Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume X: The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

(38) Discipline realization refers to the ability to firmly uphold all precepts established by the Buddha without transgression, thereby ceasing to create karmic actions leading to the three evil destinies. Those who achieve discipline realization absolutely will not intentionally kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume intoxicants. Their bodily, verbal, and mental karmas are pure and undefiled, having already been liberated from the sufferings of the three evil destinies and having distanced themselves from the ten unwholesome courses of action. Their present body has attained the fruition of Stream-enterer up to Arhatship, as well as Pratyekabuddhahood, Bodhisattvahood, and Buddhahood. That is to say, only those who have achieved the noble fruits can possess discipline realization.

As stated in the 55th volume of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, noble ones who have attained the fruition of Stream-enterer or above and are endowed with discipline realization will not violate the Five Precepts or any other precepts they have undertaken. Since their minds do not correspond to the three evil destinies, they will not create the ten unwholesome karmic actions leading to the three evil destinies, nor will they violate the Five Precepts, the Bhikṣu/Bhikṣuṇī Precepts, or the Bodhisattva Precepts. If a person cannot even uphold the Five Precepts, then based on the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra and the Prakaraṇāryavācā-śāstra, it can be determined that this person does not possess the realization of Stream-enterer or above. Their claimed fruition attainment is a misjudgment, a false claim, and is not credible.

Regarding the realization of the truth through present awareness (darśana-mārga-abhisamaya), according to the 55th volume of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, during the preparatory path of cultivation (prayoga-mārga), one must first accumulate the merit and wisdom provisions for the path of seeing (darśana-mārga) to an extremely complete degree. Then, the mind becomes effectively tamed and subdued. Relying on and conforming to the limit of the worldly stage of discernment (nirveda-bhāgīya), uninterrupted wholesome roots arise. This means that through practicing the preparatory path, the mental faculty (manas, the seventh consciousness) has been sufficiently permeated by wholesome dharmas, the mind-ground has become soft and tamed, and wholesome roots have manifested. In the Buddhist path of cultivation, "uninterrupted" generally refers to the mental faculty. Consciousness (mano-vijñāna, the sixth consciousness) is intermittent, ceasing and arising; it is unreliable. Only when the mental faculty is cultivated do wholesome dharmas reach a stage of completion, resulting in a qualitative leap, and the path attainment can advance to a higher level.

After the mental faculty gives rise to wholesome roots, the mind initially dispels the false dharmas of sentient beings. This means the initial realization of the path, realizing that the five aggregates (skandhas) are empty, false, and illusory. At this stage, one can remove the coarse afflictions (dauṣṭhulya) to be abandoned upon the initial path of seeing. This meaning is quite clear: the path of seeing at the Stream-enterer stage eliminates the manifestation of coarse afflictions and can remove some coarse afflictions. Only after the mental faculty also realizes the path can coarse afflictions be eliminated; consciousness alone cannot eliminate afflictions.

After attaining the fruition of Stream-enterer, the wisdom and realization of the Stream-enterer's path of seeing manifest and continue uninterruptedly. Then, for the second time, the meritorious wisdom of the path of seeing arises. The mind further dispels the various false dharmas of beings composed of the five aggregates, and the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) is eliminated more profoundly, leading to the attainment of the Once-returner fruition (Sakṛdāgāmin). This eliminates the medium grade of coarse afflictions to be abandoned by the path of seeing. This means that the Stream-enterer's path of seeing is not ultimate; the view of self is only eliminated to an initial, mild degree. There remains a second, medium degree of elimination, and the coarse afflictions are also eliminated incompletely. The Once-returner's path of seeing must continue to eliminate coarse afflictions. The Once-returner fruition is, of course, also attained by the mental faculty, enabling uninterrupted wisdom to arise and further eliminate coarse afflictions.

After attaining the Once-returner fruition, the wisdom and realization of the Once-returner's path of seeing manifest and continue uninterruptedly. Then, for the third time, the meritorious wisdom of the path of seeing arises. A more profound, universal dispelling of all false dharmas of sentient beings composed of the five aggregates arises, and the view of self is eliminated even more deeply. Through this merit, the manifestation of all coarse afflictions to be abandoned by the path of seeing is eliminated. The 55th volume of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states that this path of seeing is the union (yuganaddha) of the first dhyāna (dhyāna) and the wisdom of insight (vipaśyanā). It requires not only profound wisdom of insight eliminating the view of self but also the first dhyāna to eliminate all coarse afflictions. This is the elimination of the view of self by Non-returners (Anāgāmin) and Arhats (Arhat), termed the path of seeing of the third and fourth fruits.

The previous Stream-enterer and Once-returner stages do not necessarily require the first dhyāna, but they must possess the access concentration (upacāra-samādhi), and it must be complete. Otherwise, the wisdom of insight eliminating the view of self will not arise, and one cannot eliminate the view of self to attain Stream-enterer or Once-returner. When attaining the Non-returner fruition, one possesses the three grades of vipaśyanā insight wisdom that eliminate the view of self, and simultaneously possesses the three grades of śamatha meditative concentration of the path of seeing. Combined with the union of concentration and wisdom, these are collectively established as the three minds (tricitta). Thus, in a single moment, the Non-returner's śamatha and vipaśyanā are fully complete.

All noble ones who cultivate the Four Noble Truths must rely on the Dharma, not on individuals. All should follow the standard for eliminating the view of self and realizing the path of seeing as taught by Bodhisattva Maitreya in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra to evaluate whether oneself or others have truly attained the path of seeing with balanced concentration and wisdom, or whether it is merely a self-proclaimed false path of seeing. Clarifying the standard for the path of seeing will prevent confusion, avoid committing the grave karmic offense of major false speech (mahā-mṛṣāvāda), and protect the Buddha's teachings.