Precepts with Marks and Precepts without Marks

The realization of all dharmas requires realization by the manas; once the manas realizes them, it can automatically and spontaneously uphold and observe the precepts. If the mind consciousness's interpretation of the precepts cannot influence the manas, then when the causes and conditions for unwholesome karma are complete, the manas will still create unwholesome bodily, verbal, and mental actions in accordance with its own afflictive habitual tendencies, and the mind consciousness cannot easily control it. Once the manas has attained some realization in the relevant Dharma principles, no matter what external conditions it encounters, it will not follow its habitual tendencies to create unwholesome bodily, verbal, and mental actions again, because He will not apply His mind to those unreal dharmas and act upon them, and all the more will He have no desire to create unwholesome dharmas.

The precepts are first received and upheld by the mind consciousness, which gradually draws the manas along, so that the manas has no choice but to observe the precepts. When the manas has formed the habit of observing the precepts, it will observe them automatically and spontaneously, and at that point the mind consciousness no longer needs to supervise and regulate it. When the manas cannot observe the precepts and requires the mind consciousness to regulate and supervise it, this is the marked precepts upheld by the mind consciousness. This stage extends from the stage of ordinary beings all the way to noble ones of the third fruit and bodhisattvas on the bhūmis. People at this stage must hold the marked precepts, because if the manas has not been moistened drop by drop by the meditative concentration of the first dhyāna, and lacks the merit of sublime feelings of body and mind, it cannot eradicate afflictions, and will inevitably create unwholesome karma due to afflictions, making it impossible to preserve the precepts.

After eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and cultivating the meditative concentration of the first dhyāna, the manas gradually eradicates afflictions, and the mind-ground automatically becomes pure, so there is no longer any need for the mind consciousness to supervise and watch over it. Only then can one hold the markless mind-ground precepts, without paying too much attention to worldly marks; encountering any condition, the mind will not transgress the bounds, because there is no mental activity, and actions performed with the physical body in order to rescue and protect sentient beings do not constitute a violation of the precepts, and one will not descend to the three evil destinies to undergo evil retribution on account of them. If anyone has not cultivated to this level, yet does not hold the marked precepts and instead exclusively practices the markless precepts of bodhisattvas on the bhūmis, then whenever matters involving the precepts arise, it will necessarily constitute a violation of the precepts, and there will surely be evil retribution—cause and effect admit not the slightest ambiguity.