Verse 20

Those who maintain of the seven kinds
Of individual liberation vow
Have the ideal [prerequisite] for
The Bodhisattva vow, not others.

One of the key ways to actualise bodhicitta is the taking and engaging in the Bodhisattva vows.

The qualifying criteria to receive the Bodhisattva vows is for the person to have & maintain any one of the 7 kinds of individual liberation vows.

The 7 kinds are lay woman vows, layman vows, probationary nun vows, novice nun vows, novice monks vows, fully ordained nun’s vows and fully ordained monk’s vows.

Lay vows include refuge vows and the 5 lay vows.

Based on the Refuge vows, one can receive and cultivate one or more or all 5 of the lay vows.

This qualifies one to receive the Bodhisattva vows.

Anyone in a relationship should take the vow against sexual misconduct as that will secure one’s relationships in life. This is very powerful protection.

The force of negative emotions are powerful; our desirous attachments are almost more powerful than wisdom realising emptiness!

On top of that, if one feels it possible for one to undertake, there are 300+ probationary nun’s vows and one can try this for 1 or 2 months (without becoming a nun).

This is a very effective practice to show oneself how wild one is.

To obtain the actual novice nun or novice monk vows, that requires one to become a monk or nun.

Needless to say, full ordination requires more effort and discipline.

The 253 vows of a fully ordained monk are the same as that held by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha.

For this, one needs to be thoroughly matured in refuge, lay vows and novice vows to be qualified to take the full ordination vows.

One needs to be at least 20 years old before taking full ordination is possible.

Mentally, one must be committed to keep these vows for the rest of one’s life and to take it from a master who held the vows purely.

As a minimum, one can practice holding proper Refuge vows.

Verse 21

The Tathagata spoke of seven kinds
Of individual liberation vows
The best of these is the glorious pure conduct
Said to be the vow of a fully ordained person.

The highest individual liberation vow is that of the fully ordained monk of 253 vows, in the manner held by Shakyamuni Buddha.

Verse 22

According to the ritual described in
The chapter on discipline in the Bodhisattva Stages
Take the vow from a good
And well qualified spiritual teacher.

Atisha teaches the need for the Guru to grant the Bodhisattva vows and for us to actualise the Bodhisattva vows.

Even though aspirational bodhicitta can be obtained without reliance upon the guru, engaging Bodhisattva vows requires taking them from a qualified master/Guru.

Verse 23

Understand that a good spiritual teacher
Is one skilled in the vow ceremony
Who lives by the vow and has
The confidence and compassion to bestow it.

The criteria for a good spiritual teacher is one who not only knows the details of the vow granting ceremony but holds the Bodhisattva vows and lives a life in the practice of those vows which are vows to refrain from the 18 root downfalsl and the 46 secondary downfalls.

Finally the master must be infused with compassion and have full confidence in his practice of the Bodhisattva conduct to be able to grant the vows.


Verse 24

However, in case you try but cannot
Find such a spiritual teacher,
I shall explain another
Correct procedure for taking the vow.

If we cannot find such a qualified master, Atisha teaches an alternative solution to taking the Bodhisattva vows in a correct manner.

This method is set out in V26 – V31 below. However note that in the case of tantric vows, one needs to receive them from a qualified master.


Verse 25

I shall write here very clearly, as explained
In the Ornament of Manjushri’s Buddha Land Sutra
How long ago, when Manjusrhi was Ambaraja
He aroused the intention to become enlightened.

Lama Atisha explains what was written in Manushri’s Ornament of Manjushri’s Buddha Land Sutra i.e. about how Manjushri in a previous life as Ambaraja, gave rise to the bodhicitta intention.

The following verses - v26 to v31 – were quoted from Shantideva’s Compendium of Deeds.

V26


“In the presence of the protectors
I arouse the intention to gain full enlightenment
I invite all beings as my guests
And shall free them cyclic existence. “

In the presence of the Buddhas &Bodhisattvas, Ambaraja (Manjushri in a previous life) gave rise to the wish to attain full enlightenment for the benefit of numberless sentient beings’ enlightenment .

Both these aspects if wishing to attain enlightenment and for the benefit of sentient beings, need to be mentioned as they are causes to actualise correct bodhicitta.


V27

“From this moment onwards
Until I attain enlightenment
I shall not harbour harmful thoughts
Anger, avarice or envy”

This verse expresses the resolve to fully guard against any harmful thought like anger, attachment, jealousy, pride.


V28


“I shall cultivate pure conduct
Give up wrong-doing and desire
And with joy in the vow of discipline
Train myself to follow the Buddhas”

Here is the determination to cultivate pure conduct, take the Bodhisattva vows and undertake those disciplines joyfully.


