Maintaining Precepts in Dreams Indicates the Mental Faculty Can Uphold Precepts

Question: Some say the standard for successful precept observance is maintaining the precepts without violation even in dreams, exercising control over dreams to never break precepts. This implies that the manas, without the suppression of consciousness, has already comprehended the principles and can act accordingly. Only then can there be some assurance during the bardo stage, which requires considerable meditative concentration.

Answer: That is correct. Once the manas is thoroughly trained and accomplished in the precepts, it can exercise control, automatically upholding the precepts without violation day or night. One can maintain mastery over all actions even in dreams and observe the precepts when faced with challenging circumstances. This is only possible when the mind of the manas has undergone genuine transformation. Those who have not yet cultivated to this stage remain in the phase of conscious precept observance, where consciousness suppresses the manas, preventing it from choosing actions of body, speech, or mind that violate the precepts. Once consciousness can no longer suppress the manas, the manas chooses to engage in precept-breaking behavior, and the person violates the precepts.

In the initial stages of practice, one can only strive for consciousness to uphold the precepts as much as possible. This is called suppression, or pretending to observe the precepts. When the manas has not yet transformed and cannot act autonomously, one first pretends to observe the precepts, pretends to be cultivating, pretends to be a qualified Buddhist practitioner, pretends to be a decent monastic, and so on – all pretending initially. Over time, through persistent pretending, the manas gradually adapts and transforms, and eventually, deliberate pretense is no longer necessary. If one cannot even manage to pretend well, it indicates that the defilements and habits of the manas are too heavy, and consciousness is too weak to suppress the manas. If one doesn't even want to pretend, it signifies not only that the defilements of the manas are severe but also that the defilements of consciousness are heavy. Consequently, one simply follows the defilements of the manas, which is called following along naturally. Those who advocate not concealing defilements are like this precisely because they are incapable of concealing them.