English
English version: 'Non-action' (Avijahnakarma), is also like this. If one thinks that thoughts are constantly arising and ceasing, with no author or creator, like the similes of the lamp and river mentioned earlier, although thoughts are constantly ceasing, because of the Two Truths (Satya-dvaya), we speak of action and non-action. Although the dust motes do not stay in sequence, they do not break the laws of conventional truth (Samvriti-satya); it is precisely because of the sequence of dust motes that names arise. Killing one's parents or an Arhat (Arhat) results in immeasurable sin; parents, Arhats, and others, are no different in terms of the aggregates (Skandha), sense bases (Ayatana), and elements (Dhatu), etc. The reason the sin is so heavy is because they are fields of merit (Punyaksetra), fields for repaying kindness. Just as one cannot utter two words at the same time, yet these two words ultimately do not combine, and their meaning cannot be spoken, so too, although thoughts are constantly ceasing, it is still called lying, and it does not break the conventional truth. Like shooting an arrow, although thoughts are constantly ceasing, because of the power of the dust motes of bodily action, the arrow reaches or does not reach its destination; action and non-action are also like this. Like dancing and playing solo music, although thoughts are constantly ceasing, it is able to move and turn because of the power of the dust motes of bodily action; action and non-action are also like this. Like a spinning fire wheel, although thoughts are constantly ceasing, the fire is able to form a circle because of the power of the dust motes of bodily action. The initial intention is different, the expedient intention is different, the intention at the time of action is different, the intention at the time of speaking is different, and it is only when many causes and conditions come together that it is called action, and from the cause of action arises non-action; just as the demeanor is different, so too is the mind different, and it cannot be destroyed, so it is called non-action. After obtaining non-action from this action, although the mind is in a state of good, non-good, or neutral, the actions performed are not lost, so it is called non-action. If the body performs good deeds and the mouth speaks non-good words, one should know that this person will obtain mixed results. If the body's good deeds have action and non-action, and the mouth's non-good deeds only have action and no non-action, one should know that this person will only obtain good results and will not obtain bad results. Therefore, the sutras say that the seven types of karma have action and non-action. Just as a person with a serious illness needs various medicines combined to cure it, and if one is missing, it cannot be cured. Why? Because the illness is severe. All sentient beings are also like this, because they are full of various evil deeds, they need various precepts to cure them, and if one precept is missing, they cannot be cured. Upasaka Precept Sutra, Volume 6 Taisho Tripitaka -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 藏第 24 册 No. 1488 优婆塞戒经 优婆塞戒经卷第七
Chinese
