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為什麼我們先講「輕戒養蠶第二十七」？就是讓你先有個概念，連蠶都不能養來賣給人做絲帛而造殺生業，何況這些大的動物？這是我們先要有的概念，就是第一不殺生。
那麼，我們是不是可以養呢？佛在第十五條戒說得很清楚，有獵殺性的貓貍是不可以養，但是佛並沒有說象、馬、牛、羊、駝、驢這些不能養。為什麼呢？因為在古時這些動物都是交通工具。豬不是交通工具，所以沒說豬；象、馬、牛這些都是交通工具。如果不能養的話，對在家居士是很不方便的。如果不得已要養的話，我們怎麼做才可以說是如法？
這裏我們可看到佛陀的智慧。因為佛陀告訴我們，眾生皆有佛性，皆堪作佛，我們沒有權力去擁有眾生。眾生應有牠的自由，我們要愛護眾生，而非去擁有。世間的貪愛是染污的，以佔有為目的，並不真正愛護眾生；佛陀的慈悲和世間的愛不同，這點我們先要瞭解。
佛陀的本懷是，讓眾生身心自由自在地生活，是最好不過的。因為不得已，人必須使用這些畜生為幫手，譬如用牛犁田，馬運輸，大象、駱駝越過沙漠。如果受了這個戒以後，他哪都不能走了。所以佛就告訴他一個方法，就是在不得已的時候，你要做淨施。
這一點跟一般人養寵物是不一樣的。我們養寵物是一種染愛心：「這是我的寶貝！我的 darling！」女人第一，狗第二，男人第三；這是一種情結、染污的愛，不是我們該要的。
我們這裡所講的，除了剛講的輕戒第十五條，絕對禁止養貓貍這種有獵殺性的動物--剛才忘了講--有一種叫銀龍的魚，臺灣的人為了要風水好就養銀龍魚。那是獵殺性的魚，也不應該養，都包括在內。或者獵殺性的飛禽，像老鷹之類，都不應該養。但是如果我們必須要養一些動物的話，我們要有一種慈悲心。
如何能以慈悲心來養呢？佛陀告訴我們一個辦法，來對治我們的習氣。
我們的習氣是：「這個東西是我的，我要怎麼用就怎麼用」，「這頭牛是我的牛，我要怎麼樣打就怎麼樣打；我要牠做工，牠就做工；我要餓牠一天，就餓牠一天。這是我的事，是我的牛，不是你的牛。你有什麼權力管？」
那麼佛陀知道眾生的習氣，說：「好，如果你必須養這些畜生的話，你必須要做淨施。」不做淨施，就不行。
所謂淨施，就是你要以清淨心來布施，要直接或者輾轉捨與他人。什麼是輾轉呢？譬如說我有一頭牛，我今天受了菩薩戒，我鄰居沒有受菩薩戒，這頭牛我布施給你，然後你借給我。那這牛已經變成是你的了，我是借來的；既然是借來的，我就不能像以前一樣要打或怎麼樣，都認為「這是我的事」了。現在這頭牛是經過特別手續借來的，那就會愛護牠，因為是要還給人家的，我心裡就會特別照顧牠。如果是我們自己的東西，就會隨便一點；現在是人家的東西，就會謹慎小心一點了。
所以就用這個方法來護持這些個畜牲，但是最好是能找個地方把牠放生了，因為我們人跟畜牲應該結善緣。
這條戒是條非常有智慧的戒，在菩薩戒的行持當中是非常重要的。
大家請翻到後面第164頁，這是屬於「智慧的抉擇：何者不該施」。後半段是屬於「淨施」方面。
在佛陀的教化中，這個方法用得非常廣泛。除了出家眾經常使用之外，在大乘的菩薩戒法當中，也用到。就是說行菩薩道的人，對自己所有一切的東西，不要這麼想：「這是我的 ，我化了大半輩子賺來的」，或「這是我父親給我的。」我們要把這些先都布施給十方諸佛菩薩，然後就像出家人的淨施法，用淨施把我們的貪心捨掉。這些東西是我們暫時保管，乃至我們的身體也是暫時居住的。
那麼，如果有人真需要我的身體的話，我可不可以給他？不是我的身體怎麼給？但是我們可以這麼想，諸佛菩薩是無有少物，我今天是代諸佛菩薩保管的，諸佛菩薩對眾生都是慷慨布施的，所以我可以給他。當布施的時候不作「我」想，我是幫助佛菩薩代為給他的，所以我沒有一種「我」的貪愛，認為「我」是做功德，同時避免對「本來我所有」的執著。
看166頁。如果來的人「觀施時不稱正理」，我知道來乞討錢的人，拿了錢之後就去花天酒地，或去害人，或去造惡業，可不可以給他？你不是說諸佛菩薩都是大慈大悲的，我不過是代為保管？那我就給他了。不行，我們要有智慧，要告訴他，「這東西不是我的，是佛菩薩的。」然後好好安慰他，給他善法。「你要好好修行，好好念佛。你可以去做工賺錢，這樣討，對你也不是長久之計。」給他一個方便法，讓他離開。如果能夠這樣做，也能夠避免你內心的掙扎，同時也持戒圓滿。
淨施就是去我們的貪著，淨施法可以增加我們對眾生的愛護和照顧。時間有限，這七條輕戒就簡單帶過。
請翻到第70頁，這兒有兩個表格大家可以看一看。這是告訴我們，如何把我們剛學的「不殺害眾生」的精神，在我們身口意方面建立基本的態度；在環境方面如何保護我們的戒體，讓我們的戒體滋養茁壯。
在意業方面，我們內心要發大菩提心，立大志願：「我們今天受了菩薩戒，我怎麼樣也不犯，就是犧牲我的生命，我也不犯殺戒。我寧可死，也不犯殺戒。」要經常將心比心：「我是爸媽生下來的，我為什麼要去殺害其他其他人呢？他們也有爸媽兒女的。」
表格裡第二和第三是差不多的。第四第五是殺生的果報；第六是一種孝順心，一切眾生過去生中都是我的父母，我怎麼可以不孝呢？
待續
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Why did we discuss the Twenty-seventh Minor Precept first? This was so we could have a general understanding that we should not kill in the first place. How much the less should we kill these large animals? Can we then still raise these animals? The Buddha clearly stated in the Fifteenth Minor Precept that we should not raise predatory animals such as cats. However, the Buddha did not forbid the raising of animals such as elephants, horses, cattle, goats, camels, and donkeys.
