[8] Eighth Essay On Practices’ Dharma Door: Completely Upholding The Purification Precepts… 修持法门八：全持斋戒…

修持法门八
[8] Eighth [Essay On] Practices’ Dharma Door

【全持斋戒…】
[Completely Upholding (The) Purification Precepts…]

全持斋戒，又礼佛念佛，读诵大乘经典，解第一义，以此回向愿生西方，必上品上生。

[If] completely upholding [the] Purification Precepts, also prostrating [to the] Buddha [and] reciting [the] Buddha’s [name], studying [and] reciting [the] Great Vehicle’s sūtras, [and] understanding [the] supreme truth, with these dedicating [with] Aspiration [to be] born [in the] Western [Pure Land, this] definitely [attains the] High Grade’s High Birth.

[Note 1: The (Eight) Purification Precepts can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2018/06/29/eight-precepts-ceremony. The criteria for High Grade’s High Birth can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2020/05/23/14-1-the-fourteenth-contemplation-high-grades-births-contemplation-of-contemplation-sutra-the-high-grades-high-births.]

所谓斋者，何哉？不食肉，不饮酒，不淫欲，不食五辛。

[On] that so-called ‘purification’, what [is it? It is to] not eat meat, not drink alcohol, not [have] sexual misconduct, [and] not eat [the] five pungent [roots].

[Note 2: The morally purest form of eating and drinking, with the rationale for avoiding the five pungent roots, as taught by the Buddha, can be seen at https://thedailyenlightenment.com/veg.]

所谓戒者，何哉？杀生、偷盗、邪淫是为身三业，妄言、绮语、两舌、恶口是为口四业，贪欲、瞋恨、邪见是为意三业。总为十戒。

[On] those so-called ‘precepts’, what [are they]? Killing lives, stealing [and] sexual misconduct are as [the] body’s three [evil] karmas. False speech, frivolous speech, double-tongue[d] speech [and] harsh speech are as [the] mouth’s four [evil] karmas. Greedy desires, anger [and] evil views are as [the] mind’s three [evil] karmas. [In] total, [with abstaining from them, these are] as [the] Ten Precepts.

能持而不犯，是为十善；若犯而不持，是为十恶。全持十戒，乃生天上。

[If] able [to] uphold and not violate [them, these] are as [the] Ten Goodnesses. If violating and not upholding [them, these] are as [the] Ten Evils. [If] completely upholding [the] Ten Precepts, then [is there] birth [in a] heaven above.

[Note 3: Birth in a heaven is still inadequate for liberation, as one is still trapped in rebirth, although with a longer life (and possibly more spiritual distractions), with eventual fall later, if there is no further transcendental practice in time. Thus, it is ideal to reach Pure Land directly by the end of this life.]

持前四戒加以不饮酒，是为五戒。能持此五戒，常不失人身。

[If] upholding [the] prior Four Precepts [i.e. of not killing, stealing, having sexual misconduct and lying (or false speech)], [in] addition with not drinking alcohol, [these] are as [the] Five Precepts. [Those] able [to] uphold these Five Precepts, [will] constantly not lose [the] human body.

若修净土者，不在此限也。若全持十戒，加以如上文所言功德，固上品上生矣。若止持五戒而修净土，亦不失中品上生或上品下生也。

If [there are] those cultivating [to reach] Pure Land, [they are] not limited to this. If completely upholding [the] Ten Precepts, [in] addition with [that] like [the] text above, those said meritorious virtues, [they will] certainly [have] High Grade’s High Births. If stopping [at] upholding [the] Five Precepts and cultivating [to reach] Pure Land, also not losing Middle Grade’s High Births or High Grade’s Low Births too.

[Note 4: The criteria for Middle Grade’s High Birth can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2020/05/23/15-1-the-fifteenth-contemplation-middle-grades-births-contemplation-of-contemplation-sutra-the-middle-grades-high-births. The criteria for High Grade’s Low Birth can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2020/05/23/14-3-the-fourteenth-contemplation-high-grades-births-contemplation-of-contemplation-sutra-the-high-grades-low-births.]

若又不能持五戒，岂可以不戒杀生乎？杀生为五戒之首，亦为十戒之首，亦为比丘二百五十戒之首。是不杀则为大善，杀则为大恶。

If also not able [to] uphold [the] Five Precepts, how can [there] not [be] abstaining [from] killing lives? [Not] killing lives [is] as [the] first of [the] Five Precepts, likewise as [the] first of [the] Ten Precepts, likewise as [the] first of Bhikṣus’ Two Hundred [And] Fifty Precepts. [These] are [with] not killing, then as great good, [and with] killing, then as great evil.

