What is the difference in the karmic retribution of unwholesome karma between receiving the Five Precepts and not receiving them?

Whenever one commits evil karma, it is because of an evil mind and afflicted mind; it all stems from a poor mental disposition, and therefore it all carries innate offense (natural wrongdoing). The retributive result of innate offense is the same whether or not one has received the precepts. Because all sentient beings have the innate afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa) of greed, anger, and delusion, all sentient beings undergo evil retribution in the six paths of rebirth, with beings of the three evil paths constituting the vast majority. For a person who has not received the precepts, committing evil karma does not constitute a violation of the precepts; there is no offense against the precepts, and they only undergo the retribution of innate offense, not the retribution of precept-offense. When a precept-holder commits evil karma, apart from undergoing the retribution of innate offense, they must also undergo the retribution of the precept-offense.

For example, even if a person has not received the five precepts, after killing someone they must still descend into hell to repay the evil retribution; and after emerging from hell, when they encounter the person they killed again, they must still repay that person with a life. The same applies to killing animals—all carry the offense of killing, requiring retribution and the repayment of a life. The same is true for committing other evil karma: whatever evil retribution is due will be received. But if a precept-holder commits the same evil karma, there is an additional retribution of precept-offense, because knowingly violating the precepts is itself a disrespect for the precepts, and thus constitutes an offense. Those who knowingly violate, compared with those who violate unknowingly, have even heavier afflictions, and therefore their retribution is somewhat heavier. The same applies to wholesome karma: for a person who has not received the five precepts, if their bodily, verbal, and mental actions accord with the five precepts and their mental disposition is wholesome, they will receive wholesome retribution, gaining blessings and enjoying pleasures; moreover, the sentient beings they benefit will also repay them with corresponding benefits. When a precept-holder does wholesome deeds, they additionally gain the wholesome retribution of keeping the precepts, such as obtaining a human body, ascending to the heavens to enjoy blessings, and so on.