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The Mending and Purification Vows 3

Shakyamuni Buddha (line drawing by Amdo Jamyang)

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© Marpa Dharma Translation Group, 2014 [email protected] Can be reproduced for personal use

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Foreword

This document has been generated by members of the Marpa Dharma Translation Group, under the guidance of H.E. Dorzong Rinpoche. If there were any contributions or corrections that you would like to suggest, or any doubts you would like to clarify, please contact us at [email protected] The primary purpose of this work is to provide dharma practitioners an orientation for the use of the “tool”, or “skilful means” vows according to the teachings of the Drukpa Kagyü lineage held by H.E. Dorzong Rinpoche. The compilers have included teachings of both H.E. Dorzong Rinpoche and the Ven. Dugu Choegyal Rinpoche, and are grateful for the kind support of Poppa Rabjam Rinpoche, who clarified for us numerous aspects of the original Tibetan text. Also, Ani Jinba Palmo was in-strumental in improving the readability of the final version of this work. We have also included our own material, and texts from Alexander Berzin. His excellent website, covering innumerable topics of Buddhism at various levels with great erudition can be visited at http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/x/nav/sitemap.html_1863269983.html We are also indebted to the Ven. Thubten Chödrön for her clear teachings. You can visit her website: http://www.thubtenchodron.org/PrayersAndPractices/the_eight_mahayana_precepts_ceremony.html This document is divided in three parts:

1 - Vows in general. 2 -Taking the Mending and Purification Vows 3 - Notes clarifying some Buddhist technical terms.

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General considerations on vows

“All the great Tibetan teachers have always taught their disciples that vows should be taken voluntarily and with full knowledge of its implications. We should not see them as a burden, but remember that keeping them eliminates suffering. That is why vows are a joy and not a hardship. This is the attitude to be devel-oped before taking these commitments”.

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. There are many teachings on vows, and here we just emphasize that each one of the vows are taken because, through my own knowledge and experience, I know that involving myself in the negative activities mentioned in the list of the Mending and Purification Vows hurts me and others. In this document we will discuss the Mending and Purification Vows. This name refers to the mending and purification of my own defilements through keeping a pure conduct during a period of twenty four hours. What is a vow A vow is:

A help in the learning process. A skilful means. A tool. A support. Not repressive but conducive. A positive imprint in the mind. A help in the process of becoming a decent human being, light on the environment

and on other beings. A vow is:

A commitment Taken from someone that I respect, To do, or not to do something, During a certain period of time, In body, speech and mind.

In Buddhism there are many types of vows:

Mending and Purification Vows. (Tib. nyen ne) Eight vows taken for a period of twenty

four hours. Virtuous Practitioner Vows. (Skt: upasaka, {fem. upasika}, Tib: genyen) Between one

and five vows, taken for a specified period of time. Novice Vows. (Skt: sramanera {fem. sramanerika}, Tib: getsul {fem. getsulma}) Thirty

six vows. Fully Ordained Monks and Nuns. For monks (Skt: bhikshu, Tib: gelong) 253 vows.

For Fully Ordained Nuns (Skt: bhiksuni, Tib: gelongma) 364 vows. These categories of vows are also called the Personal Liberation Vows (Skt: pratimoksha, Tib: so sor thar pa) or Vinaya Vows.

Bodhisattva vows. There are different versions. You can get a glimpse of the vast-

ness of the subject of vows when considering that this vow has 18 root downfalls and 46 branch downfalls.

Tantric vows. There are various types, among them the 14 tantric root vows.

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Transgression

Maintaining them in pure form Is not breaking them through

An incorrect motivation or other spurious reasons.

For a Pratimoksha vow to be totally lost, four conditions must be met:

1 - The motivation is a negative attitude, such as desire, hatred, etc. 2 - There is an object for the action: a being will be hurt, an object will be stolen, etc. 3 - The action is consciously executed. Inducing others to perform it, even if one does not participate, is equivalent to performing it oneself. 4 - The action is completed. The object was stolen, alcohol was drunk, etc.

