比丘尼受戒錄
Record of Bhikkhuni Ordination
廣州南海寶象林沙門 弘贊在犙 述
Written by Hongzan of Baoxiang Forest, Nanhai, Guangzhou
稽夫中邊得戒。始末源由。中制十人受具。邊許五人得戒。中是中天竺。天竺之東際白木調國。南際靖善塔。西際一師黎仙人山。北際柱國。自此四外。名為邊國。震旦乃在白木調東二萬七千餘里。開持律五人得授大戒。昔漢明帝初。摩騰法蘭二法師來至此土。與人出家。唯剃鬚髮。披縵條衣。授彼五戒十戒而已。以不滿五人。不得受具。後至漢桓帝。一百餘年內。猶三歸五戒十戒。遞相傳授。桓帝已後。北天竺國。有支法領等五沙門。來至漢地。始於長安與人授具足戒。其時大律未有。唯口誦出戒本一卷。羯磨一卷。流行此土。時尼眾來求受戒。五僧曰。如律所明。唯開邊地五人僧受具戒。不論尼眾。是時諸尼辭退而還。泣淚如雨。曹魏初三年。中天竺曇摩迦羅(此云法時)。至雒陽。譯出戒律。立羯磨受法。準用十僧。於是佛法大行震旦。為東夏受戒律之始也。時漢末魏初。東天竺國。有二尼來到長安。見諸尼眾問曰。汝等誰邊受戒。尼眾答曰。我到大僧所。受五戒十戒而已。二尼歎曰。邊地尼眾。悉未有具。即為還本國。化得一十五人來。三人在雪山死。二人墮黑𡼏死。唯餘十人到此。諸尼悉赴京師。與授具戒。後到吳地。亦與彼尼眾受具。西尼思慕本鄉。遂附舶南海而還。及至上船。唯有七人。三人命終。來去經途十有餘年。又按高僧傳。宋元嘉十年。西天僧伽䟦摩。至建康。敕住平陸寺。為京師沙門慧照三百七十人。渡蔡洲岸。於船中再受具戒。或問其意。照曰。以疑先受。若中若下。更求增勝。故須重受。依本臘次。十一年。求那䟦摩。於南林寺立戒壇。為僧尼授戒。為震旦戒壇之始。時師子國。比丘尼八人來未幾。復有尼鐵索羅三人至。足為十眾。乃請僧伽䟦摩為師。為景福寺尼慧果等。於南林戒壇。依二部重受具戒。度三百餘人。噫。古人忘身為法。不憚數萬里而來。然此方得戒者。豈可不生難遭想哉。惜夫今當末法。知法秉羯磨者難得。而二部僧尼受戒。失傳久矣。昔摩騰羅漢。并諸賢哲。多是果位聖人。尚不敢違律。僧不滿數。與人授具。一部僧而與尼授大戒。我等何人。敢違佛教。滅佛正法。致他永失比丘比丘尼性。得虗假名。授受俱成非法矣。順治十四年。余在廣州羊城。時各縣餘尼來求受具。余辭不獲已。因立二部僧。各滿十人。與授大戒。自後十人難得。但有五人以上。亦與為授。要須持律清淨。故云邊地持律五人得受具戒。其尼親教師。要滿十夏。而羯磨教授二師。及餘證人。無論歲臘。事須解律。縱律未能精鍊。其羯磨者。必是持律明了。方許秉法。若不如是。強與他授。令他盡壽戒不霑身。罪非小也。雖云邊地五人僧受。不論尼眾。斯乃古人慎重。邊地僧尚難得。尼眾何能易有。茲以竊推。律既許僧。尼必預列。昔迦旃延尊者。在西天竺。阿槃提國。有長者子名億耳。出家求受具戒。時彼國無十人僧。不得受具。乃往白佛。佛聽邊地五人得受。時因緣在僧。故未及論尼。況今末法出家。遇正教者實難。若不論尼。則尼部全缺。八敬誰修。雖是邊地。而有持律清淨十人。別揀五人。律文不聽。知非持戒清淨。方任揀擇。以受戒事大。一不如法。則戒體斯失。今諸方叢席。為人授具。既不知作法結僧大界。戒壇奚立。則戒無由得矣。故云。若不結界。一切羯磨受戒等法。俱是空作。復不依律作白羯磨。唯師自心。在沙彌白衣前。杜撰唱說。非法為法。以譌傳譌。遞相踵習。沿波日久。不覺其非。佛言。若有秉羯磨說戒。則正法未滅世間。又云。毗尼藏住。佛法亦住。是故弘紹之賓。特宜遵教。俾正法而恒存。木叉而永固也(戒壇。即戒場。在大界內結)。已上略述得戒緣由。向下錄得戒和尚阿闍黎。二部僧名。并記自受戒年月日時。以識戒臘尊卑也。比丘尼弟子 年 月 日 時生族姓 係 府 縣人於 年月 日拜 師出家僧部年 月 日依 和尚受沙彌尼戒於 年 月 日 時受和尚具足戒秉羯磨阿闍黎名 號 軌範師尊證僧伽大德 大德 大德 大德大德 大德 大德尼部親教師尼名 字羯磨師尼名 字教授師尼名 字證戒尼僧賢部 賢部 賢部 賢部賢部 賢部 賢部附作法略儀
Regarding the boundaries of Central and Borderlands for receiving the precepts, the complete origins are as follows: In the Central Region, ten people are required to receive full ordination; in the Borderlands, five people are permitted to receive the precepts. "Central Region" refers to Central India. Its eastern border is Baimudiao (White Wood Tune) Kingdom, its southern border is the Quiet Good Stupa, its western border is the Hermit Sage Immortal Mountain, and its northern border is Zhuguo (Pillar Kingdom). Beyond these four borders is called the Borderlands. China lies over 27,000 _li_ east of Baimudiao Kingdom; it is permitted that five precept-holding monks give full ordination there.
