The Functions of the Three Undefiled Trainings: Morality, Meditative Concentration, and Wisdom

The Function of the Three Uncontaminated Trainings: Morality, Concentration, and Wisdom "Contamination" (āsrava) refers to the leaks of afflictions such as greed, hatred, and delusion, and various kinds of ignorance-leaks. What leaks away is wholesome dharma, wholesome aspirations, wholesome mind, and wholesome roots. When the mind is wholesome, one can escape the suffering of saṃsāra; when the mind is wholesome, one can accomplish the Buddha Way. What leaks away as unwholesome dharma is evil and unwholesome dharma, and the suffering of birth-and-death in saṃsāra cannot then be severed. Therefore, one must cultivate practice to attain the uncontaminated state of the mind-ground and remove ignorance. There are three main channels for realizing the uncontaminated mind-ground: the three uncontaminated trainings of morality (śīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā). Through upholding precepts, the mind becomes uncontaminated; through cultivating meditative concentration, the mind becomes uncontaminated; through cultivating wisdom, the mind becomes uncontaminated. Why can upholding precepts make the mind uncontaminated? Because when one can uphold the precepts, the mind will not transgress the precepts, cannot do evil, and cannot create contaminated karmic actions of greed, hatred, and delusion. After a long time, once it becomes habitual, the mind will naturally no longer wish to create evil karma; the afflictions will be subdued, wholesome dharma will grow, and the four right efforts (samyak-prahāṇa) will be cultivated. With long-term upholding of precepts, the mind becomes effectively gathered and restrained, no longer chasing after objects everywhere, and meditative concentration will arise. 

Why can meditative concentration make the mind uncontaminated? Because when the mind is in concentration, it does nothing—it does not chase after objects and is not scattered; it does not create contaminated karma of greed, hatred, and delusion, and thus the afflictions are subdued. After emerging from concentration, due to the force of habit, the power of concentration can still be maintained to a certain degree; one does not delight in chasing objects, the mind is at peace and does not recklessly fabricate, and one can still subdue afflictions. If preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) is complete, one can sever the five grades of afflictions of the desire realm, become an aspirant to the first fruit (srotāpanna-phala-pratipannaka), and in this very life have the conditions to realize the first fruit.

The non-Buddhist practitioners' four dhyānas and eight absorptions have even stronger power of concentration; they can subdue not only the nine grades of afflictive delusions of the desire realm, but also the nine grades of afflictive delusions of the form realm, and even the nine grades of afflictive delusions of the formless realm. However, such subduing is not the same as severing or complete elimination, because the wisdom of "no self in the five aggregates" is still lacking. If they encounter the truth of the Four Noble Truths, relying on the profound power of meditative concentration, with just a brief deliberation of gathered thought they can realize the Path, completely sever all afflictions, and body and mind drop away. When one attains the arhat of the fourth fruit, the hair on the head and beard will naturally fall out and the kaṣāya robe will drape itself upon the body, signifying that afflictions have been completely severed—one is naturally a monastic. Before the third fruit, because afflictions still remain, the hair and beard cannot fall out and the kaṣāya cannot drape itself upon the body, so one cannot naturally become a monastic. Therefore, if a layperson wishes to become a monastic without receiving the bhikṣu or bhikṣuṇī precepts, they must completely sever all afflictions, so that hair and beard fall out naturally and the kaṣāya drapes upon the body without anyone performing tonsure. As long as a layperson has even a trace of affliction, they are a layperson. If they insist on claiming to be a monastic, that is forcibly stealing the identity of the monastic Sangha jewel, confusing monastics and laity, and constitutes an extremely grave offense. 

Why can wisdom make the mind uncontaminated? The wisdom that realizes the Four Noble Truths of no-self and the truths of the Great Vehicle can break through ignorance. When there is no self in the mind, one will no longer act for the sake of self; not acting for self means being selfless, and selflessness is goodness. Goodness can break afflictions, and the mind becomes uncontaminated. Where there is self, there is offense; where there is self, there is affliction; where there is self, wholesome dharma leaks away. This uncontaminated wisdom is true wisdom based on morality and concentration; wisdom without morality and concentration is merely dry wisdom, without practical value. When morality, concentration, and wisdom are unified together, they completely sever all afflictions, and wholesome dharma will never again leak away. When wholesome dharma is perfectly complete, one becomes a Buddha.