The Meaning of Śīla Being Ultimately Without Śīla

The precepts are originally non-existent, meaning that the precepts are dharmas arising from causes and conditions; they fundamentally do not exist. It is because the body, speech, and mind of sentient beings in the Saha world are impure, with defiled minds, that the Buddha established the precepts to restrain the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of his disciples. Without the five aggregates, there would be no need to use precepts for restraint. If, after cultivation, the five aggregates attain purity and non-action, the precepts would also not be needed for restraint. On the other hand, the fundamental mind, the Tathagatagarbha, has no physical body, no bodily, verbal, or mental actions, and no defilements; fundamentally, it has no need for precepts to restrain it. It does not receive precepts, does not observe precepts, and certainly does not violate precepts. It is the physical body of the five aggregates that needs to receive precepts, observe precepts, and sometimes violate precepts. Therefore, it is said that the precepts are originally non-existent. The precepts are formed later; they are dharmas that arise and cease, and thus are illusory.