“When the Bodhisattva wishes
to renounce the world, Marapapiyas become greatly worried and say: 'Now, this
Bodhisattva will have a great battle with me’. Oh good man! How would such a Bodhisattva
fight with humans? Then, the Bodhisattva goes at once to a Buddhist Vihara and
sees the Tathagata and his disciples there, who are all correct in their deportment,
serene in their sense-organs, soft and calm in their minds. So he goes there
and seeks to be ordained. He shaves his head and puts on the three kinds of
monastic robes. After having been ordained, he upholds the prohibitive precepts
and does not fail in deportment. His movements are peaceful and nothing is violated.
Even a little sin he fears, and his mind to be true, is firm and unyielding
like a diamond.
Oh good man! Here is a man who wants to cross the sea on a floating bag. Then there is a rakshasa [flesh-eating demon] into the sea. He follows the man and begs him by the floating bag. Hearing this, the man thinks: 'If I give him, surely I will sink and die’. He answers: ‘Oh rakshasa! You can kill me, but will not get my floating bag’. The rakshasa says: 'If you cannot give the whole bag to me, give me half’. But the man still will not give him. The rakshasa says again: 'If you cannot give me half, give me one third’. The man does not say 'yes'. The rakshasa continues: 'If you cannot, give me the bit where your hand rests, I am severely pressed by hunger and distress. Please give me just a bit’. The man further says: 'What you seek to have, indeed, is not much. But I must cross the sea on this day. I don’t know how far it is. If I give you any part (of the bag), the air will gradually go out. How could I hope to cross this difficult sea? If the air goes out, I shall sink and die at the half-way’.
Oh good man! The same is the case with the Bodhisattva who upholds the precepts. He is like the man who wishes to cross the sea and who is very solicitous in protecting the floating bag, and is reluctant to give it. When the Bodhisattva thus cares to protect the precepts, always will appear on his way rakshasa of all evil illusions, who will say to the Bodhisattva: 'Believe me, I'm not trying to cheat you. Just commit the four grave offenses and take care of the other precepts. For this, I will give you peace and you will awaken in Nirvana’. The Bodhisattva will then say: ‘I would rather uphold the precepts and gain the Inferno Avichi than break them and be born in heaven’. The rakshasa of illusion will say: 'If you cannot commit the four grave offenses, commit the samghavasesa (are violations of rules of conduct that may cause the dissolution of the Sangha). For this, I will make you easily attain Nirvana’. The Bodhisattva will not obey. The rakshasa will say again: 'If you cannot commit the samghavasesa, commit the sthulatyaya. For this, you will have a peaceful Nirvana’. Again, the Bodhisattva will not obey. The rakshasa will say again: 'If you cannot commit the sthulatyaya break up the [rules of the] naihsargika-prayascittika. For this, you will have a peaceful Nirvana’. The Bodhisattva again will refuse to obey. Then the rakshasa will say again: 'If you cannot commit prayascittika, please commit the duskrta. For this, you will have a peaceful Nirvana’. Then the Bodhisattva will say to himself: 'If I commit the duskrta [minor offenses, which can be remitted by confession] and do not confess before the assembly [of monks], I may not be able to cross the sea of birth and death, and attain Nirvana '.
Oh good man! Here is a man who wants to cross the sea on a floating bag. Then there is a rakshasa [flesh-eating demon] into the sea. He follows the man and begs him by the floating bag. Hearing this, the man thinks: 'If I give him, surely I will sink and die’. He answers: ‘Oh rakshasa! You can kill me, but will not get my floating bag’. The rakshasa says: 'If you cannot give the whole bag to me, give me half’. But the man still will not give him. The rakshasa says again: 'If you cannot give me half, give me one third’. The man does not say 'yes'. The rakshasa continues: 'If you cannot, give me the bit where your hand rests, I am severely pressed by hunger and distress. Please give me just a bit’. The man further says: 'What you seek to have, indeed, is not much. But I must cross the sea on this day. I don’t know how far it is. If I give you any part (of the bag), the air will gradually go out. How could I hope to cross this difficult sea? If the air goes out, I shall sink and die at the half-way’.
Oh good man! The same is the case with the Bodhisattva who upholds the precepts. He is like the man who wishes to cross the sea and who is very solicitous in protecting the floating bag, and is reluctant to give it. When the Bodhisattva thus cares to protect the precepts, always will appear on his way rakshasa of all evil illusions, who will say to the Bodhisattva: 'Believe me, I'm not trying to cheat you. Just commit the four grave offenses and take care of the other precepts. For this, I will give you peace and you will awaken in Nirvana’. The Bodhisattva will then say: ‘I would rather uphold the precepts and gain the Inferno Avichi than break them and be born in heaven’. The rakshasa of illusion will say: 'If you cannot commit the four grave offenses, commit the samghavasesa (are violations of rules of conduct that may cause the dissolution of the Sangha). For this, I will make you easily attain Nirvana’. The Bodhisattva will not obey. The rakshasa will say again: 'If you cannot commit the samghavasesa, commit the sthulatyaya. For this, you will have a peaceful Nirvana’. Again, the Bodhisattva will not obey. The rakshasa will say again: 'If you cannot commit the sthulatyaya break up the [rules of the] naihsargika-prayascittika. For this, you will have a peaceful Nirvana’. The Bodhisattva again will refuse to obey. Then the rakshasa will say again: 'If you cannot commit prayascittika, please commit the duskrta. For this, you will have a peaceful Nirvana’. Then the Bodhisattva will say to himself: 'If I commit the duskrta [minor offenses, which can be remitted by confession] and do not confess before the assembly [of monks], I may not be able to cross the sea of birth and death, and attain Nirvana '.
The Bodhisattva-Mahasattva is
[thus] very strict to avoid these very small offenses [prohibited by the
precepts], and his mind is like a diamond. The Bodhisattva-Mahasattva,
respectful and indifferently observes the precepts against the four grave
offenses and against the duskrta.”
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