The Merit of Observing the Eight Precepts

Original text of the Ekottara Āgama, Volume 16, Gaozhuang Chapter: 比丘当知。若有优婆塞．优婆夷。持此八关斋法。彼善男子善女人。当趣三道。或生人中。或生天上。或般涅盘。是故诸比丘。若有善男子善女人。欲持八关斋。离诸苦者。得善处者。欲得尽诸漏入涅盘城者。当求方便。成此八关斋法。

Explanation: Monastics should know that if there are upāsakas and upāsikās who uphold this eight-precept fasting dharma, those good men and good women will proceed toward three destinies: either reborn among humans, or reborn in the heavens, or attaining parinirvāṇa. Therefore, monastics, if there are good men and good women who wish to uphold the eight-precept fasting, who wish to leave all suffering, to be reborn in good destinations, to exhaust all defilements and enter the city of nirvāṇa, they should seek skillful means to accomplish this eight-precept fasting dharma.

This passage describes the meritorious retribution of upholding the eight-precept fasting. Why can upholding the eight-precept fasting lead one to leave suffering and attain liberation, to exhaust defilements and enter nirvāṇa? These eight precepts can gather in and restrain body and mind, so that the mind does not turn outward and the body does not move recklessly. In this way, one can both subdue afflictions and eliminate karmic obstructions, and also give rise to meditative concentration and merit. Not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, and not drinking alcohol can subdue the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, spare one from the karma of the three evil destinies, prevent one from undergoing retribution in the three evil destinies, and keep one unbound by evil karma, so that life after life one studies and practices the Buddha-dharma in the three good destinies—thus the attainment of the Path is swift.

Upholding the precept of abstaining from food after midday (vikālabhojanā veramaṇī) means less food in the stomach, sparing it excessive work, which allows the mind to be pure and to concentrate on contemplating the Buddha-dharma; meditative concentration and wisdom then arise easily. Not sitting on high, broad, or luxurious beds prevents arrogance from arising and avoids depleting merit, so merit accumulates quickly; with merit, cultivation is easily accomplished. Not applying fragrant flowers, rouge, or powder makes it easy to subdue and eradicate the view of the body and the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), thereby attaining liberation. In this way, these eight precepts can extinguish the defiled afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion; when afflictions are exhausted, one can attain liberation and enter nirvāṇa.

From the perspective of the meaning and function of the precepts, without receiving the precepts and without upholding the precepts, it is fundamentally impossible to attain realization and eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa); even the aspiration toward the first fruit (srotāpanna-phala-pratipannaka) could not occur. Nowadays, many Buddhist practitioners do not care about the matter of receiving and upholding precepts; they never take the initiative to receive precepts, nor do they pay attention to meditative concentration, but only like to absorb theoretical knowledge. They have no intention of being down-to-earth and cultivating genuinely and practically; their goal of cultivation is not clear, and their diligence is never sufficient. People in such a state are beginner Buddhists, and the vast majority in Buddhism are such people. With such people one cannot discuss matters of attaining realization or seeing the mind and one's nature (mingxin jianxing). Yet in reality, it is precisely such people who lightly claim—or are certified by others as having—attained realization or seen the mind. This is an extremely abnormal phenomenon in Buddhism. Where does the problem lie? One should think actively about this, so as to avoid falling into the same pit in the future.