As an example, if the vow of not killing has been taken and a mosquito is hovering around, it may arise the thought of squashing it. In this case the motivation is anger, the object is the mosquito, the action is trying to kill it, and the completion is the actual killing. To evaluate the breaking of the vow we should evaluate the existence or not of each of these factors, and their intensity in our mind. The transgression has different degrees; from an unimportant one to a total breach of the vow. It is not black or white; there is a continuous gamut of greys. In general terms, a vow is completely broken if you do not consider the action as negative, you perform and keep on performing it, you feel happy about what you do, and you don’t care how it affects other be-ings. Repairing vows

In case a vow is breached due to: Forgetfulness. Distraction (living on autopilot) Compulsion (you remember it but the force of a habit, the addiction, makes you break

it anyway). then it must be repaired as soon as possible using a skilful means. This can be done through a number of specific Vajrayana practices, specially the Meditation and Recitation of Dorje Sempa1 (Skt: Vajrasattva), and practicing the four powers2. We strongly recommend you check these aspects with your teacher. In the words of H.E. Dorzong Rinpoche: “The breaking of vows encompasses various levels of seriousness. For example, lying about your own spiritual attainments, as frequently done by false teachers, implies a complete and irreversible breach of the vow of not lying (TN: and in this example, many others at the same time). “In the case of minor transgressions, use the four powers and the practice of Dorje Sempa. Keep in mind that maintaining the vows 100% intact is not possible. You could not walk or drive a car, as many insects get killed. The milk of the cow is for the calf, not for us. The honey of the bees, the same. The only one who would be able to keep the quality of all vows totally intact would be a practitioner like Milarepa3!” Returning vows Initially, you make a specific commitment for a specific period of time (from 24 hours to total

enlightenment). As mind changes, if it evolves towards thinking: You cannot go on with this commitment. You do not want to keep them, and feel they are useless. And so on.

It is very important to not forget the vow, let it deteriorate, or blame yourself. It should be re-

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turned consciously in front of whom it was taken. You should reflect on this before commit-ting yourself again, improving the evaluation of your present capacities. Summary Vows, once taken voluntarily and consciously, should not be forgotten, put aside, respected

according to the always changing whims and urges of the ordinary mind and similar confu-sions. If you find yourself in difficulties to keep a vow, it is very important that you seek the support of your teacher before the process progresses to a point on no-return.

In Buddhism, vows such as the Pratimoksha vows can be returned. Refuge vows cannot be returned. Therefore it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the dharma before de-ciding to take refuge. Please note that what is said above is not different from the engagements you take in your everyday life. Once you have an agreement with someone about something, instead of committing harm or hurting others by breaking your agreement through forgetfulness, change of opinion or similar confusions, you contact the other person as soon as possible and reach a new agreement. Positive vows Initially, vows are taken to not do or say something. At a higher level of training of the mind, vows are taken to do something. Usually, positive vows are more difficult to put in practice

than negative ones. Both types require mindfulness, commitment, etc. But the positive vows add two essential factors: know how to do what we engage ourselves to do, and a correct motivation for our actions. Thus, the vows to not do detailed in the next section of this document, are completed with a list of positive actions to do that benefit self and others. It is recommended to consider them

according to your current capacities. For example: Protect life Practice generosity. Live a responsible sexual life. Speak the truth. Eat only wholesome food. Eat and drink only what is necessary to sustain a normal life. Approach others with a humble state of mind. Dress and act in a simple way.

To read more The subject of vows is vast, and you can deepen your understanding through many texts. As a starting point, you can check: Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche The Tibetan Vinaya, Sri Satguru, Delhi, 1990.

And in the web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pr%C4%81timok%E1%B9%A3a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhikkhu On correct and incorrect actions see chapter 13 of Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation

There are print and e-book editions of this text. Also, see chapter 6 of Wangchen Rinpoche Buddhist Fasting Practice, Snow Lion, New York, 2009. The subject matter of this document appears in many different places of the Pali Canon. One of the presentations is the Uposatha Sutta (Anguttara Nikāya 8.41). You can read it in http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.041.vaka.html Questions and answers on these vows from the Theravada perspective can be found in http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanavara/uposatha.html#qa

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Taking the Mending and Purification Vows

Introduction

Keeping vows even for a short period of time, even half day, has great benefit, as we gather an important amount of positive potential (merit) in a short time. This is repeatedly taught in the Pratimoksha and Sutra texts. The Mending and Purification Vows are taken for twenty four hours. It is usual to take them on the full and new moon days, on the eighth and twenty fifth days of the Tibetan month, dur-ing the month of Sagadawa (fourth month of the Tibetan calendar) and during Losar time (Ti-betan New Year). They are taken from sunrise of one day until sunrise of the next day. If possible, the first time the vows are taken, they are taken from a person qualified to give these vows. If not possible, this first time the vows can be taken as described below for the case of a renewal. Later, they can be renewed in front of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, visualizing them with a devotional mind, and knowing with faith and clear mind that they are actually present as witness. Succinctly, these Mending and Purification Vows are:

