Divers Texts
The Lineage of Tibetan Buddhist Tradition
Today, on the occasion of the Second World
Conference for the Propagation of Buddhism, in the capital
of Thailand, Bangkok, I consider it my great good fortune
to be present at this gathering, as a representative of Tibetan
Buddhism.
Regarding the first among the five sets of
proposals to a be presented at this Conference, I consider
this to be a topic of the greatest importance, like the root
within the five proposals, As followers of the same Teacher,
we are-meant to encompass each other with the light of the
jewel of pure outlook, putting aside any falling into sectarianism,
or contention between schools of tenets and yanas such as
the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana which came into being
through the unfolding of the enlightened activity of the Buddha
in many different countries. For this reason I would like
to offer a few thoughts or reflections on this matter.
In order for us to come to a proper egalitarian
relationship of interconnectedness, among the different Buddhist
denominations which is not merely pay lip-service, it is very
important to be able to know mid have a full grasp of each
other's view, meditation, and conduct as they are, rather
than holding in esteem our own tradition and completely rejecting,
without clear examination, the other traditions, whether good
or bad.
The essence of the teaching of the Sugatas,
the Four Seals of the transmitted precepts, that all composite
are impermanent, all contaminations are suffering, all Dharmas
are empty and devoid of self, and Nirvana is peace. And then,
the suffering of samsara is like the pain of an illness; the
origination like the cause that makes it develop; the truth
of the path like the treatment, the antidote that overpowers
the illness; and the truth of cessation like the well-being
of being freed from the illness. Having acknowledged suffering,
the cause is to be given up, the truth of cessation is the
attainment to be actualized and the truth of the path is to
be followed. There are also the 37 Aspects on the Path of
Enlightenment and the 3 Higher Trainings. We are unified in
these and it is important that we all show respect for and
appreciation of each other's traditions.
Therefore I believe that it is of essential
that those who previously did not understand clearly the view,
meditation and action of the Buddhist tradition of Tibet,
should definitely come to know and comprehend it.
Nowadays it seems that some people have the
wrong idea that Tibetan Buddhism is an invention of Tibetan
lamas. Lacking understanding of the situation, they think
that the teachings are not the pure teachings of the Buddha.
It is most important to clarify this misconception.
In a Sutra, the Buddha predicted that at some
point in the future the teachings would flourish in the North
and in the South. In the North, in Tibet, this happened since
the time of the Tibetan's Dharma King Songtsen Gampo in the
7th. Century. Later in the 8th. Century, the Tibet's 2nd.
greatest Dharma King Trisong Deutsen, an emanation of the
Bodhisattva Manjushri, invited the Buddhist Master, Padmasambhava
of India, to his country. Subsequently, many Tibetan translators
undertook the arduous journey to India at great personal risk,
travelling for months and undergoing great hardships such
as treacherous paths, the scorching beat and attacks by robbers.
Upon arrival in India they sat as humble students
at the feet of great and famous scholars and accomplished
practitioners, at the monastic universities of Nalanda and
Vikramashila and others. They studied Sanskrit for many years
and translated into Tibetan the Sutras, Vinaya, Abhidharma,
as well as the tantras and commentaries. Likewise many Indian
scholars were invited to Tibet by the religious kings to oversee
translations, thus ensuring their accuracy. Thus, by means
of teaching, learning and meditating, over a period of thirteen
hundred years a great development of Buddhism occurred in
Tibet.
The hundred volumes of teachings known as the
Tripitaka make up the doctrine of the kind teacher Buddha
Shakyamuni and in the Tibetan translation are known as the
Kangyur. The two hundred and thirteen main commentaries by
Indian scholars and siddhas on the Tripitaka in Tibetan are
called the Tengyur.
The Tibetan Buddhist tradition is based exclusively
on the Kangyur and the Tengyur. The translations made between
the 8th and 10th centuries CE are said to belong to the "early
translation" school. Those made from that time onwards
by the translators Rinchen Zangpo, Marpa, Gö and others
constitute the "new translation" school. All of
these many translations were made from Sanskrit and not from
Pali.
To emphasise their authenticity the original
titles of the texts and commentaries of the Tripitaka have
been left in Sanskrit. When present day scholars compare the.
same text in the original Sanskrit with its Tibetan translation,
they are amazed by the accuracy and the absence of error.
Between the 7th and 17th centuries CE, the
number of important Indian translators and scholars who traveled
to Tibet is estimated to be one hundred and twenty-eight,
and the main Tibetan translators visiting India about seventy
six. Their interpretations of the Kangyur and Tengyur were
not influenced by cultural bias neither was their approach
at all superficial.
The Tibetan masters devoted their entire lives
to learning, contemplation and meditation. In addition, based
on the Kangyur and the Tengyur, they wrote many hundreds of
texts in order to further clarify and maintain the precious
teachings of the Buddha. They transmitted the Buddhadharma
to thousands of monks and nuns. But they never tried to alter
the doctrine of the Buddha or to invent a new Dharma.
In India during the early years of the dissemination
of the Buddha's teachings, four separate Buddhist philosophy
schools developed. They were: Vaibhasika, Sautantrika, Cittamatra
and Madhyamika.
