Does Observing Precepts Count as Practice?

A says: The ultimate purpose of practice is to break the attachment to self, and then to break the attachment to dharmas. To break the attachment to self and dharmas, one needs prajñā wisdom; and to accomplish prajñā wisdom, one must have the supporting condition of meditative concentration (samādhi). 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, so 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 doing unwholesome karma, keeping the three karmas of body, speech, and mind pure. At that point one has the power to use prajñā wisdom to break through the greed, hatred, delusion, attachment to self, and so on 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 eradicates the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and breaks the attachment to self and dharmas—such precept-keeping counts as practice. But I feel that precept-keeping that merely avoids creating unwholesome karma is still not enough. Although, from the perspective of one newly setting out to learn Buddhism, this is already very good, one still has not entered the stage of practice, and therefore it still does not count as practice.

"Practice" (修) means correcting one's own thoughts, views, and bodily, verbal, and mental actions; "cultivation" (行) means putting things into practice, concrete action, engaging in wholesome dharmas and wholesome karma—merely not doing evil is not enough. Sentient beings' bodily, verbal, and mental actions 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 not doing evil cannot fulfill wholesome dharmas and cannot bring great merit, and therefore it still does not count as practice.

B says: Keeping the Hīnayāna precepts is not true practice of the Buddha's path; at most it counts as a safeguard for practice. Keeping the Bodhisattva precepts is what counts as practice. Practicing the Buddha's path is like a ship sailing on the sea of suffering: the direction and route of the ship's voyage are of first importance. The roadmap of practice taught by the World-Honored One is of first importance; the Dharma ship is second. Why does merely keeping the Hīnayāna precepts not count as practicing the Buddha's path? For example, it is like only protecting one's own small boat from hitting reefs and from leaking, drifting alone in the sea of suffering—unable to benefit oneself, and unable to benefit others either. How could this count as practice that benefits both self and others?

B's view is that merely keeping the Hīnayāna precepts still does not count as practice; only keeping the Mahāyāna precepts counts as practice. But as long as the initial aspiration is pure, both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna count as practice—it is only that their respective goals differ: the Hīnayāna gets off the vehicle midway, while the Mahāyāna gets off at the terminal station. Whether keeping the precepts counts as practice depends on what kind of mental activity 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 merit is exhausted, falls again—such precept-keeping can still lead to downfall, and thus it is not practice. Non-Buddhists also keep precepts; many of them absolutely never violate the five precepts and their minds are also pure, yet in the end they remain non-Buddhists and do not walk the Buddha's path—such precept-keeping also does not count as practice.

The goal of Hīnayāna practice is to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), to cultivate the realization of no-self, to change the view that the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) 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 eradicate the view of self and tend toward liberation, attaining the realization of nirvāṇa—then such precept-keeping belongs to practice. Conversely, if one keeps the precepts with a mind that holds to a self, not practicing the deeds of no-self, calculating "I" everywhere in the mind, then such precept-keeping is not practice; one will not obtain the fruit-virtue of no-self, and after receiving the merit of precept-keeping one will still fall. The Mahāyāna, with a mind of no-self, performs deeds that benefit others and gives rise to the great bodhi mind; such precept-keeping is the foundation of cultivation and realization, capable of transforming one's mental nature, increasing meditative concentration and wisdom, and leading to seeing the mind and attaining enlightenment—therefore it counts as practice.