北凉中印度三藏昙无谶译业品第二十四之余 “善男子！众生作罪，凡有二种：一者、恶戒，二者、无戒。恶戒之人，虽杀一羊，及不杀时，常得杀罪。何以故？先发誓故。无戒之人，虽杀千口，杀时得罪，不杀不得。何以故？不发誓故。是故一切善不善法，心为根本。因根本故，说诸比丘犯有二种：一者、身犯，二者、口犯；无心犯也。如是戒者，时不具足，支不具足，则不得戒。譬如钻火，有燧、有力、有干粪草，然后得火，若少一法，则不得火，戒法亦尔。如是戒者，若得、若舍、若持、若毁、皆随于心；如来了了知诸法性，是故制之。若复有人，因于善业思惟力故，不造诸恶，名如法戒；若从他得，名为受戒。若离戒受有功德者，一切恶兽——师子、虎、狼——应得功德，然实不得。以是因缘，受善戒者得无量福，受恶戒者得无量罪。是故经中说恶律仪：一者、畜羊，二者、畜鸡，三者、畜猪，四者、钓鱼，五者、网鱼，六者、杀牛，七者、狱卒，八、畜猎狗，九、作长摾，十、作猎师，十一、咒龙，十二、杀人，十三、作贼，十四、两舌，十五、以苦鞭挞、枷锁、押额、铁钉、烧炙加人。国王、大臣、受寄抵谩不 现代汉语译本 《优婆塞戒经》卷第七 北凉中印度三藏昙无谶译 业品第二十四之余 ‘善男子！众生造罪，总共有两种：第一种是恶戒，第二种是没有戒。持恶戒的人，即使只杀一只羊，或者不杀的时候，也常常得到杀罪。为什么呢？因为他先前发过誓。没有戒的人，即使杀了上千条生命，杀的时候才得到罪，不杀的时候就没有罪。为什么呢？因为他没有发过誓。所以一切善与不善的法，心是根本。因为根本的缘故，所以说诸位比丘的犯戒有两种：第一种是身犯，第二种是口犯；没有无心的犯戒。这样的戒，如果时间不具足，或者戒条不具足，就不能得到戒。譬如钻木取火，有火燧、有力气、有干燥的粪草，然后才能得到火，如果缺少一样，就不能得到火，戒法也是这样。这样的戒，无论是得到、舍弃、持守、毁坏，都随顺于心；如来完全了解诸法的性质，所以制定戒律。如果又有人，因为善业的思惟力量，不造作各种恶业，这叫做如法戒；如果从他人那里得到，这叫做受戒。如果离开受戒而有功德，那么一切恶兽——狮子(simha)、老虎(vyāghra)、狼(vṛka)——都应该得到功德，但实际上得不到。因为这个缘故，受持善戒的人得到无量的福报，受持恶戒的人得到无量的罪过。所以经中说恶律仪：第一种是畜羊，第二种是畜鸡，第三种是畜猪，第四种是钓鱼，第五种是网鱼，第六种是杀牛，第七种是狱卒，第八种是畜养猎狗，第九种是制造长矛，第十种是做猎师，第十一种是诅咒龙(nāga)，第十二种是杀人，第十三种是做贼，第十四种是两舌，第十五种是用苦刑鞭打、枷锁、在额头上刺字、用铁钉钉、烧灼加害于人。国王(rājā)、大臣(amātya)、接受寄托却欺骗隐瞒不’
English
English version Upāsaka Sūtra, Volume 7 Translated by Tripiṭaka Dharmarakṣa from Central India during the Northern Liang Dynasty, Chapter 24 (continued): Karma. ‘Good man! Beings commit sins in two ways: first, through evil vows; second, through the absence of vows. Those with evil vows constantly incur the sin of killing, even when they kill only one sheep or do not kill at all. Why? Because they made a vow beforehand. Those without vows only incur sin when they kill thousands of beings; they do not incur sin when they do not kill. Why? Because they did not make a vow. Therefore, the mind is the root of all good and bad dharmas. Because of this root, it is said that bhikṣus commit two kinds of offenses: first, offenses of the body; second, offenses of speech; there are no unintentional offenses. Such a precept, if the time is not complete or the precepts are not complete, one cannot obtain the precept. For example, when drilling for fire, one needs a fire drill, strength, and dry dung grass to obtain fire; if one is missing, one cannot obtain fire. The precept is also like this. Such a precept, whether it is obtained, abandoned, upheld, or broken, all follows the mind. The Tathāgata fully understands the nature of all dharmas, and therefore establishes precepts. If someone, through the power of contemplating good karma, does not create evil deeds, this is called a Dharma-abiding precept; if it is received from others, it is called receiving a precept. If there is merit apart from receiving precepts, then all evil beasts—lions (simha), tigers (vyāghra), wolves (vṛka)—should obtain merit, but in reality, they do not. For this reason, those who receive and uphold good precepts obtain immeasurable blessings, and those who receive evil precepts obtain immeasurable sins. Therefore, the sūtra speaks of evil disciplines: first, raising sheep; second, raising chickens; third, raising pigs; fourth, fishing with a hook; fifth, fishing with a net; sixth, killing cows; seventh, prison guards; eighth, raising hunting dogs; ninth, making long spears; tenth, being a hunter; eleventh, cursing nāgas (nāga); twelfth, killing people; thirteenth, being a thief; fourteenth, divisive speech; fifteenth, inflicting suffering through whipping, shackles, branding the forehead, iron nails, and burning people. Kings (rājā), ministers (amātya), those who accept entrustments but deceive and conceal not’ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
