Q&A

Can Those Who Have Broken The Ten Heavy Precepts Receive The Bodhisattva Precepts? 破十重戒者能受菩萨戒吗?

Question: Can those who have broken the Ten Heavy Precepts (十重戒) before committing to them receive the Brahma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts (梵网经菩萨戒)?

Answer: The Bodhisattva Precepts are NOT against those who have broken the Ten Heavy Precepts BEFORE committing to these Ten Precepts, from receiving the Bodhisattva Precepts.

Technically, only those who have prior formal commitment to these Ten Precepts ‘can’ formally uphold or break them. Of course, there should still not be ‘breaking’ of the Ten Heavy Precepts (or creating of the Seven Heinous Transgressions) even if not committed to any precept, as evil done will still create evil karmas (恶业) that lead to suffering naturally.

Those forbidden from receiving the Bodhisattva Precepts are those who have created the Seven Heinous Transgressions (七逆罪). The relevant sūtra text is below.

【第四十拣择受戒戒】:
[Fortieth (Light) Precept (Against) Choosing (Who To) Receive (These) Precepts]:

… 若欲受戒时,师应问言:『汝现身不作七逆罪不?』菩萨法师,不得与七逆人现身受戒。七逆者,出佛身血、杀父、杀母、杀和尚、杀阿阇黎、破羯磨转法轮僧、杀圣人。若具七逆,即现身不得戒,余一切人,尽得受戒。..

… If when desiring [to] receive [these] Precepts, Teachers should ask, saying, “[Have] you, [with this] present [life’s] body, not done [the] Seven Heinous Transgressions, [or] not?” Bodhisattva Dharma Teachers, must not with persons [who have done the] Seven Heinous [Transgressions, in this] present [life’s] body, receive [these] Precepts. Those Seven Heinous [Transgressions, [are to cause a] Buddha’s body [to] bleed, kill [a] father, kill [a] mother, kill [a] Venerable, kill [an] Ācārya, break up [the] karma [and] Dharma wheel-turning Saṃgha [and to] kill [a] noble person. If complete [with these] Seven Heinous [Transgressions], then [in this] present [life’s] body not attaining [these] Precepts, [with] all other persons, all [can] attain receiving [of these] Precepts

Since the above already mentioned that ‘ALL other persons [who have NOT done the Seven Heinous Transgressions], ALL can attain receiving of these [Bodhisattva] Precepts’, this means the below section on those who have ‘violating of the Ten [Heavy] Precepts’, who should ‘have repentance’ till they see good forms (好相) refers to those who break the Ten Heavy Precepts AFTER receiving the Bodhisattva Precepts.

【第四十一为利作师戒】:
[Forty-First (Light) Precept (Against) For Benefits Being Teachers]:

无七遮者,得与受戒。若有犯十戒者,应教忏悔。在佛菩萨形像前,日夜六时,诵十重四十八轻戒。苦到礼三世千佛,得见好相。若一七日,二三七日,乃至一年,要见好相。好相者,佛来摩顶,见光见华,种种异相,便得灭罪。若无好相,虽忏无益。是人现身亦不得戒,而得增益受戒。若犯四十八轻戒者,对首忏悔,罪便得灭,不同七遮。…

If [they are] those without [the] Seven Obstructing [Transgressions, they] must [be] with [them for] receiving [these] Precepts. If [there are] those [who] have violated [the] Ten Precepts, [they] should teach [them to have] repentance. Before [a] Buddha [or] Bodhisattva’s image, [in] day [and] night’s six periods, recite [these] Ten Heavy [And] Forty Light Precepts. Assiduously approaching [for] prostrating [to the] three periods’ thousand Buddhas, [they] must attain sight [of] good forms. If [for] one seven days, two, three, seven seven days, and even one year, [there] must [be] sight [of] good forms. Those good forms, [are with a] Buddha coming [to] rub [the] crown, seeing [of] light, seeing [a] flower, all kinds [of] different forms, then attaining elimination [of] transgressions. If without good forms, although [with] repentance, [it is] without benefits. These persons, [in this] present [body’s] life, also may not attain [these] Precepts, yet attaining increase [of] benefits [for] receiving [these] Precepts [in the future]. If [there are] those [who have] violated [the] Forty-Eight Light Precepts, facing towards [another for] repentance, [their] transgressions [will] then attain elimination, not [being the] same [as those with the] Seven Obstructing [Transgressions]…’

That said, usually before the ceremony for receiving the Bodhisattva Precepts, there will still be formal repentance practice, as none of us are free from many past transgressions, big and small in general. Of course, all who have broken any Precept or have created any Heinous Transgression should be advised to practise sincere repentance, as stated below.

【第五不教悔罪戒】:
[Fifth (Light) Precept (Against) Not Teaching (To) Repent (For) Transgressions]:

见一切众生犯八戒、五戒、十戒,毁禁、七逆、八难、一切犯戒罪,应教忏悔。

see all sentient beings violating [the] Eight Precepts, Five Precepts, Ten Precepts [and] Prohibitions, [with the] Seven Heinous [Transgressions and] Eight Difficulties, [of] all [who] violate [the] precepts [with] transgressions, [they] should [be] instructed [to have] repentance...

If those who have broken the Ten Heavy Precepts are expected to repent till they see good forms, this should all the more apply to those who have created the Seven Heinous Transgressions. Without clear signs that repentance is complete, the possibility of falling into the hells for grave evils done (in the worst-case scenario) remains. As reminded below…

《梵网经菩萨戒序》:
Brahma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts’ Preface:

自知有罪,当忏悔,忏悔即安乐;不忏悔,罪益深。

[Those who] personally know [they] have transgressions should repent, [with] repentance then [with] peace [and] bliss, without repentance, [with] transgressions increasing [in] depth. Those without transgressions [should be] silent…

相关经典
Related Sūtra:

十重戒
Ten Heavy Precepts
https://purelanders.com/2024/06/28/brahma-net-sutra-bodhisattva-precepts-text-ten-heavy-pratimok%e1%b9%a3a-precepts-ten-heavy-prohibitive-precepts

完整【第五不教悔罪戒】
Complete Text: [Fifth Light Precept Against Not Teaching To Repent For Transgressions]
https://purelanders.com/2024/07/04/brahma-net-sutras-bodhisattva-precepts-text-forty-eight-light-precepts

完整【第四十拣择受戒戒】
Complete Text: [Fortieth Light Precept Against Choosing Who To Receive These Precepts]
完整【第四十一为利作师戒】
Complete Text: [Forty-First Light Precept Against For Benefits Being Teachers]
https://purelanders.com/2024/07/25/brahma-net-sutras-bodhisattva-precepts-text-forty-eight-light-precepts-part-5

完整菩萨戒
Complete Bodhisattva Precepts
https://purelanders.com/pusa

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