24.6 （六）斋戒

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "There are three days of fasting in the fifteenth day of the month. What are the three? The eighth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days.

Bhikṣus, you should know that there are times when on the eighth day of fasting, the Four Heavenly Kings send their ministers to observe the world, to see who is doing good or evil. What kind of beings are filial and kind to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders? Are there any beings who like to give, cultivate precepts, patience, diligence, samādhi, expound the meaning of the sūtras, and observe the eight precepts? Please distinguish them. If there are no beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders, then the ministers will report to the Four Heavenly Kings, 'In this world now, there are no beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, and brāhmaṇas, and practice the four immeasurables with compassion for all beings.' When the Four Heavenly Kings hear this, they will be sorrowful and displeased. At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings will go to the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods and gather in the hall of good Dharma to report this matter to Śakra, saying, 'Śakra should know that in this world now, there are no beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders.' When Śakra and the Thirty-three Gods hear this, they will all be sorrowful and displeased, reducing the number of gods and increasing the number of asuras.

If there are times when the beings in the world are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders, and observe the eight precepts, cultivating virtue and purity, not violating the precepts even as small as a hair, then the messengers will be overjoyed and unable to contain themselves. They will report to the Four Heavenly Kings, 'Now in this world, there are many beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders.' When the Heavenly Kings hear this, they will be greatly delighted and immediately go to Śakra, the Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, to report this matter, saying, 'Śakra should know that now in this world, there are many beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders.' Then Śakra and the Thirty-three Gods will all be overjoyed and unable to contain themselves, increasing the number of gods and decreasing the number of asuras. The tortures in hell will naturally cease, and the pain of poison will not occur.

If it is the day of fasting on the fourteenth, the prince will be sent down to observe the world, to see if there are any beings who believe in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha, who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders, who like to give, observe the eight precepts, close off the six senses, and restrain the five desires. If there are no beings who cultivate the five practices and are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders, then the prince will report to the Four Heavenly Kings. When the Four Heavenly Kings hear this, they will be sorrowful and displeased. They will then go to Śakra, the Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, to report this matter, saying, 'Great King, you should know that now in this world, there are no beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders.' Then Śakra and the Thirty-three Gods will all be sorrowful and displeased, reducing the number of gods and increasing the number of asuras. The tortures in hell will naturally cease, and the pain of poison will not occur.

If there are beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders, and observe the eight precepts, then the prince will be overjoyed and unable to contain himself. He will then go to report to the Four Heavenly Kings, 'Great Kings, you should know that now in this world, there are many beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders.' When the Four Heavenly Kings hear this, they will be greatly delighted and will then go to Śakra, the Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, to report this matter, saying, 'Holy King, you should know that now in this world, there are many beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders, who accept the Three Refuges, speak with compassion and resolve disputes, and are sincere and trustworthy.' Then Śakra, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the Thirty-three Gods will all be overjoyed and unable to contain themselves, increasing the number of gods and decreasing the number of asuras. The tortures in hell will naturally cease, and the pain of poison will not occur.

Bhikṣus, you should know that on the fifteenth day when the precepts are recited, the Four Heavenly Kings personally come down to inspect the world and observe the people. Which beings are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders, who like to give, observe the eight precepts, and practice the Tathāgata's precepts? If there are no beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders, then the Four Heavenly Kings will be sorrowful and displeased. They will then go to Śakra, the Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, to report this matter, saying, 'Great King, you should know that now in this world, there are no beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders.' Then Śakra, the Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, and the Thirty-three Gods will all be sorrowful and displeased, reducing the number of gods and increasing the number of asuras.

If at that time there are beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders, and observe the eight precepts, then the Four Heavenly Kings will be overjoyed and unable to contain themselves. They will then go to Śakra, the Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, to report this matter, saying, 'Great King, you should know that now in this world, there are many beings who are filial to their parents, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and elders.' Then Śakra, the Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, the Thirty-three Gods, and the Four Heavenly Kings will all be overjoyed and unable to contain themselves, increasing the number of gods and decreasing the number of asuras.

At that time, the World Honored One told the bhikṣus, "What is the method of observing the eight precepts on the fifteenth day?"

At that time, the bhikṣus addressed the World Honored One, saying, "The Tathāgata is the king of all dharmas, the seal of all dharmas. We only wish that the World Honored One would explain this meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard it, the bhikṣus will uphold it."

The World Honored One said, "Listen attentively! Listen attentively! Consider it well, and I shall explain it in detail for you. Thus, bhikṣus! If there are good men and good women, on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month when precepts are recited and the fast is observed, they should go to the assembly of the four groups and say, 'On this fast day, I wish to observe the eight precepts of the fast. I only wish that the Venerable One would explain it to me!' At that time, the assembly of the four groups should teach and explain the eight precepts of the fast. First, they should teach them to say, 'Good man, you should proclaim your name.' Having proclaimed their names, they should then be taught the eight precepts of the fast. At that time, the instructor should teach the person in front to say, 'I now uphold the fast method of the Tathāgata, and until tomorrow morning, I shall cultivate pure precepts and remove evil dharmas. If I have committed evil deeds with the body, spoken evil words with the mouth, or given rise to evil thoughts with the mind, the three evil deeds of the body, the four evil deeds of the mouth, and the three evil deeds of the mind, whether already committed, to be committed, or capable of being committed due to greed, hatred, delusion, nobility, or evil friends, whether in this life, future lives, or countless lives, whether not recognizing the Buddha, not recognizing the Dharma, or causing disputes in the Sangha of bhikṣus, or killing parents or other venerable elders, I now confess and repent, not concealing them. Relying on the precepts and the Dharma, I shall perfect my practice of precepts and uphold the eight precepts of the fast of the Tathāgata.'