知恩者，恶性恶心大恶村主典税物者，毁戒比丘心无惭悔，如是之人，皆无戒也；虽复不名不善业道，而得大罪。何以故？尽寿作故。如是等事，若不立誓，不从人受，则不成就。如是恶戒四时中舍：一者、得二根时，二者、舍寿命时，三者、受善戒时，四者、断欲结时。 “或有说言：如善戒具足，恶戒亦尔。是义不然！何以故？恶戒易得故，一因缘得故，所谓立誓。善戒不尔，有五方便，所谓五根，是故难得；以难得故，要须具足。 “若有说言：优婆塞戒无无义语、两舌、恶口，是故优婆塞戒、八戒斋法、沙弥、比丘、不具足得。是义不然！何以故？我今受持净口业故。 “若有说言：我受五戒净身、口、意，心若不净，当知是人不得具戒。譬如有人，受恶戒已，虽不杀生，是人常有恶戒成就。毁禁比丘亦复如是。何以故？受持戒已，一一戒边多业多果故。众生无量，戒亦无量；物无量故，戒亦无量。是善恶戒，俱有三种：谓上中下。若不受恶戒，虽多作罪不名恶戒。若有难言：‘何缘五戒尽形寿受，八戒斋法一日一夜？’当言：‘如来善知法相，通达无碍，作如是说。’ “善男子！世间福田凡有二种：一、功德田，二、报恩田。坏此二田，名五逆罪。是五逆罪，有三因缘：一者、 现代汉语译本 知恩不报者，心怀恶意、贪婪的村长，克扣百姓赋税者，破戒且不知惭愧的比丘，像这样的人，都是没有戒律的；即使他们的行为不属于十不善业道，也会得到极大的罪过。为什么呢？因为他们终身都在作恶。像这样的恶行，如果不立下誓言，不从他人那里接受，就不会成就。这样的恶戒在四种情况下会舍弃：一是得到二根（指男女两性）时，二是舍弃生命时，三是接受善戒时，四是断除欲结时。 或者有人说：如同善戒需要具足才能获得，恶戒也是如此。这种说法是不对的！为什么呢？因为恶戒容易得到，只需要一个因缘就能得到，那就是立下誓言。善戒则不然，需要五种方便，也就是五根（信、进、念、定、慧），所以难以得到；因为难以得到，所以必须具足。 如果有人说：优婆塞戒没有妄语、两舌、恶口，所以优婆塞戒、八戒斋法、沙弥戒、比丘戒，都可以不具足而得到。这种说法是不对的！为什么呢？因为我现在受持清净口业的缘故。 如果有人说：我受持五戒，清净身、口、意，如果心不清净，应当知道这个人不能得到具足戒。譬如有人，受了恶戒之后，即使不杀生，这个人也常常有恶戒成就。毁犯戒律的比丘也是如此。为什么呢？因为受持戒律之后，每一条戒律都会产生多种业和多种果报。众生无量，戒律也无量；事物无量，戒律也无量。善戒和恶戒，都有三种：上、中、下。如果不接受恶戒，即使做了很多罪恶，也不能称为恶戒。如果有人提问：‘为什么五戒要尽形寿受持，而八戒斋法只受持一日一夜？’应当回答：‘如来善于了解诸法的实相，通达无碍，所以这样说。’ 善男子！世间的福田大致有两种：一是功德田，二是报恩田。破坏这两种福田，称为五逆罪。这五逆罪，有三种因缘：一是……
English
English version Those who are ungrateful, those village chiefs who are malicious and greedy and who collect excessive taxes, and those monks who break the precepts without shame or remorse—such people have no precepts. Even if their actions do not fall under the ten non-virtuous actions, they will incur great sins. Why? Because they act evilly throughout their lives. Such evil precepts are not accomplished unless one makes a vow and receives them from another person. These evil precepts are abandoned in four situations: first, when one acquires two genders (referring to male and female); second, when one gives up one's life; third, when one receives good precepts; and fourth, when one severs the bonds of desire. Some might say: Just as good precepts must be complete to be obtained, so too must evil precepts. This is not correct! Why? Because evil precepts are easy to obtain, requiring only one condition, which is making a vow. Good precepts are not like that; they require five means, namely the five roots (faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom), so they are difficult to obtain. Because they are difficult to obtain, they must be complete. If someone says: The Upasaka (lay follower) precepts do not include false speech, divisive speech, or harsh speech, therefore the Upasaka precepts, the Eight Precepts, the Shramanera (novice monk) precepts, and the Bhikshu (fully ordained monk) precepts can be obtained incompletely. This is not correct! Why? Because I now uphold pure speech. If someone says: I uphold the five precepts, purifying body, speech, and mind; if the mind is not pure, know that this person cannot obtain complete precepts. For example, if someone has taken evil precepts, even if they do not kill, that person constantly has evil precepts accomplished. A monk who violates the precepts is also like that. Why? Because after upholding the precepts, each precept produces many karmas and many results. Sentient beings are countless, and precepts are also countless; things are countless, and precepts are also countless. Both good and evil precepts have three types: superior, middling, and inferior. If one does not take evil precepts, even if one commits many sins, it is not called evil precepts. If someone asks: 'Why are the five precepts upheld for a lifetime, while the Eight Precepts are upheld for only one day and one night?' One should answer: 'The Tathagata (如来, Thus Come One) is skilled in understanding the characteristics of dharmas (法, teachings) and is unobstructed in his understanding, so he speaks in this way.' Good man! There are generally two types of fields of merit in the world: first, the field of merit of virtue; second, the field of merit of gratitude. Destroying these two fields of merit is called the five heinous crimes. These five heinous crimes have three causes: first... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------