must not stay in that place." In the Miscellaneous Matters Skandhaka of the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya it states: "Without a strainer-bag, one must not travel half a yojana. If one has no strainer-bag, one should use the corner of one's robe to strain the water." The Vinaya states regarding non-offenses: "If one does not know there are living beings; if one perceives that there are no living beings; if one roughly agitates the water with one's hand to make the living beings go away; if one strains the water and uses it; or if one tells another person to strain it and uses it—there is no offense."