In the past, during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty, the two Dharma Masters Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna came to this land. When people took ordination with them, they only shaved their heads and beards, donned patched robes, and received the Five Precepts and Ten Precepts. Because there were not five people, they could not bestow full ordination. Later, during the reign of Emperor Huan of Han, for over a hundred years, transmission was still only through the Three Refuges, Five Precepts, and Ten Precepts, passed down among themselves.
After Emperor Huan's time, five _śramaṇa_s from Northern India, including Dharmakāla, came to China. They began giving full ordination in Chang'an. At that time, the full _Vinaya_ had not yet arrived; only a single scroll of precept texts and a scroll of _karma_ procedures were recited orally and circulated in this land.
When nuns came seeking ordination, the five monks said, "According to the _Vinaya_, it is only permitted for five monks in the Borderlands to give full ordination. This does not include nuns." So the nuns withdrew, weeping like rain.
In the first year of the early Wei period, the Central Indian Dharmakāla (translated as Dharma-Time) arrived in Luoyang. He translated the precept texts and established the _karma_ ordination method, which required using ten monks. From then on, the Dharma flourished greatly in China, marking the beginning of receiving the precept text in the Eastern Xia.
At the end of the Han and beginning of the Wei, two nuns from Eastern India arrived in Chang'an. They asked the local nuns, "From whom do you receive your precepts?" The nuns replied, "We go to the senior monks and receive only the Five and Ten Precepts." The two nuns sighed, "Nuns in the Borderlands all lack full ordination." So they returned to their homeland and gathered fifteen nuns. Three died in the Snow Mountains, two fell into a black ravine and died, leaving only ten who arrived. All the local nuns then went to the capital and received full ordination. Later, they went to the Wu region and also gave full ordination to the nuns there. The Western nuns longed for their homeland and took a sea vessel from the South China Sea to return. By the time they boarded, only seven remained; three had passed away. Their journey, going and coming, took over ten years.
Also, according to the _Biographies of Eminent Monks_, in the tenth year of the Yuanjia reign of the Liu Song dynasty, the Western Indian Saṃghavarman arrived in Jiankang. He was ordered to reside at Pinglu Temple and for the monks of the capital, led by Hui Zhao, totaling 370 people, he crossed the Cai Province shore and received full ordination again on a boat. When asked why, Hui Zhao said, "Because of doubts about our previous reception—whether it was middling or low—so I seek something more excellent, hence the repetition. We follow our original seniority." In the eleventh year, Guṇavarman established an ordination platform at Nanlin Temple to give precepts to monks and nuns; this was the beginning of ordination platforms in China.
At that time, eight bhikṣuṇīs from the Lion Kingdom (Sri Lanka) arrived. Shortly after, three more nuns, including Iron Rope, arrived, making ten people. They invited Saṃghavarman as their master and, at the Nanlin ordination platform, following the dual assembly, gave full ordination again to the nuns Hui Guo and others of Jingfu Temple, guiding over 300 people.
Alas! The ancients forgot themselves for the Dharma and did not fear coming thousands of _li_. How could those who received the precepts in this region not generate a sense of rare encounter? How regrettable that now, in the Dharma-ending age, those who understand the Dharma and uphold the _karma_ procedure are rare, and the dual ordination for monks and nuns has been lost for a long time! In the past, the Arhat Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and other sages were mostly sages of the fruition stage; yet they still did not dare to violate the _Vinaya_. If the monastic community is incomplete in numbers, they give ordination; one assembly gives full ordination to nuns. Who are we that we dare to violate the Buddha's teaching, destroy the True Dharma, and cause them to permanently lose the nature of Bhikṣu and Bhikṣuṇī, acquiring only a false name? Both the giving and receiving become unlawful.
