The Difference Between Excess Syndrome and Deficiency Syndrome

A bodhisattva at the first bhūmi must realize the Gate of Illumination of the Hundred Dharmas; a bodhisattva at the second bhūmi must realize the Gate of Illumination of the Thousand Dharmas; a bodhisattva at the third bhūmi must realize the Gate of Illumination of the Ten Thousand Dharmas. Each time a bodhisattva realizes a dharma, he breaks through one ignorance, overturns one wrong view (mithyā-dṛṣṭi), gains one insight, increases one portion of wisdom, and his afflictive obstructions (kleśāvaraṇa) of delusive thinking or his habitual tendencies diminish by one portion, and his conduct becomes purer by one degree. This continues until he has realized all dharmas, broken through all ignorance and view-delusions, attained wisdom and insight like that of a Buddha, completely severed delusive thinking without remainder, and completed the cultivation of the Buddha Way.

The same principle applies to the Small Vehicle teachings: with regard to the principle of no-self in the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), whatever degree one realizes, to that degree one breaks through ignorance, to that degree one gains insight, to that degree one increases wisdom, and to that degree one breaks through or severs delusive thinking.

To sum it up: one's conduct reaches as far as one's insight reaches. Realization means saying it and doing it; false realization means saying it but not being able to do it—mere lip service.