1 - Avoid killing, directly or indirectly. 2 - Avoid taking what has not been offered. 3 - Avoid sexual activity. 4 - Avoid lying and inducing into error. 5 - Avoid consuming intoxicants: alcohol, tobacco and mind-altering drugs. Medicines for ongoing treatments can be taken. 6 - Avoid eating more than once a day. Food should be light and taken before noon. A meal is considered to be finished when no food is eaten for thirty minutes. In other pe-riods of the day, light drinks can be taken, but not undiluted milk or fruit juices with pulp. 7 - Avoid sitting, out of pride, on high and luxurious beds or seats. 8 - Avoid using jewellery, such as rings, necklaces or earrings; perfumes and cosmet-ics to arouse desire, and do not dance, sing or play music to generate sensual desire. Those used daily, such as wedding rings and the like are not included in this precept.

Taking the vows

At sunrise we wash our face, hands, mouth and feet. If you prefer, you can take a shower or bath. 1 - If we are renewing the vows, we take them facing the shrine. We visualize all the buddhas and bodhisattvas in front of us, feeling that when we invoke them with faith and clarity of mind, they are present. We generate a strong intention to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, and with that motivation we offer three short prostrations. 2 - If we take the vows for the first time from a teacher, we also visualize the assembly of buddhas and bodhisattvas, and offer three prostrations. 3 - After the three prostrations, in both cases we should kneel4 with our right knee down and our left knee up, and fold our hands. Kneeling with hands folded is a symbolic posture to demonstrate your utmost respect and sincerity. Now, the teacher recites, and the practitioners repeat:

Just as the buddhas of the past, the Thus Gone5, the Noble Ones who have de-stroyed the foes6 and the perfectly and totally Enlightened Ones7, that are like the

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loyal and intelligent steed8 and the great elephant9, who have done what needs to be done for themselves and are doing what needs to be done for others, laid down their load, reached their own destination, entirely exhausted their ties to samsara, possessing perfect speech, having a perfectly and totally liberated mind, and perfect and total transcendent wisdom, just as those who have these qualities, perfectly and totally buddhas, perfectly took the Mending and Purifica-tion Vows for the sake of all sentient beings, in order to benefit them, to liberate them, to eliminate their hunger and sickness, to perfect the aids to enlighten-ment10, all that in order to realize the highest and perfect enlightenment, in the same way, I, (say your name), will also perfectly take the Mending and Purifica-tion Vows from this moment until sunrise tomorrow.11

Repeat two more times after the teacher. Each practitioner now recites the commitment to respect the vows.

From now on I will not kill. I will not take another's property. I will not engage in sexual activity. I will not speak false words. I will totally avoid intoxicants, which are the cause of many faults. I will not use high or expensive beds or seats. I will avoid eating food at improper times. I will not wear perfumes, garlands and or-naments, or sing, dance and so forth. Just as the noble ones who have destroyed the foes, abandoned killing and so forth, may I, by avoiding killing and so forth, quickly attain supreme enlighten-ment. May I and all beings wandering in samsara be freed from the ocean of cy-clic existence.

Repeat three times. Dharani12 of pure conduct

Offer three short prostrations in front of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Then the teacher recites and the practitioners repeat three times:

om ahmoga sila sambara sambara bara bara maha sudda sato pema bibu keta bundza dara dara saminta ahwa lokite hum phet soha.

Then each practitioner recites the Dharani 21 times. Note on the pronunciation of the Dharani for foreign speakers The dharanis and mantras have an intimate relation with sound, both physical and subtle. We therefore emphasize the importance of trying to emulate the Sanskrit sounds. Inserting

Sanskrit diacritic marks to improve the pronunciation would not help most practitioners, who are not familiar with them. We have therefore tried to reproduce the dharani the way a Tibet-an teacher would pronounce it. If you are an English speaker, do not read them with the normal English phonetics. Sometimes they are quite different. The same is valid for other languages, such as French, where the accents would be misplaced. We suggest you check this point with your teacher. The link to an audio clip, with three repetitions by the Ven. Pop-pa Rinpoche can be found in http://www.cetepso.com.ar/GeneratedItems/Vows.html

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Notes:

1 - Meditation and Recitation of Dorje Sempa.

A practice specifically intended to purify errors, transgressions, obscurations and karmic im-prints. If you are interested in knowing more about this important subject, you can follow the link http://www.cetepso.com.ar/GeneratedItems/med_eng_dorje_sempa.html If you would like to do this practice, check with your teacher. 2 - The four powers.