V29

“I shall not be eager to reach
Enlightenment in the quickest way
But shall stay behind till the very end
For the sake of a single being”.

The quote goes on to advise that one should not be eager to reach enlightenment for oneself alone, in the quickest way and that even if it takes a long time, for the sake of even a single being, one will remain in samsara for the sake of that being until every single living being is fully enlightened.


V30


“I shall purify limitless
Inconceivable lands
And remain in the ten directions
For all those who call my name”

I shall make pure the impure realms of all sentient beings i.e. I shall eliminate ignorance m karma and delusion in every sentient being and also work for eliminating the external contaminated environmental conditions.

Whoever sees me, touches me, scolds me, criticises me, even at the cost of my life, may I only be the cause of eradication of impurity and the cause of actualising purity up to enlightenment.


V31

“I shall purify all my body
And my verbal forms of activity
My mental activities too, I shall purify
And do nothing that is non-virtuous”

One should engage in the purification of negativities of body, speech and mind including all negative imprints.

So verses 27-31 set out how Manjushri in a previous life had raised the bodhicitta intention.

Now we go back to verse 26 to formulate for ourselves a daily practice by reflecting from V27 to 31.

Start by visualising the presence of the B&B (as in V26) and generate the thought to attain enlightenment and inviting all sentient beings as one’s guest to bring them to peerless happiness of full enlightenment and generate the thought to free them cyclic existence;

I shall not have any harmful thoughts towards sentient beings nor indulge in anger, attachment, jealousy (V27) etc..up to V31.


V32

When those observing the vow
Of the active altruistic intention have trained well
In the three forms of discipline, their respect
For these three forms of discipline grows
Which causes purify of body, speech and mind.

In order for those engaging in bodhicitta to be successful, we need to have the foundation of the 3 sets of vows – the pratimoksha vows (the 7 kinds of individual liberation vows mentioned earlier), Bodhisattva vows and tantric vows (upholding the pledges of the 5 Dhyani Buddhas).

This will enable us to attain the perfection of Body, Speech and Mind of the Buddha.

Just taking Refuge vow immediately enables one to be free from lower realm rebirth for immediate rebirth.

In order for us to obtain these 3 disciplines requires much merit, so we can begin by practice of generosity – of material possessions, protection and Dharma (keeping in mind always the sources of the teachings being the Buddha, Shantideva or Lama Tsongkhapa and such great beings).

We also need to be skilful to observe whether the person is ready to listen and if not, we need to find an alternative way of sharing the wisdom and if the person displays the small capability attitude, then one should speak accordingly).

The 3 moral disciplines can be interpreted in another way, namely refraining from negative actions;

accumulating virtues and working for the welfare of sentient beings (which includes serving the Centre to enable many people to benefit).

Mindfulness and carrying out these 3 disciplines also constitute our cultivating the Bodhisattva conduct.


V33

Therefore through effort in the vow made
By Bodhisattvas for pure, full enlightenment
The collections for complete enlightenment
Will be thoroughly accomplished.

We need to engage in the practice of patience and joyous effort to thoroughly accomplish the collections of merit and wisdom needed for enlightenment.


V34

All Buddhas say the cause for the completion
Of collections, whose nature is
Merit and exalted wisdom
Is the development of higher perception.

Training oneself to develop the training in the Method teachings through cultivating bodhicitta and training in Wisdom through developing one’s understanding and realisation of emptiness (i.e. the selflessness of person and of phenomena), are the two main causes which will lead us to gain higher perception in order for us to benefit sentient beings.

“Higher perception” refers to clairvoyance, which is needed to benefit sentient beings properly.

This is important in order for us to understand the different mental dispositions of sentient beings.

If someone is not matured enough to receive emptiness teachings and we give them emptiness teachings, we could cause them to develop wrong view and create the causes for hell;

but if they are ready for emptiness and tantra and you focus only on giving the small capability-being teachings, you could distract them from the Mahayana and lead them to the Hinayana path, which incurs heavy karma.

Cultivating compassion towards strangers or people far away is easier than cultivating compassion towards those nearby who irritate us, is this not so?

There is no need to ask the Guru about the level of one’s practice.

You can check that out for yourself –by asking, for instance, have I made my family happier?

Did I inspire them towards greater depth in their spiritual path or not?

We need to be serious about our practice but if a husband and wife are in Dharma but after spending a long time in Dharma, they still want to divorce, then their practice has failed.

One’s family members, especially those who are annoying, are like one’s Buddha training oneself. One can be a Sangha without becoming a monk or nun.



To Be Continue