Khenpo Yeshe Phuntsok
The Sutra Pitaka emphasizes meditation, the Vinaya Pitaka emphasizes precept-discipline (śīla or ethical conduct), and the Abhidharma Pitaka emphasizes wisdom. However, compared to the Sutra and Abhidharma Pitakas, the Vinaya Pitaka holds an even more important position.
Before the Buddha’s mahaparinirvana, Ananda asked the Buddha whom they should take as their teacher after his passing. In the Chinese scriptures, the Buddha replied, "Take the precepts as your teacher." However, the Tibetan scriptures records this reply with more details. The Buddha said, "The Sutra Pitaka and Abhidharma Pitaka represent the teachings, but the Vinaya Pitaka not only represents the teachings but also represents the teacher."
This illustrates the greater importance of the Vinaya Pitaka compared to the Sutra and Abhidharma Pitakas. The Sutra and Abhidharma Pitakas delve into profound doctrines like emptiness and luminosity, while the Vinaya Pitaka directly explains the standards for what to adopt and what to reject concerning one's physical, verbal, and mental actions. It clarifies what should be done and what shouldn't, and the consequences of transgressions. This is akin to having a personal teacher who directly guides and disciplines a disciple's motivation and conduct.
The Sutra of the Buddha's Last Teachings records the Buddha's final discourse before Nirvana: "You bhikkhus, after my demise, should respect and cherish the Pratimoksha as if encountering a light in total darkness or a poor person finding treasure. Know that this is your great teacher."
Pratimoksha is a Sanskrit term meaning "precepts of individual liberation". The Buddha instructed that after his parinirvana, if disciples uphold pure precepts and take precepts as their teacher, the radiance of the Dharma will illuminate the world. In short, upholding pure precepts is the Buddha's most earnest teaching.
The Buddha once stated in the Samyutta Agama that whether the Dharma remains in the world depends on whether the Buddha's disciples respect and uphold pure precepts. Wherever the Buddha's fourfold assembly of disciples performs precept-related ceremonies or upholds pure precepts, the Dharma will abide in that place. Otherwise, the Dharma will decline and fade.
In the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Lord Buddha said: "Although all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature, they must rely on upholding precepts to realize it." The Mahaparinirvana Sutra is one of the most definitive scriptures in the Sutrayana. From this teaching of the Buddha, it is clear that no matter what Dharma of the ultimate truth one learns, upholding precepts must serve as the foundation.
In Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend, it states: "Just as all things depend on the earth, all virtues depend on precepts." This means that all things in the world, whether humans, animals, or plants, rely on the earth. Similarly, all merits can only arise on the basis of pure precepts. Likewise, Master Ouyi also said: "Upholding precepts is like the ground from which all things spring; upholding precepts is like a city wall by which demonic obstacles are kept at bay."
From the perspective of merits, upholding pure precepts accumulates boundless merits. From the perspective of dispelling obstacles, it is like a sturdy city wall that can resist external invasions; upholding pure precepts can keep all obstructing spirits and obstacles away.
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Venerable Jingjie
Protecting virtues
I feel that whether one possesses precept-substance or not is the clearest to oneself, despite what others may say. When the mind comes into contact with objects that could be defiling, does it fall into deluded desire? Does the mind have no resistance whatsoever to non-virtue? If the mind is unable to guard against non-virtue, how can one claim to have the precept-substance? The precept-substance should produce some function. If the substance is present, its function should be working.
When the mind encounters states of defilements, it knows how to protect itself and becomes aware of these perversions, the thought "I shouldn't do this" comes to mind. This indicates that one definitely holds the precept-substance because the function of preventing non-virtue is working. This means that one has seeds of virtue and these seeds of virtue do not appear with no cause (but comes from the precept-substance)…
Seeds of virtue planted in alaya-consciousness (the most fundamental level of consciousness) are subject to arising and ceasing; it can increase or decrease. It is not unconditioned like nirvana-- beyond arising and cessation. Virtues can arise and they can disappear.
Therefore, even if one has received precepts in accordance with the Dharma and obtained the precept-substance, it does not last forever. One needs to continuously listen to and contemplate the Dharma to augment one’s mindfulness, in order that these virtues grow and become strong... Mindfulness works to increase one’s ability to introspect and protect one’s virtues obtained from generosity, precept-discipline and patience, so that these virtues are not destroyed by afflictions and negative karma.
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Dharma Master Jin Fan
About the precept substance
(slightly editted for clarity)
The precept substance is similar to how we have a body. This precept substance is, however, characterized by non-action or non-doing. You have no need to perform any particular action.
When you bring forth the Bodhi resolve while taking the Three Refuge, the virtue in your mind is produced and the non-virtue automatically disappears. That is, you turn away from evil and go towards the good. The virtuous dharma wells forth and fills the entirety of your body. The greater your Bodhi resolve is, the more your mind is filled with virtue; the precept substance obtained is thereby greater. The precept substance essentially takes in the inexhaustible virtuous dharmas as our precept substance.
What is the purpose of the precept substance? It has no form or mark. We cannot see it so does it actually exist? Yes it does. The Brahma Net Sutra states: “one carries a lifebuoy to cross the ocean.” The precept substance we obtain from taking the precepts is just like the lifebuoy. When you’re in the middle of a rapidly flowing river, you need to quickly cross over to the land. Likewise, when you’re tossed around in the midst of the sea of birth and death, what should you do? The precept substance is like the lifebuoy that saves us from drowning. Therefore, the precept substance protects us and safely crosses us over the suffering sea of birth and death.
How do we use the precept substance to help us protect and purely uphold our precepts? After taking these precepts, you have to “receive with the mind and uphold with the body”; that is, we receive and uphold the precepts. In every thought, you never forget about the precepts and take the precepts as your teacher. In this way, the precept substance will constantly function.
When you are about to go against or violate the precepts, the precept substance will come to protect you and prevent you from doing so. When you are asleep, dreaming at night, and not in control, even if there were demonic states or improper situations in your dream, this precept substance will come into action. Being able to uphold the precepts while asleep is precisely due to the functions of the precept substance.
When we go against or violate the precepts, the precept substance will have a puncture, similar to that of a punctured ball or a punctured bicycle tire. They will slowly and eventually deflate. But if the puncture is too big, the bicycle would immediately become immobilized and the ball would be unusable. The precept substance has the same principle. If the precept we violate is minor, the puncture is a little smaller. If the precept we violate is major and more fundamental, then the entire precept substance will disappear.
What do we do then? There is a method: Repentance. Repentance is like patching the hole of the ball with glue so the ball can continue to work. The tire can also be patched so that you can continue to ride the bicycle. If the puncture is too great, however, you would have to swap in a new tire. In the Theravada teaching, many precepts cannot be recovered even after repentance. But in the Mahayana teaching, you can still recover the precept substance and return to purity through repentance.
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Master Xuyun
To achieve the Dharma path, one needs to hold pure vows. Vows are the very basis of Buddhahood. Pure precepts give rise to concentration and concentration produces wisdom. Without precepts, Dharma practice will not go anywhere.
In the Surangama Sutra, the chapter on the “Clear Exposition of Four Purities” states that if one practices samadhi without upholding pure precepts, one will not be liberated from the defilements. Even if many insightful meditative states appear, you will still fall into the deviated paths of demons or externalists. This demonstrates the importance of precept-discipline.
People who keep pure precepts are protected by the gods and nagas who protect the Dharma. They are respected and feared by the demons and externalists. People who break precepts are regarded by spirits as a great thief and are wiped out without a trace.