Once we realize we have transgressed a vow or committed a negative action, in order to free ourselves from it and its results, we can apply the four powers of purification (Skt. catvari pratipaksabalani, Tib. phon. nyenpoi tobshi, Wyl. gnyen po'i stobs bzhi) to diminish or elimi-

nate the consequences of these mistakes. The power of regret. Once we realize that we swallowed a strong poison that will make us experience its harmful effects, we will feel strong regret. Likewise we will feel strong regret about the wrongdoings we committed. According to the law of cause and effect, the conse-quences of these actions will inevitably be experienced sometime in the future. It states that we are fully responsible for our activities and will experience the results of our deeds, good or bad, because its imprints are embedded in our consciousness. If we don’t experience a sin-cere, deep regret for our ignorant actions and understand their negative consequences for ourselves and others, no benefit will result. If we don’t care about our conduct, feeling that there is no difference between positive or negative actions, no learning and no purification will result. The power of the antidote, is like running to get a doctor, requesting urgent treatment against the poison, and then diligently and willingly follow the prescribed treatment. In our case, it is the firm determination to perform the appropriate purification practices to the best of our abili-ties. The power of the support, is like being in close contact with the doctor, letting him/her know

our symptoms and conditions, and heeding the advice given. In our case, it is having a strong trust in the practice itself and its capacity to benefit us through diligent performance of it. The power of resolve, is the determination not to swallow poison in the future. We firmly de-

cide not to repeat our ignorant actions again, no matter the consequences. However, to be able to avoid repeating these ignorant actions, we must not get distracted, otherwise we will again slip into our habitual patterns. In addition, we should not think that as negative actions can be purified through these methods, we can continue to repeat them, that they are not very important, that they can be excused, and so forth. Forgetfulness and distraction are the great enemies, and practising under the guidance of our teacher is the best armour. This is the conventional method of freeing ourselves of our harmful habitual tendencies. The ultimate method is to purify the deluded state of mind simply by realizing and resting in the nature of mind, non-dual awareness. 3 - Milarepa (Tib. Wyl: mi la ras pa) (1040-1123) A great twelfth century poet-yogi of Tibet. He is known

for his extraordinary perseverance and determination in his quest for spiritual accomplish-ment and learning, even at the cost of tremendous hardships encountered under his root master Marpa’s tutorship. His reputation for meditation and practice is such that all the four

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main traditions of Tibetan Buddhism accept that Milarepa attained full enlightenment within a single lifetime. He is particularly remembered for his collection of inspiring poems and songs of wisdom, relating his experiences on the spiritual path. Principal among his disciples were Gampopa, founder of the Dagpo Kagyü school, and Rechungpa, with whom H.E. Dorzong Rinpoche has a profound spiritual connection. 4 - Kneeling. If for physical reasons this posture is not possible or endurable during the time of the ceremony, you can kneel down on both knees, or sit in Maitreya’s posture (on a chair) or on a meditation cushion. If this were your case, check with your teacher before the cere-mony. 5 - Thus Gone (Skt: tathagata, Tib. phon: deshinshegpa, Wyl: de bzhin gshegs pa). An

epithet of the Buddha. You can read more in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tath%C4%81gata 6 - The Noble ones who have destroyed the foes (Skt: arhat, Tib. phon: drachompa, Wyl: gra bchom pa) In Theravada Buddhism the noble ones who have destroyed the foes are those who have realized the nature of mind, reached nirvana, and will not experience further rebirths in sam-sara. Theravada Buddhism considers the noble ones who have destroyed the foes as the final lev-el of spiritual attainment. Mahayana Buddhism sees this goal as limited and considers attain-ing the level of bodhisattva as a more important objective, because bodhisattvas, among

many other commitments, have vowed to not reach enlightenment before all other beings have reached it. In another level of understanding, the noble ones who have destroyed the foes are conquer-ors and foe destroyers. Conqueror is to be understood in a spiritual sense, and does not re-