What are the eight precepts of the fast? Upholding the mind like a true person, for the duration of one's life, not killing, without any harmful intent, having compassionate thoughts towards sentient beings. 'I now proclaim my name. I observe the fast until tomorrow morning, not killing, without any harmful intent, having compassionate thoughts towards all sentient beings.

'Like an arhat, without any wrong thoughts, for the duration of one's life, not stealing, delighting in giving. I now proclaim my name. For the duration of my life, I shall not steal. From now until tomorrow, I shall uphold the mind.

'Like a true person, I now, for the duration of my life, shall not engage in sexual misconduct, without any wrong thoughts, always practicing pure conduct, with a fragrant and clean body. Today, I uphold the precept of not engaging in sexual misconduct. I shall not think of my own wife, nor shall I think of other women. Until tomorrow morning, I shall not violate this.

'Like an arhat, for the duration of one's life, not speaking falsely, always knowing sincerity, not deceiving others. From now until tomorrow, I shall not speak falsely. From now on, I shall no longer speak falsely.

'Like an arhat, not drinking alcohol, the mind not confused, upholding the Buddha's precepts without violating them. I shall also be like this, from today until tomorrow, not drinking alcohol, upholding the Buddha's precepts without violating them.

'Like an arhat, for the duration of one's life, not violating the precepts of the fast, always eating at the proper time, eating little and being content, not attached to flavors. I shall also be like this, for the duration of my life, not violating the precepts of the fast, always eating at the proper time, eating little and being content, not attached to flavors, from today until tomorrow.

'Like an arhat, always not sitting on high and wide beds. So-called high and wide beds, such as gold, silver, ivory beds, or beds made of horns, Buddha seats, pratyekabuddha seats, arhat seats, and seats of honored teachers. At that time, arhats did not sit on these eight kinds of seats. I shall also not violate this sitting.

'Like an arhat, not wearing fragrant flowers, ointments, and powder. I shall also be like this, for the duration of my life, not wearing the good things of fragrant flowers, ointments, and powder.

'I now name myself so-and-so, leaving these eight things, upholding the eight precepts of the fasting ceremony, not falling into the three evil destinies. Holding this merit, not entering the eight difficulties of hell, hungry ghosts, animals, and so on, always obtaining good spiritual friends, not associating with bad spiritual friends, always being born in good parents' families, not being born in borderlands without the Buddha's teachings, not being born in long-lived heavens, not becoming a slave to others, not becoming a Brahma god, not becoming a Sakra god, and not becoming a wheel-turning sage king, always being born in front of the Buddha, seeing the Buddha myself, hearing the Dharma myself, and not having the faculties disturbed. If I vow to practice the three vehicles, may I quickly attain the fruit of the path.'

"Bhikṣus, you should know that if there are upāsakas and upāsikās who uphold this eight-part fasting ceremony, those good sons and good daughters will proceed to three paths: either being born among humans, or being born in the heavens, or attaining parinirvāṇa."

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

Not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, avoiding alcohol
staying away from fragrant flowers, indulging in flavors, and breaking the precepts. Dancing
singing, performing, and learning to abandon like an arhat, now upholding the eight-part
fasting ceremony, day and night without forgetting. Not having the suffering of birth
and death, without a fixed period of wandering, do not gather with those
you love, and do not meet with those you dislike. May the suffering
of the five aggregates, all pain, and the afflictions of birth and death
be extinguished. Nirvāṇa is free from all troubles, I now take refuge in it.

Therefore, bhikṣus! If there are good men and good women who wish to uphold the eight-part fasting ceremony to be free from suffering, to attain a good state, to exhaust all taints and enter the city of nirvāṇa, they should seek skillful means to accomplish this eight-part fasting ceremony. The reason is that the glory of human status is not to be valued, the happiness of the heavens is immeasurable. If good men and good women wish to seek unsurpassed blessings, they should seek skillful means to accomplish this fasting ceremony.

I now solemnly instruct you again. If there are good men and good women who uphold the eight-part fasting ceremony and wish to be reborn in the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings, they will also attain this wish. For those who uphold the precepts, their wishes will be fulfilled. This is why I speak of this meaning. The glory of human status is not to be valued. If good men and good women uphold the eight-part fasting ceremony, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they will be reborn in good places in the heavens, also being reborn in the heavens of the Lustful, Tuṣita, Yāma, and Nirmāṇarati, and will never be in vain. The reason is that for those who uphold the precepts, their wishes will be fulfilled.

Bhikṣus! I now solemnly instruct you again. If there are men and women who uphold the eight-part fasting ceremony and wish to be reborn in the heavens of desire or form, they will also attain this wish. Why is this so? Because for those who uphold the precepts, their wishes will be fulfilled. If there are good men and good women who uphold the eight-part fasting ceremony and wish to be reborn in the formless heavens, they will also fulfill their wishes.

Bhikṣus should know, if there are good men and good women who uphold the eight-part fasting ceremony and wish to be reborn in the families of the four castes, they will also be reborn there. Again, if good men and good women uphold the eight-part fasting ceremony and wish to become a heavenly king of one direction, two directions, three directions, or four directions, they will also attain their wish. If they wish to become a wheel-turning sage king, they will also attain their wish. The reason is that for those who uphold the precepts, their wishes will be fulfilled. If there are good men and good women who wish to become a śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, or buddha, they will all fulfill their wishes. I now become a buddha because of upholding the precepts, the five precepts and ten good deeds. There is no wish that is not attained. Bhikṣus! If you wish to accomplish the path, you should study in this way.

At that time, the bhikṣus heard what the Buddha said and joyfully received and practiced it.