Why Does the World-Honored One Not Allow Laypeople to Discuss Monastics?

When Elder Master Xuyun was at Nanhua Monastery, there was a monk who may have done something contrary to the Dharma. The supervising master struck another master with the incense board, and a layperson who witnessed this thought the master was lacking in compassion—how could he hit someone? But this kind of reaction is problematic, because laypeople do not know the precepts of monastics or the rules of the monastery, and should not casually pass judgment on monastics. The Dragon King, a Dharma protector of the back mountain, also could not stand it and gave that monk a slap as well. When Elder Master Xuyun learned of this, he rebuked the Dragon King and forbade him from meddling in the affairs of the Sangha. This shows that the affairs of the Sangha are handled by the Sangha itself; others may not interfere arbitrarily—not even dragon and deva Dharma protectors.

Not all bhikṣus are noble ones, so there are bound to be faults. But when a bhikṣu has a fault, it must be dealt with according to the precepts established by the Buddha, through formal Sangha karma (saṅghakarma); it is not something for laypeople at home to casually criticize or interfere with. Even a bhikṣu who has broken the precepts—the merit of his initial aspiration to leave home still surpasses that of hundreds of millions of laypeople (the sutra says: 破禁比丘虽无戒，初心出家功德胜，百千万亿白衣人，功德纵多不及彼). It is like a golden vessel that, though broken and leaky, is still far superior to an intact wooden vessel. One great virtuous one said: “虽说破戒如人尸，然具剩余之功德，如牛王死留苦胆，獐子尸体具麝香。”

The Buddha himself also declared with his own golden mouth that even if his disciples who have left home violate prohibitions and break precepts, they still surpass all worldly non-Buddhists. Even if a monastic breaks the precepts, because he wears the Tathāgata's kaṣāya robes, dwells together with those of pure brahma conduct, and frequently hears and reflects on the noble teachings of the three trainings, it is easy for him to give rise to shame and remorse, repent of his misdeeds, reform his past ways, and cultivate for the future. It is like a person with strong, healthy legs who occasionally stumbles and falls to the ground but immediately gets back up—whereas laypeople are not like this.

The Sutra on the Merit of the Sangha says: “纵使欲火炽烧心，玷污尸罗清净戒，不久速能自忏除，还入如来圣众位。如人暂迷失其道，有目还能寻本路，比丘虽犯世尊禁，虽然暂犯还能灭。如人平地蹶脚时，有足还能而速起，比丘虽暂缺尸罗，虽犯不久还能补。”

The sutra also says that even if a monastic falls into hell, it is like a ball slapped into water—it rises as soon as it sinks—whereas a layperson is like a stone sinking into water, extremely difficult to rise again.

Therefore, I earnestly advise those with affinity: never slander the Sangha Jewel under the Tathāgata's teachings. If one does not restrain one's own evil mind and evil deeds, when karmic retribution ripens in the future, one may even come to slander the Tathāgata himself. The evil bodily, verbal, and mental actions of slandering the Sangha, defaming the Sangha, and harming monastics will cause one to sink into the three evil destinies for millions of kalpas with no prospect of release. If, due to past ignorance, one has harmed or slandered monastics, one should now give rise to great terror, sincerely and thoroughly confess, seek mercy and repent, and vow never to commit such acts again for as long as the future endures.

The Daśacakra-kṣitigarbha Sūtra of the Great Collection (Mahāyāna Mahāsaṃnipāta Kṣitigarbha Daśacakra Sūtra) says: “若诸有情带在家相，不剃须发不服袈裟，虽不得受一切出家别解脱戒，一切羯磨布萨、自恣悉皆遮遣，而有圣法得圣果故，胜义僧摄，是名胜义僧。”

In the present age of the Dharma-ending period, the monastic community is a mixed bag of fish and dragons, with the good and the bad intermingled. But it cannot be denied that they are still the field of merit for humans and devas, the upholders of the Buddha's Dharma. If their merit of even a single instant had physical form, the entire great earth could not contain it. Without today's monastics, even the image-Dharma of today could hardly be sustained, and of course there could be no lay practitioners with the three refuges, the five precepts, the bodhisattva precepts, and so on.

Therefore, laypeople should respectfully support all monastics equally, and must not readily ridicule, defame, or slander them. Of course, when relying on a teacher, one may choose the good among them to follow and learn from.

If you see a monastic breaking precepts, doing evil, or violating deportment, you should immediately contemplate with a pure mind, and must never ridicule, slander, or spread word of the misdeeds. To laypeople, monastics are like elders; therefore, even if they have faults, one should regard them as pure, protect them with forbearance, gently and skillfully advise and support them. Even if you are unable to help them, you absolutely must not expose and publicize their faults.