fer to worldly conquests. He/she have conquered their afflictive emotions, the source of suf-fering. Foe destroyer refers to the main foe, ego-clinging, which is overcome by the wisdom realizing emptiness. This understanding is the ultimate conquest. You can read more in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arhat_(Buddhism) For an excellent presentation of the arhat and bodhisattva ideals, by Bhikkhu Bodhi, a learned theravada monk, please check: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/arahantsbodhisattvas.html 7 - Perfectly and totally enlightened ones. “Perfectly and totally” (Tib phon: yang tak par tsok pi sangye, Tib. Wyl: yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs gyas), refers to the complete accumulation of both merit and wisdom, thus com-plete accomplishment. Therefore, buddhas are completely accomplished beings who pos-sess all the qualities and have attained all the goals mentioned in the text. 8 - The Loyal and Intelligent Steed (Skt ashvaratna; Tib. phon: tamchog rinpoche, Wyl: rta mchog rin po che) It is one of the seven main possessions of the Universal Monarch, (Skt: chakravartin, Tib phon: korgyur gyalpo; Wyl: 'khor bsgyur rgyal po). In this ancient Indian tradition, later adopted by Buddhism, the king represents the perfect ruler, possessing each and every of the qualities required to govern the entire world. He is endowed with all powers, wealth, capacities, and so on. He is in secular life the equivalent to what the Buddha is in spiritual life, i.e. those who have attained the summit in their respective fields. According to the inner meaning he represents the practitioner and his/her qualities and re-sources. Again, each of his possessions has outer and inner meanings, and they should be seen and felt as highly desirable. Just to show the multiple levels of the underlying content, we can take as an example anoth-er one of the Universal Monarch’s possessions, the minister. He embodies the ability of the

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chakravartin to transform his wishes into realities, immediately, without obstacles. Thus, some of the qualities of the minister are:

Whatever plans the king has in mind, even if the minister has not been told, he al-ready knows them and carries them out perfectly and without delay.

Working with perfect diligence, without attachment, all he does is in perfect accord-ance with the Dharma. He does what is right, at the right moment, in the right place, without complications, without harming anyone, and without disturbing anyone.

He is tireless in the performance of his perfectly pure actions. His motivation is solely the service of the Dharma and the king. Whatever will have to be done in the future, he will do it in the same way.

For a detailed explanation of the meanings of each possession, as well as beautiful render-ings, see Robert Beer's 'The Encyclopaedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs', pg 162. (See bibliography)

Referring to the Precious Horse, he travels fast and tirelessly, and is capable of encircling the world three times in a single day. His body is white like a swan, and adorned with the golden jewelled trappings of the gods. His form is perfect, endowed with a soft mane of ten thousand hairs, and a long flowing tail like a comet. He speedily bears the chakravartin with royal ease; his tireless hooves are silent, light; and unfaltering. The precious horse often bears the precious jewel on his saddle, representing the spreading of the dharma throughout the chakravartin’s realm. The illustration to the left shows the Precious Horse and the Precious Elephant (Robert Beer, ibid). 9 - The Precious Elephant (Skt. hastiratna; Tib. phon: langpo rinpoche, Wyl: glang po rin po che) The precious elephant has the strength of a thousand ordinary elephants. He is the lord of all bull elephants, as large as a mountain; his skin

as white as snow. In battle the precious elephant is inexhaustible, fearless, and unassailable, with an endur-ance and gait that make him capable of circumambulating the world thrice in a single day. In peacetime he is wise and dignified, his step serene and gentle, possessing great majesty and beauty. As a ceremonial mount of the chakravartin, he is perfectly obedient to his master, following his mental directions with perfect telepathic accord. He wears a golden jewelled necklace around his neck, and can be led by the thinnest of cords. 10 - Thirty seven aids to attain enlightenment (Pali: bodhipakkhiyā dhammā, Skt: bodhi-paksa dharma, Tib phon: jang chub chok kyi cho nam yongsu dzogpar jawai chir, Wyl: byang chub phyogs kyi chos rnams yongs su rdzogs par bya ba’i phyir). They are seven groups of

qualities mentioned by the Buddha in the Pali Canon. Within those seven groups there are a total of 37 individual qualities, or sattati. These seven groups are accepted by both the Ther-avada and Mahayana schools as being complementary aspects of the Noble Eightfold Path. As an example of those groups we can mention the first, “four fields of reference” (satipat-thana) that includes the four foundations of mindfulness, and the second, “the four correct

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efforts”, such as the effort to avoid the arising of unwholesome states of mind. You can read more in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhipakkhiy%C4%81dhamm%C4%81 11 - Number of vows For a number of reasons the vow of not eating more than once a day can be modified or eliminated. During the recitation, when reaching the line that says:

I, (say your name), will also perfectly accept the Mending and Purification Vows.

recite seven in your case. On this subject, check with your teacher. 12 - Dharani

According to the teaching of Wangchen Rinpoche, the dharani is a short summary of the es-sential doctrine contained in a much longer sacred text, and serves as an aid to its retention. Properly recited, the dharani conveys the same merit as reading the entire work. The mean-ing of a dharani is often very difficult to determine and may sound to the uninitiated like a string of meaningless words, the accuracy of which is, nevertheless, carefully guarded when passed on from teacher to pupil.

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Marpa Dharma Translations Group, 2014

[email protected]