In the fourteenth year of the Shunzhi reign, I was in Guangzhou, Yangcheng. At that time, leftover nuns from various counties came seeking full ordination. I declined, but could not avoid it, so I established two assemblies, each with ten people, and gave the full precepts. After that, it became difficult to get ten people; sometimes with five or more, I also gave ordination. The key was to have precept-holders who were pure. Hence, it is said: "In the Borderlands, five precept-holding monks may give full ordination." The preceptor for nuns must have completed ten rains. The _karma_ teacher, the instructor, and the other witnesses do not need to be senior in years, but must understand the _Vinaya_. Even if the _Vinaya_ is not fully practiced, the one performing the _karma_ must be clearly upholding the precepts, only then is he allowed to conduct the ceremony. If not, forcing ordination on others causes them not to receive the precepts for their entire life—the offense is not small! Although it is said that in the Borderlands, five monks may give ordination, this does not include nuns. This was the ancients' caution: even monks in the Borderlands are hard to find; how could nuns easily have such opportunities? Considering this, since the _Vinaya_ permits monks, nuns must also be included. In the past, the venerable Kātyāyana, in Western India, in Avanti kingdom, the elder's son named Śroṇa-koṭīviṃśa (Ear) left home and sought full ordination. At that time, there were no ten monks in that country, so he could not receive the precepts. He went to the Buddha, and the Buddha allowed five people in the Borderlands to ordain. Since the occasion concerned monks, nuns were not discussed. Moreover, in this Dharma-ending age, those who leave home and encounter the true teaching are truly rare. If we do not discuss nuns, then the nuns' section is entirely missing; who will uphold the Eight Rules of Respect? Even in the Borderlands, if there are ten precept-holding pure people, selecting five is not allowed according to the Vinaya—knowing that those who are not pure in precepts are fit for selection. Because ordination is a great matter, if it is not done according to the Dharma, the precept essence is lost. Nowadays, in various monasteries, when people give full ordination, they do not know how to establish a boundary for the sangha—how can the ordination platform exist? Then the precepts cannot be obtained. Hence, it is said: "If no boundary is established, all _karma_ and ordination procedures are performed in vain." Moreover, they do not follow the _Vinaya_ to recite the _karma_ procedure; the teacher, based on his own mind, chants arbitrary formulas in front of novices and laypeople, making the unlawful into law, passing down error after error. Following the waves for so long, they are unaware of the fault. The Buddha said: "If there is someone who performs the _karma_ procedure and teaches the precepts, then the True Dharma will not disappear from the world." He also said: "When the _Vinaya_-piṭaka exists, the Buddha-Dharma also exists." Therefore, those who propagate and uphold the Dharma should especially follow the teachings, so that the True Dharma endures and the precepts are forever stable.
(Ordination platform means the ordination ground, established within the boundary.)
Above, I have briefly described the origins of receiving the precepts. Below, I record the preceptor's name and title, the names of the two assemblies, and the date of my own ordination, in order to distinguish seniority in the precept lineage.
**Disciple Bhikṣuṇī**：________ Year ________ Month ________ Day ________ Hour Born in family name ________ Surname ________ Prefecture ________ County ________ On ________ Year ________ Month ________ Day took refuge with teacher ________ and left home For the Monk assembly: On ________ Year ________ Month ________ Day, relying on Preceptor ________ received the Shrāmaṇerī (Novice Nun) precepts On ________ Year ________ Month ________ Day ________ Hour received the full precepts
**Monk Assembly** *Karma* Master: Name ________ Title ________ Instructor Master: ________ Witness Elders: Venerable ________ Venerable ________ Venerable ________ Venerable ________ Venerable ________ Venerable ________ Venerable ________
**Nun Assembly** Preceptor Nun: Name ________ Title ________ *Karma* Master Nun: Name ________ Title ________ Instructor Nun: Name ________ Title ________ Witness Nuns: Virtuous Nun ________ Virtuous Nun ________ Virtuous Nun ________ Virtuous Nun ________ Virtuous Nun ________ Virtuous Nun ________ Virtuous Nun ________
(Appendix: Brief ceremonial procedure)
初受具足戒尼。未能即閱大律。其親教闍黎二師。當與戒本令其熟讀。使知護持。無致虧犯。及識布薩。自恣。受衣。淨施等法也。
A newly ordained nun who has not yet studied the full Vinaya in detail should be taught by her two ordination teachers—the preceptor and the instructor. They should give her the precepts handbook and ensure she memorizes it thoroughly, so she understands how to uphold the rules, avoid violations, and knows the procedures for recitation ceremonies, self-reflection gatherings, receiving robes, and pure offerings.
布薩法
(半月半月布薩。下至有四比丘尼。即應誦戒本。不足四人。三人。二人。當對首布薩。若有所犯。應先懺悔已。然後布薩)。
(Every half-month, on the Uposatha day, if there are at least four nuns present, you should recite the precept text. If there are fewer than four—whether three or two—you should perform the Uposatha face-to-face. If anyone has broken a precept, they should confess it first, then perform the Uposatha.)