英語訳
**Chapter 3 of the Mahāyāna Yogācāra Research Divine Text**
Q: "What are the three of body?"
A: "The three are killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. The four of speech are false speech, harsh speech, divisive speech, and frivolous speech. By protecting these seven, one becomes a vessel of the Way."
Q: "If so, why are they called the 250 precepts?"
A: "There are seven inherent precepts, and the rest are for protecting them; these do not have separate essences."
Q: "How many subsidiary divisions do the five precepts of upāsakas have?"
A: "There are three subsidiary divisions."
Q: "What are the three subsidiaries?"
A: "First, the subsidiary of receiving and abandoning supreme harm to others; second, the subsidiary of important cultivation when transgressing what was received; third, the subsidiary of not transgressing what was received."
Q: "What is the meaning of these three subsidiaries?"
A: "The first subsidiary has three parts: first, abandoning killing; second, abandoning harming others' property; third, abandoning harming others' wives. The second subsidiary is abandoning false speech. The third subsidiary is abandoning taverns and places of carelessness. That is, [abstaining from] killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, not drinking alcohol, and not being careless—the three of body and one of speech form the inherent precepts."
Q: "Why are alcohol and carelessness not inherent precepts?"
A: "These do not have separate essences from the previous four."
Q: "For upāsaka precepts, does one receive all five completely as the precept essence, or receive them one by one?"
A: "Even receiving them one by one from among the five accomplishes the precept nature. Since these are for beginners, they are gradually guided."
Q: "For one day and one night, how many subsidiary divisions contain the eight precepts of fasting?"
A: "Five subsidiary divisions contain them."
Q: "What are the five subsidiaries?"
A: "First, the subsidiary of receiving and abandoning harm to others—this abandons killing and stealing. Second, the subsidiary of receiving and abandoning harm to self and others—regarding both one's own wife and others' wives, there is no violation of precepts. Third, the subsidiary of important cultivation when transgressing what was received—this abandons false speech. Fourth, the subsidiary of right mindfulness without transgressing what was received—this abandons singing, dancing, entertainment, cosmetics, crowns, fragrant garlands, high large beds, and eating at improper times. Fifth, the subsidiary of not destroying right mindfulness—this abandons taverns and places of carelessness."
Q: "Why do the ten precepts of śrāmaṇeras make abandoning singing, dancing, and entertainment one precept, and cosmetics and fragrant garlands another precept?"
A: "For householders, these places are not necessarily improper. For renunciants, they are extremely improper. Therefore, for householders, they are lightly regulated as a general restriction making them one. For renunciants, regarding these places, they are heavily regulated as separate restrictions making them two."
Q: "Regarding such fasting precepts, are the explanations of Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna the same or different?"
A: "Hīnayāna explanations and Mahāyāna regulations are separate."
Q: "How are they separate?"
A: "The Abhidharmakośa, volume 14, says: 'There are seven conditions for conferring the eight precepts: first, necessarily at dawn; second, in humble position excluding illness; third, necessarily from a teacher; fourth, following the teacher's instruction, the recipient speaks afterward; fifth, having the eight branches complete; sixth, necessarily abandoning adornment and pride, excluding regular bodily necessities; seventh, necessarily for day and night.' In Mahāyāna doctrine, it is not necessarily thus—there are only six conditions, and following a teacher is not necessary."
Q: "Since upāsakas with five precepts and upāsakas with eight precepts can self-receive, why receive from others?"
A: "The Yogācārabhūmi, volume 53, says: 'Because there are two kinds of subsidiaries for receiving and protecting abandonment of evil precepts, namely shame and conscience.'"
Q: "Why are shame and conscience the two conditions?"
A: "By having shame, when manifesting transgressions oneself, one deeply generates embarrassment. By having conscience, when manifesting transgressions before others, one deeply generates embarrassment. For these two conditions, one not only self-receives but also receives from others."
Q: "What is the sequence of the bodhisattva's ten grave precepts?"
A: "Killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, self-praise while disparaging others, stinginess, anger, and slandering the Dharma—these eight types depend on the fundamental karma-paths. The two transgressions in between—selling alcohol and speaking of faults—are separately regulated for laypeople. Selling alcohol is regulated to protect the first four; speaking of faults is regulated to protect the latter four."
Q: "Are there light and heavy transgressions within the precept against killing?"
A: "There are light and heavy [transgressions]."
Q: "What are the light and heavy [classifications]?"
