略諸經論念佛法門往生淨土集卷上 1.20

1.20

若欲具引諸經。恐煩紙墨。依斯兩教。足明優劣。故知。信心造像。功德無涯。剋證菩提。斷除諸難。依經敬造。必至涅槃。若取謬言。嬰纏生死。比未聞教。輕佛重人。今見經文。那不迴向。禪師復言。書寫經律。著相虛妄。非成佛因者。此語非善。違害聖教。欲陷眾生。墮邪見網。必其書寫。有損無益者。何故世尊苦勸眾生。剝皮折骨。令寫經律。菩薩戒云。若佛子。常應一心。受持讀誦大乘經律。剝皮為紙。刺血為墨。以髓為水。折骨為筆。書寫佛戒。樹皮榖紙。絹素竹帛。亦悉書持。常以七寶無價香華。一切雜寶。為箱盛經律卷。若不如法供養者。犯輕垢罪。下文又云。若佛子。皆以信心受戒者。若國王王子。百官四部弟子。自恃高貴。破滅佛法。戒律明作。制法制我。四部弟子。不聽出家行道。亦復不聽造立形像佛塔。經律立統。制眾安籍。記僧比丘。菩薩地立。白衣高座。廣行非法。如兵奴之法。而菩薩正應受一切人供養。而反為官走。使非法非律。若國王百官。好心受佛戒者。莫作是破三寶之罪。而作破法者。犯輕垢罪。準此兩節戒文。若不剝皮刺血書寫經律。犯輕垢罪。制不令書。亦犯輕垢罪。故知。信心書寫。當祈解脫。與作礙緣。必招來苦。法華經第四法師品云。若善男子善女人。於法華經。乃至一句。受持讀誦。解說書寫。種種供養經卷。華香纓絡末香。塗香燒香。繒蓋幢幡。衣服伎樂。合掌恭敬。是人一切世間。應所瞻奉。應以如來供養。而供養之。當知。此人。

If one wished to cite all the sūtras fully, it would take up too much paper and ink. Relying on these two teachings is sufficient to clarify superiority and inferiority. Hence we know that making images with a faithful mind yields boundless merit, definitely realizes bodhi, and cuts off all difficulties. Respectfully making them in accordance with the sūtras, one will surely reach nirvāṇa. If one adopts fallacious words, one will be entangled in saṃsāra. Formerly, not having heard the teaching, you belittled the Buddha and valued humans; now that you see the scriptural text, why not dedicate [merit]? Furthermore, the Chan masters say: 'Copying the sūtras and vinaya is an attachment to marks and false, not a cause for attaining buddhahood.' These words are not good; they contradict and harm the sacred teaching, seeking to plunge sentient beings into the net of wrong views. If copying them were surely harmful and without benefit, why would the World-Honoured One earnestly urge sentient beings to flay their skin and break their bones to have them copy the sūtras and vinaya? The Bodhisattva Precepts state: 'If a Buddha-son, one should always single-mindedly receive, uphold, read, and recite the Mahāyāna sūtras and vinaya, flaying skin for paper, piercing blood for ink, using marrow for water, and breaking bones for pens to copy the Buddha's precepts. Tree bark, mulberry paper, silk, and bamboo slips should all likewise be written upon and maintained. One should always use the seven treasures, priceless incense and flowers, and all kinds of gems to make cases to contain the scrolls of sūtras and vinaya. If one does not make offerings according to the Dharma, one commits a light defilement offense.' A later passage also says: 'All Buddha-sons receive the precepts with a faithful mind. If kings, crown princes, the hundred officials, and the fourfold disciples, relying on their high nobility, destroy the Buddha's Dharma, clearly creating prohibitions, enacting laws to control me, not allowing the fourfold disciples to go forth from the household life and practice the Path, nor allowing them to erect images and Buddha stūpas, establishing hierarchies over sūtras and vinaya, controlling the assembly and setting up registers, recording monks and bhikṣus, establishing the bodhisattva stage, with laypeople occupying high seats and widely practicing unlawful things—like the laws for soldiers and slaves—whereas a bodhisattva ought properly to receive offerings from all people, yet on the contrary runs errands for officials, employing unlawful and non-vinaya measures; if kings and the hundred officials, having received the Buddha's precepts with good intentions, do not commit these sins of destroying the Three Jewels, but act as destroyers of the Dharma, they commit a light defilement offense.' Based on these two passages of precept text, if one does not flay skin and pierce blood to copy the sūtras and vinaya, one commits a light defilement offense; and enacting prohibitions not allowing them to be copied also incurs a light defilement offense. Hence we know that copying with a faithful mind should seek liberation; creating obstructing conditions for it will surely bring about future suffering. Chapter 4 of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, 'The Dharma Master', states: 'If a good son or good woman, with respect to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, receives, upholds, reads, recites, explains, or copies even a single verse, and makes various offerings to the scripture scrolls with flower incense, necklaces, powdered incense, paste incense, burning incense, silken canopies, banners and flags, clothing, music, and joins palms in reverent respect, this person should be looked up to and revered by all the world, and one should make offerings to them as one would make offerings to the Tathāgata. You should know that this person...'