大通方廣懺悔滅罪莊嚴成佛經 2.39

2.39

佛言。善哉善哉。善男子。汝能善問。我能善答。善男子。一切眾生。以不值佛故。邪見犯戒。誹謗正法。若佛在世。終無犯戒。誹謗正法。何以故。譬如長者。唯有一子。愛之甚重。若父在時。日夜教令。事事順之。其子孝順。受父教令。都無所犯。若父遠行。不時來還。其子忘誤。多有所犯。以不時來。唱言死滅。悲啼㘁哭。復似起逆。愁憒失心。忘父本教。似若不順。謂如謗法。其父久時。遠行來歸。而子歡喜。憶父本教。受持不犯。以得見父。信知不死。不名墮逆。捉父本勅。順教而行。不名誹謗。善男子。長者即是如來。一子者即是一切眾生。令者即是教戒。遠行者即是餘化。不見父故即是唱滅。愁惱故即是障弊。不持故即是犯戒。唱滅故即是逆罪。迷理故即是誹謗。如來世尊。餘化迴來。眾生見之。即生信心。知佛不滅。佛為說法。還得本心。不名犯戒。以知不滅。不名墮逆。順教而行。於理得解。不名謗法。

The Buddha said: "Excellent, excellent! Good man, you are able to question well, and I am able to answer well. Good man, it is because all sentient beings do not encounter the Buddha that they hold false views, break the precepts, and slander the True Dharma. If the Buddha were in the world, they would never break the precepts or slander the True Dharma. Why is this? It is like an elder who has only one son, whom he loves dearly. When the father is present, he instructs him day and night, and [the son] complies with everything. The son is filial; receiving his father's instruction, he violates nothing at all. If the father travels far away and does not return in time, the son, through forgetfulness and error, commits many violations. Because [the father] does not return in time, [the son] cries out that he is dead; weeping and wailing, he is again like one committing rebellion, distraught with grief, having lost his senses and forgotten his father's original teachings, seeming not to comply, just like slandering the Dharma. After a long time, the father returns from his distant journey, and the son rejoices; remembering his father's original teachings, he accepts and upholds them without violation. Because he sees his father, he has faith and knows he is not dead, so this is not called falling into rebellion. Taking his father's original commands, he acts in accord with the instructions, so this is not called slander. Good man, the elder is the Tathāgata; the only son is all sentient beings; the commands are the disciplinary precepts; travelling far away is [transforming beings] elsewhere; not seeing the father is proclaiming [his] extinction; sorrow and affliction are hindrances; not upholding is breaking the precepts; proclaiming [his] extinction is the unpardonable offense; confusion about the principle is slander. When the Tathāgata, the Bhagavat, returns from transforming elsewhere, sentient beings see him and immediately give rise to faith, knowing that the Buddha does not pass into extinction. When the Buddha preaches the Dharma for them, they regain their original mind, which is not called breaking the precepts. Because they know he does not pass into extinction, it is not called falling into rebellion. Acting in accord with the instructions, they understand the principle, which is not called slandering the Dharma.