Formed Precepts and Formless Precepts

Question: How should we uphold the precepts during the Dharma Ending Age? Should beginners in Buddhism uphold the Five Precepts and Eight Precepts, while long-practicing bodhisattvas need not uphold form-based precepts, directly embracing the formless mind-ground precepts of Mahayana bodhisattvas by abandoning distinctions of form?

Answer: First, it is necessary to clarify the concepts of a beginner bodhisattva and a long-practicing one. What stage defines a beginner? What stage defines long-practice? What are their respective characteristics, and what is their mental state?

Long-practicing bodhisattvas, having been bodhisattvas for many lifetimes and kalpas, possess the habits of bodhisattvas. Not only are their afflictions inherently very slight or non-existent from birth, and their actions of body, speech, and mind naturally pure without needing instruction—they are automatically conscientious—but they also unconsciously and habitually delight in guiding sentient beings towards goodness, not for self-aggrandizement, but solely out of the wish for beings to abandon evil and cultivate virtue. Since bodhisattvas are born with slight or no afflictions, only earth-stage bodhisattvas reborn can achieve this. Having eradicated afflictions in previous lives, they may occasionally experience very slight afflictions in this life due to the obscuration of rebirth; this should be termed residual habit-energy of afflictions.

Long-practicing bodhisattvas, having realized Bodhi life after life, upon encountering the Dharma in this life, will automatically and conscientiously practice according to the inertia and methods of their past cultivation. They can quickly generate meditative concentration (dhyāna) and soon spontaneously attain fruition (phala) and re-attain enlightenment (mind-opening) without great difficulty. After attaining fruition and enlightenment, they quickly reconnect with the realization levels of their past lives—their fruition stage remains the same as before, their meditative concentration remains as before. If they continue practicing, their progress on the path is swift. Regarding guiding sentient beings, they do not need to learn or familiarize themselves anew; they naturally know how to teach beings. They will not lead beings towards greed, hatred, or delusion, nor will they indulge beings' afflictions. They naturally become strict teachers, holding disciples to high standards and rigorous requirements.

Only such long-practicing bodhisattvas can effectively uphold the formless mind-ground precepts of Mahayana bodhisattvas. Because their minds are already pure, they do not violate the form-based precepts established by the Buddha, such as the Five Precepts and Eight Precepts. They naturally do not break them without needing to deliberately uphold them; their actions of body, speech, and mind are pure. Because they possess meditative concentration at or above the First Dhyāna, afflictions are eradicated, and the mind-ground is pure. Only on this foundation can they uphold the formless mind-ground precepts. Their minds are not bound by the forms of precepts; they can do anything that does not affect the purity of the mind-ground, aiming to save sentient beings, not to indulge their own greed.

If a bodhisattva still harbors greed, hatred, or heavy delusion within, they must strictly uphold form-based precepts. The Five Precepts and Eight Precepts must each be strictly observed without violation. If violated, they must confess and repent with deep remorse, especially the Bodhisattva Precepts—they must be strictly upheld without the slightest indulgence or concession. A bodhisattva who has not eradicated any of the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion—especially one who lacks even the most basic access concentration (anāgamya-samādhi)—is not yet qualified to uphold formless precepts and fundamentally cannot uphold them. Because the mind-ground is impure, every thought arises in accordance with afflictions. They must diligently uphold form-based precepts, step by step restraining their minds from transgressing through various external forms. Only after the First Dhyāna arises and afflictions are eradicated can they begin tentatively to set aside form and uphold the purity of the mind-ground.

Those who lack the characteristics of the long-practicing bodhisattva described above all belong to beginner bodhisattvas. They should strictly cultivate and uphold form-based precepts and must not abandon the restraints of bodily and verbal conduct, acting arbitrarily and indulging their afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. Some, because they cannot abstain from meat, cannot abstain from alcohol, cannot abstain from pungent foods, insisting on enjoying these gustatory pleasures, make excuses saying, "I do not grasp at form or make distinctions; I uphold the mind-ground precepts. Though I eat pungent foods, my mind does not cling to their form." If so, then why don't you eat feces? Why do you still pick and choose, varying your daily dishes and refusing to eat the same thing repeatedly? Eating the same thing 365 days a year should not cause aversion; you should know contentment. One set of clothes for each of the four seasons should suffice. When thirsty, merely drinking water should suffice. Why be so particular—it's not entering someone else's mouth or stomach?

Present-day Buddhists are pitiable, pathetic, and detestable! Clearly possessing shallow roots of goodness, yet presuming themselves to be long-practicing bodhisattvas. Clearly incapable of upholding the Five Precepts, Eight Precepts, or Bodhisattva Precepts, yet loudly proclaiming they uphold formless mind-ground precepts, utterly lacking self-awareness. They are all high-sounding sloganeers. If this continues, Buddhism will inevitably decline; no one will attain accomplishment. The Threefold Training of Precepts, Meditative Concentration, and Wisdom (śīla, samādhi, prajñā) proclaimed by the World-Honored One himself—now they want to abandon the training in Precepts and Meditative Concentration, keeping only the dry wisdom (prajñā) training. Each one speaks of the Dharma eloquently and plausibly, yet possesses no actual cultivation whatsoever—their eyes are high but their hands low. This is the chaotic state of the current Buddhist world. It cannot be rectified because of sentient beings' powerful arrogance.