The reason for this is that in ancient times, these animals were used as the major means of transportation. Since pigs were not used for transportation, they are not mentioned in the text. Elephants, horses, and oxen were used as means of transportation. Without them, life would have been very inconvenient. So, what should we do to be in accord with Dharma in the event that we have to raise these animals?
In this instance, we can see the Buddha's wisdom. The Buddha has mentioned that living beings have the Buddha-nature and can become Buddhas. We do not have the right to possess them. All living beings should have their own freedom. We should cherish living beings but not possess them. The avaricious love of worldly people is defiled for it is ultimately motivated by the desire to possess someone. It is not a genuine way of cherishing living beings. Therefore, we should understand that there is a great difference between the Buddha's compassion and worldly love. The Buddha basically wishes that all living beings could live freely as they are. However, human beings need the aid of these animals; for example, they need buffalo for plowing, horses for transporting, and elephants and camels for crossing the desert. After receiving this precept, a person would not be able to travel at all. Therefore, the Buddha taught that when it was absolutely necessary, we could perform an act of "pure giving." This is different from what we normally do when we raise pets. We treat our pets with a certain kind of impure affection. Some may say, "This is my treasure! This is my darling!" Women come first, dogs are second, and men come third. We should not have this kind of defiled and clinging love.
What we have said here, apart from the Fifteenth Minor precept that was discussed earlier, absolutely prohibits raising cats and other predatory animals. I forgot to add that we should not raise a type of predatory fish called "Silver Dragon" which many Taiwanese raise for Feng Shui purposes. We should not raise other predatory birds such as eagles. However, when we do have to raise certain animals, we should do so with compassion.
