Does Keeping Precepts Count as Spiritual Practice?

A says: The ultimate purpose of cultivation is to break the attachment to self, and further to break the attachment to dharmas. To break the attachment to self and to dharmas, one must have prajñā wisdom; to accomplish prajñā wisdom, one must have the supporting condition of meditative concentration (dhyāna). Without the supporting condition of meditative concentration, the mind will be scattered, and even if one has been nurtured in prajñā wisdom, one will be unable to apply it; therefore one must have the power of meditative concentration. And the foundation of meditative concentration lies in keeping the precepts. Only through keeping the precepts can one prevent and refrain from committing unwholesome karma, keeping the three karmas of body, speech, and mind pure. Only then does one have the power to use prajñā wisdom to break through the greed, hatred, delusion, and attachment to self within the mind.

A's meaning is that keeping the precepts helps meditative concentration, maintains a pure mind, and avoids creating unwholesome karma; under the power of meditative concentration one eliminates the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and breaks through the attachment to self and the attachment to dharmas—such precept-keeping counts as cultivation. But I feel that merely keeping the precepts by not creating unwholesome karma is still not enough. Although, from the perspective of one who has just resolved to learn Buddhism, this is already very good, one still has not entered the stage of cultivation, and therefore it does not yet count as cultivation.

"Cultivation" means correcting one's own thoughts, views, and bodily, verbal, and mental actions; "practice" means putting things into action, concrete operation, engaging in wholesome dharmas and wholesome karma. Merely refraining from evil is not enough. The bodily, verbal, and mental actions of sentient beings are replete with the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and replete with ignorance. These afflictions of ignorance need to be counteracted with wholesome dharmas: as the wholesome comes, the unwholesome goes; where there is the wholesome, there is merit. Merit, first, helps in keeping the precepts; second, it helps in giving rise to meditative concentration and subduing afflictions; third, it helps in giving rise to wisdom, changing mistaken thoughts and views, purifying bodily, verbal, and mental actions, and transforming both body-mind and world. Merely keeping the precepts and refraining from evil cannot fulfill wholesome dharmas and cannot bring great merit; therefore it does not yet count as cultivation.

B says: Keeping the precepts of the Small Vehicle is not true cultivation of the Buddha Way; at most it counts as a safeguard for cultivation. Keeping the bodhisattva precepts is what counts as cultivation. Cultivating the Buddha Way is like a ship sailing on the sea of suffering—the ship's direction and route are of first importance. The route map of cultivation taught by the World-Honored One is of first importance; the dharma ship is second. Why does merely keeping the Small Vehicle precepts not count as cultivating the Buddha Way? For example, if one only protects one's own small boat from striking reefs and from leaking, drifting alone on the sea of suffering, unable to benefit oneself and unable to benefit others, how can this count as a cultivation that benefits both self and others?

B's view is that merely keeping the Small Vehicle does not yet count as cultivation; only keeping the Great Vehicle precepts counts as cultivation. But as long as the resolve is pure, both the Great and Small Vehicles are cultivation; it is only that their respective goals differ—the Small Vehicle gets off the vehicle midway, while the Great Vehicle gets off at the terminal station. Whether keeping the precepts counts as cultivation depends on what state of mind one keeps the precepts with, and what result the precept-keeping points toward. If one keeps the precepts for the sake of human and heavenly blessings, then having obtained human and heavenly blessings, one either creates unwholesome karma or, when the blessings are exhausted, falls again—such precept-keeping can still lead to downfall, and so it is not cultivation. Followers of non-Buddhist paths also keep precepts; many of them absolutely never violate the five precepts and their minds are also pure, yet in the end they remain followers of non-Buddhist paths and do not walk the Buddha's path—such precept-keeping also does not count as cultivation.

The goal of Small Vehicle cultivation is to eliminate the view of self, to cultivate the attainment of no-self, to change the notion that the five aggregates are the self, and to attain liberation from the bondage of the five aggregates. If one can keep the precepts with a selfless mind of no-self, one can eliminate the view of self and tend toward liberation, attaining the fruit of nirvāṇa—such precept-keeping belongs to cultivation. Conversely, if one keeps the precepts with a mind that holds to a self, not performing the deeds of no-self, calculating everywhere in the mind about "I," such precept-keeping is not cultivation; one will not obtain the fruit-virtue of no-self, and after receiving the blessings of precept-keeping one will still fall. The Great Vehicle performs deeds that benefit others with a mind of no-self, giving rise to the great bodhi mind—such precept-keeping is the foundation of realization and verification, capable of transforming one's mental disposition, increasing meditative concentration and wisdom, and leading to seeing one's true mind and awakening; therefore it counts as cultivation.