A: "There are five approaches: first, regarding the object; second, regarding the mind; third, regarding the three times; fourth, regarding frequency; fifth, regarding the precepts. Among the five approaches, what about regarding the object?"
A: "Among those killed, there are ordinary people and also sages. Killing ordinary people is light; killing sages is heaviest. Among ordinary people, there are those who have aroused bodhicitta and those who have not, which can be understood in sequence. Others can be understood appropriately. Due to complexity, I'll abbreviate this."
Q: "Are there light and heavy [transgressions] in the stealing precept?"
A: "There are light and heavy [transgressions]."
Q: "How are they light and heavy?"
A: "Stealing objects of the Three Jewels is extremely heavy. Among the Three Jewels, Buddha's objects are heavy, Dharma objects are next in heaviness, and among Sangha objects, permanent Sangha property is extremely heavy."
Q: "Are there light and heavy [transgressions] in the sexual misconduct precept?"
A: "This also has light and heavy [transgressions]."
Q: "What are the light and heavy [classifications]?"
A: "Sexual misconduct with mothers and daughters is considered extremely heavy. [Misconduct with] precept-holding nuns is next in heaviness, and [misconduct with those who have] aroused bodhicitta is extremely heavy."
Q: "Why is the sexual misconduct precept inherently grave? Because both self and other harmonize and generate extreme pleasure."
A: "Illicit sexuality is heavy because it destroys others' intentions. Fearing excessive elaboration, I'll briefly stop here."
**Three Treatises School**
The Three Treatises represent the later thoughts of former sages and what later worthies esteem. Six hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, a great being appeared in the world named Nāgārjuna. He attained the stage of the Ten Bhūmis, his virtue pervaded the five regions of India, received the Buddha's prediction and manifested divinity, approached the Dharma assembly and extended transformation. Initially appearing in Gandhāra as a master of non-Buddhist schools, he finally entered the Dragon Palace and became the standard-bearer of the inner Dharma. The mountain of wisdom towered majestically—its peak difficult to fathom; the ocean of Dharma stretched vastly—its depths difficult to exhaust. He worried about sectarians clinging to stumps and was pained by counterfeit stones being confused with jade, so he took up his divine brush to compose these elegant treatises, called the Mūlamadhyamaka-kārikā and Dvādaśadvāra-śāstra. The Buddha-sun shone again; the Dharma-wheel turned anew. In the eight hundredth year, there was a great bodhisattva named Āryadeva. He understood that sky-flowers easily fall and knew that phantom stamens are difficult to grasp. Thus he pondered these root treatises and also composed the Śataśāstra. With concise text and abundant meaning, he purified the wisdom-water of attachment to existence and dispelled the dragon-torch of extreme views, thereby indicating that purpose.
The so-called Three Treatises are: First, the Madhyamaka-śāstra, which is a treatise clarifying the middle way and correct contemplation, hence called the "Middle Treatise." It consists of one work in four volumes with twenty-seven chapters. The root text was composed by Nāgārjuna, the commentary produced by Piṅgala. Nāgārjuna originally composed the Mahābhayā-śāstra and excerpted this from within it. Second, the Śataśāstra, which is a treatise explaining one hundred verses, hence called the "Hundred Treatise." This treatise consists of one work in two volumes with ten chapters. The root text was composed by Āryadeva, the commentary produced by Vasubandhu. Third, the Dvādaśadvāra-śāstra, which is a treatise explaining the twelve-part scriptures, hence called the "Twelve Gate Treatise." This treatise consists of one volume with twenty-six verses. The root text was composed by Nāgārjuna, the commentary produced by Piṅgala. Some say both root text and commentary were composed by Nāgārjuna.
Q: "What do these Three Treatises take as their doctrine?"
A: "These treatises have two doctrines. Speaking generally, they take 'all dharmas lacking inherent nature' as their general doctrine. Speaking specifically, the Madhyamaka-śāstra takes the two truths as its specific doctrine, the Śataśāstra takes the two wisdoms as its specific doctrine, and the Dvādaśadvāra-śāstra takes objects and wisdom as its specific doctrine."
Q: "How do we know that these Three Treatises generally take 'all dharmas lacking inherent nature' as their general doctrine?"
A: "After the Buddha's enlightenment, during the twenty-one days, he entered Deer Park and turned the wheel of true Dharma with the characteristics of the Four Noble Truths. The five bhikṣus and others understood..."