And how do we raise animals compassionately? The Buddha taught us a method to overcome our bad habits.
Most of us have an attitude that says, "It belongs to me, so I can do whatever I want with it," or "This is my ox and I can punish it as I wish; I can make it work for me or starve it for a day if I want to. It is mine and not yours; therefore nobody has the right to mind my business."
The Buddha knows our bad habits and therefore taught that if we must raise these animals, we should practice pure giving.
What is meant by "pure giving"? It means to have a pure mind when we give something up to others either directly or indirectly. What is "indirectly giving up" in this context? For instance, if I have an ox and I am going to receive the Bodhisattva precepts today, then I might give my ox to you and borrow it from you later. The ox will no longer be mine. It will belong to you and I will only borrow it from you. Since it will be borrowed, I certainly won't mistreat the ox as I might have in the past when it belonged to me. I will be borrowing it from someone and therefore I will take care and pay special attention to it since I need to return it to the owner. We can be a bit casual with our own things, but we must handle others' possessions more carefully.
Therefore, we can protect these animals by practicing pure giving. The best thing, however, would be to set these animals free in order to promote good relations between human beings and animals.
We can see that this precept is full of wisdom. And it is of utmost importance in practicing and upholding the Bodhisattva precepts.
Let's turn to page 164 of the text, which is part of the section on "Making Wise Decisions on What Not to Give." The latter part of this section concerns pure giving.
In the teachings of Buddha, this is a very common method used by monastics as well as laypeople who uphold the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva precepts. Those practicing the Bodhisattva Way should not regard material possessions with the attitude: "This is mine; I spent half of my life earning it," or "This is mine; my father gave it to me." Instead, we should give these things to the Buddhas of the ten directions. And we should use the monastic practice of pure giving rid ourselves of greed. These items are only temporarily in our safekeeping, including our bodies, which we occupy temporarily.
If someone asks for our body, shall we give it up? Well, in the first place, this body is not really ours, so how can we give it away? But we can think in this way: the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas lack nothing, and we are merely taking care of these items on their behalf. Since the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are always generous towards living beings, we can give it away. However, we should not practice giving with any sense of ego. We are simply giving on behalf of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Therefore, we should not feed our ego and think that we are doing meritorious works, nor should we think that what we gave belonged to us in the first place.
Please turn to page 166, where it says, "If one judges that it would not be proper to give something..." Suppose someone comes and begs for money, but we know that the person would use the money to buy intoxicants or engage in improper acts or even commit killing or other evil deeds. Should we still give to that person? Didn't we say earlier that all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are very compassionate and that we are only safeguarding the money for them? That being the case, we should give to that person, right? Wrong. We should use our wisdom and tell the person, "The money is not mine. It belongs to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas." We should gradually console the person by teaching him wholesome Dharma. We can tell him, "You can practice and recite the Buddha's name. You should look for a job to earn a living. Being a beggar is not a long-term solution" By using such expedient Dharmas to refuse the person, we can resolve the struggle in our minds and yet uphold the precepts in a skillful way.
Pure giving serves to get rid of our greed and can increase our care and protection for the living beings. Due to time constraints, we will briefly cover these seven minor precepts.
Please turn to page 70 of the text. There are two tables for our reference. They explain how we can develop basic attitudes in our body, mouth, and mind of not killing or harming any living being; and environmental factors involved in protecting and nurturing our precept substance.
In terms of mind karma, we should make a great Bodhi resolve and vow, "I have received the Bodhisattva precepts today, and I shall not break the precept against killing even if I have to give up my life. I would rather die than break the precept against killing" We should always put ourselves in others' shoes and think, "My parents gave birth to me. How can I kill other beings who are the sons and daughters of their parents?"
The second and third points of the table are quite similar. The fourth and the fifth describe the retribution of the killing karma. The sixth emphasizes filiality. All living beings have been my parents in the past; how could I possibly not be filial to them?
To be continued
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