故曰：「凡欲杀生者，但将自己看；自身不可杀，物命无两般。」

Thus saying, ‘All those desiring [to] kill lives, [they] only should look [at] themselves. [With] one’s body [that] cannot [be] killed, animals’ lives [are] without two kinds.’

所以不杀得长寿报，杀则短命报。盖谓己欲其命长，物亦欲其命长。乃杀物命而欲己之命长，乌有是理？故杀生不可不戒也。

Therefore, not killing attains long life’s reward, [and] killing then [attains] short life’s retribution. About speaking [of] oneself desiring this life [to be] long, animals also desire their lives [to be] long. Then killing animals’ lives, yet desiring one’s life [to be] long, how [can this] have reason? Thus, killing lives cannot [be] not abstained [from].

凡杀生以资口腹，则口腹之欲何厌？放箸之后，滋味已空，而杀业俱在。

All killing [of] lives [is] for serving ‘desire of food’, however ‘desire of food’ [has] what [to] dislike? After placing [down] chopsticks, [with its] taste already emptied, yet killing’s karma [still] entirely exists.

[Note 5: Even if one’s food with meat and animal produce is not from personal killing of lives, if it does arrive through personal demand, by continual or occasional choice, of purchase or consumption, one is still connected to someone else’s evil karma created by personally killing for oneself, although less directly.]

若杀生以待宾客，则以平日不杀，人亦无可言者。况其罪己自当之。

If [with] killing lives for receiving guests, however with ordinary days not killing [to do so], people [are] also without that [much to] say [i.e. complain]. Moreover, [of] those transgressions [of killing, they are by] oneself personally bearing them.

经云：「来而独自来，去而独自去，轮回独自行，果报独自受。」观此，则岂可为人而杀生也？

[A] sūtra says, ‘[When] coming then alone [by] oneself coming, [when] going then alone [by] oneself going, rebirth [is] alone [by] oneself travelling, [and its] retribution [and rewards are] alone [by] oneself received.’ Contemplating this, then how can [there be] as humans, yet killing lives too?

若杀生以祭先祖，岂无素食清羞？孔子曰：「虽蔬食菜羹，瓜祭，必齐如也。」如是，何有不可哉！若然香诵经，仗佛力以为荐拔，必遂超生，故皆不在杀生也。

If [with] killing lives for offerings [to] ancestors, how [can they be] without veg[etari]an food [that is] clean [and] wonderful? Kǒngzǐ [i.e. Confucius] said, ‘Although [with] veg[etari]an food, vegetable broth [and] melons offering, [this is] certainly equally appropriate too.’ Thus, how is [this] not possible! If burning incense [and] reciting sūtras, relying [on the] Buddha’s power, with [it] for offering [of] pulling up, definitely thereupon transcending birth [and death, this is] thus all without having killing [of] lives too.

[Note 6: In fact, according to the Buddha’s teachings, such as those in the Kṣitigarbha Sūtra《地藏经》, offering of animal products is not appropriate at all, while only veg[etari]an food is appropriate, as offering the latter, especially vegan food, does not create evil karma in the name of the deceased, which can negatively affect the person to some extent, leading to a less fortunate rebirth, if not yet reborn.]

若止能持此不杀之一戒，以修净土，已不在下品生矣。

If only able [to] uphold this one precept of not killing, with cultivation [to reach] Pure Land, [this is] already not [with birth] in [a] Low Grade’s Birth [i.e. as it will be higher].

[Note 7: The criteria for Low Grade’s High Birth can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2020/05/23/16-1-the-sixteenth-contemplation-low-grades-births-contemplation-of-contemplation-sutra-the-low-grades-high-births. The criteria for Low Grade’s Middle Birth can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2020/05/23/16-2-the-sixteenth-contemplation-low-grades-births-contemplation-of-contemplation-sutra-the-low-grades-middle-births. The criteria for Low Grade’s Low Birth can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2020/05/23/16-3-the-sixteenth-contemplation-low-grades-births-contemplation-of-contemplation-sutra-the-low-grades-low-births.]

宋‧王日休
《龙舒净土文》
第四卷：修持法门十五篇
Sòng [Dynasty’s] Wáng Rìxiū
Lóngshū’s Pure Land Text:
Fourth Scroll: Fifteen Essays [On] Practices’ Dharma Doors

Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an