余以貞觀二十一有年仲冬。於終南山豐德寺刪定戒本。故其序曰。自戒本之行東夏也。曹魏中世法護創傳羯磨乃明戒本盇闕。姚秦關輔方譯廣文。覺明法師首開律部。因出戒本附譯傳寫。高齊御曆盛昌佛日。三方釋侶二百餘萬。法上大統總而維之。沙門慧光當時僧望。聯班上統攝御是圖。以夫。振紐提綱修整煩惑。非戒不立非戒不弘。更以義求纂緝遺逸。重出一本廣流于世。則其本首題歸敬者是也。隋運并部沙門法願鄙光所出宗理爽文。後學憑附卒難通允。乃準的律部。連寫戒心。通被汾晉。最所傾重。則其本首題戒德者是也。參互三本讎校同異。通會皆附正經。摘理義無不可。是以。先達晚秀奉而莫遺。意在忘筌。豈惟文綺。世有惰學浮侈之徒。博觀未周隨言計執同我則審難為易。異聽則達是言非。比周成俗卒未懲曉。甞以餘景試為通之。如光所詮我今說戒。願之所出云說木叉及披律解木叉戒也。願出初戒則云不還。光所傳辭便言不捨。檢律誠釋。違願附光。取意統文莫非還淨。如斯舉例其相可知。若夫。戒德戒宗。誠明定慧銷煩靜務。超世超生。初涉問津會歸舟濟。非文不啟非義不通。玅識兩緣雙袪二執。蕩焉無累紛諍何從。令余所述。還宗舊轍。芟略繁蕪修補乖競。辭理無昧投說有蹤。庶幾。言行并傳愚智通解。悠悠來裔。未達斯歸。略為題引序之云爾。No. 707

In the winter of the twenty-first year of the Zhenguan era, I was at Fengde Temple on Mount Zhongnan, revising and finalizing the Pratimoksha (precept) text. Hence, I provide this preface:

Since the Pratimoksha text spread to China, during the mid-Cao-Wei period, the monk Fahu first transmitted the Karma (procedural) texts, but the Pratimoksha text itself was incomplete. It was only in the Yao-Qin era, within the Guanzhong region, that the full translation of the precepts was rendered. The Dharma Master Jue Ming was the first to open the Vinaya (monastic discipline) section, and accordingly produced a Pratimoksha text, which was attached to the translation and copied for transmission.

During the Northern Qi dynasty, the Buddha’s teachings flourished greatly. There were over two million monks and nuns across the three regions. The Chief Officer Fa Shang oversaw and unified them all. The monk Hui Guang was a prominent figure among the monastic community at the time, and he joined the ranks of leadership to manage and guide the orders.

They understood that to take hold of the essential and to remedy afflictions and confusion, there must be discipline—without discipline, nothing can be established, and without discipline, nothing can flourish. So, they sought further meaning, compiled lost traditions, and produced a new version of the text, which spread widely throughout the world. That version is the one beginning with the verse of homage.

During the Sui dynasty, the monk Fa Yuan of Bing Province found Hui Guang’s version to be logically disordered and textually discordant. Later scholars relied on it but found it difficult to comprehend and apply. Therefore, he took the Vinaya as his standard and composed a concise Pratimoksha text, which circulated widely in the Fen and Jin regions and was highly esteemed. That version is the one beginning with the expression “Precept Virtue.”

I then compared these three versions, examined their similarities and differences, and reconciled them all with the original canonical texts. The reasoning was sound, and there was nothing unacceptable. Thus, past and present masters upheld these versions and did not abandon them. The true intention is to grasp the meaning, not to cling to elegant wording.

Yet in the world, there are lazy and superficial practitioners who, without comprehensive study, cling to their own views. They consider agreement with themselves to be rigorous and disagreement to be misguided. Cliques have formed, and such habits have yet to be reformed. At times, I have tried to clarify these matters. For example, Hui Guang’s version says, “I now speak the precepts,” while Fa Yuan’s version says, “I speak the Pratimoksha.” When consulting the Vinaya, the explanation clearly refers to the Pratimoksha precepts. Again, Fa Yuan’s version for the first precept says “not to return,” while Hui Guang’s version says “not to relinquish.” Checking the Vinaya, the correct interpretation favors Hui Guang, not Fa Yuan. The essence of the meaning is the restoration of purity. Such examples reveal the underlying pattern.

As for the Virtue of Precepts and the Essence of Precepts, they truly illuminate concentration and wisdom, eliminating afflictions and calming disturbances. They transcend worlds and transcend rebirth. Beginners who ask about the path will find a ferry to cross the river. Without words, they cannot be awakened; without meaning, they cannot be understood. Only by keenly discerning both the literal and the implied can one shed dual attachments. When one is free and without burdens, from where can disputes arise?

What I have now compiled returns to the original tradition. I have abridged the superfluous, repaired the inconsistencies, and restored the clarity of meaning. The expressions are unambiguous, and the explanations provide a clear trace. I hope that both conduct and speech will be transmitted together, and that both the wise and the ordinary will understand. For the countless generations to come, who may not yet find their way home, I have written this brief introduction as a guide.

In the winter of the twenty-first year of the Zhenguan era, I was at Fengde Temple on Mount Zhongnan, revising and finalizing the Pratimoksha (precept) text. Hence, I provide this preface:

Newly Revised Four-Part Monastic Precepts (新刪定四分僧戒本)

Newly Revised Four-Part Monastic Precepts (新刪定四分僧戒本)