The Vaibhasika subsequently divided into 18
traditions, which were four main schools: Mulasarvastivadin,
Mahasamghika, Sthaviravada and Sammitiya, as well as further
fourteen sub-schools, branched from these four main ones.
One of them, the Sthaviravada known in Pali as Theravada,
is followed today by monastics in India, Burma, Thailand,
Sri Lanka, etc.
In the 8th. Century CE the supreme abbot Shantarakshita,
a lineage holder of the Mulasarvastivada school, was invited
to teach in Tibet. After some time twelve fully ordained Indian
monks from the monastic university of Vikramashila were also
invited to Tibet to act as the ordaining assembly for a select
group of seven Tibetan men, chosen to be the first monastics
ever ordained in Tibet, Subsequently they ordained a further
three hundred. Thus the Tibetan Vinaya derives solely from
the Indian Mulasarvastivada school. Only these four schools,
three of the Sthaviravada and Mulasarvastivada have continued
until today, whereas the rest 14 traditions eventually wanded
and disappeared.
The precepts for the Sthaviravada Vinaya fully-ordained
monks are 227. They are divided into several different classes:
4 defeats
13 remainders
2 indefinite
30 abandoning downfalls
92 solitary downfalls
4 individual confessions
75 faults
7 practices that pacify conflicts.
On the other hand, the precepts for the Mulasarvastivada
Vinaya fully-ordained monks are 253. They are also divided
into several different categories:
4 defeats
13 remainders
2 indefinite
30 abandoning downfalls
90 solitary downfalls
4 individual confessions
112 faults.
So there are small differences between the
two schools. For example, among the 112 faults in the Mulasarvastivada
system, there are 7 concerning the wearing of the lower garment.
In the Sthaviravada system, this subject appears as only one
fault. But as these examples show, although there are minor
differences among the schools, regarding the root precepts
they are identical.
Likewise, there are differences in the background
stories given. When the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya texts expound
on the downfall of "Carrying wool", they recount
the travelling of six monks to Nepal in some detail. The Sthaviravada
mention only their travelling to a country in the North.
Further differences are that the Mulasarvastivada
considers being an albino as an obstacle to receiving vows,
while the Sthaviravada does not mention this; and when the
Mulasarvastivada school maintains that at the time of ordination
only head and moustache need to be shaved, while one of the
other school includes also the eyebrows. Also in the Sthaviravada
schools, when a novice monk breaks any one of the 10 novice
precepts, his vow is broken but it is not a defeat, which
means that he can take back that precept and return to his
previous novice status. But in the Mulasarvastivada school,
once a novice monk breaks any one of the four defeats which
are included in the ten novice precepts, he is defeated and
not allowed to take that precept back and return to the status
of a novice. So there are some differences such as these.
Concerning the Pitaka of the holy teachings
of the Vinaya, translated into the Tibetan language drawn
from the Tripitaka, the teachings of the Buddha, there are
three parts: the Root Sutra, the Sutra of the Expositions
and the Sutra of Similar Class. Within the first, the Root
Sutra, are found the texts of the Bhikshu Pratimoksha and
the Bhikshuni Pratimoksha. The Bhikshu Pratimoksha presents
in brief the 253 rules of a Bhikshu. The Pratimoksha Sutra
for females shown in brief the 364 rules for Bhikshunis.
Secondly, in the Sutra of the Expositions there
are four parts; these are: the Basic Scripture (agama), the
Explanatory Scripture, the Minor Instructions and the Transmission
of the Sublime Teaching.
Among the categories of the Basic Scripture
are 17 fundamental pronouncements. These are called fundamental
because they support the three trainings: ethics, concentration
and wisdom. The basis for completely cultivating the trainings
is threefold: the ceremony of restoration of vows (Posadha),
the summer retreat (Varsha) and the ceremony of releasing
from its vows. The basis for the conditions for remaining
at ease are twofold: the basis of clothing and of medicine.
As to the basis of clothing there are three aspects: they
are coarse blankets, garments and hide or leather. As to the
basic medicines, there are four aspects: they are appropriate
times, a suitable span of time, weekly permission and fitting
to be kept for the whole of one's life.
The basis for the actions in Vinaya is 121
procedure. In short there are three: the ceremony of requesting,
which is informing the Sangha; the request and the ceremony
of the two, which means to inform but ask if there is any
objection. And then, there is the requesting and the ceremony
of the four which is the completion of the entire procedure.
Regarding the basis of reparation in order
to purify moral downfalls, there are three divisions: the
cause of abandoning the vows, restoring the downfalls, and
mending disputes.
There is also abandoning the two extremes concerned
with dwelling places. Altogether these are the 17 fundamental
pronouncements.
Concerning the Sutra of the Explanatory Scripture,
there are male and female classifications. As to the male
classification, there are the 253 precepts of a Bhikshu and
many teachings on training. It also shows extensively the
7 Dharma which pacify contention. As to the female classification,
there are the eight classes of defeat, the 20 remainders,
the 33 abandoning downfalls, the 180 downfalls, the 11 individual
confessions, the 112 faults and many Dharmas on discipline.
It also shows extensively the 7 Dharmas for pacifying contention.
The Minor Instructions are a commentary which
gives the general meanings of the two Pratimokshas by extensively
putting in order the minor points which reside in the discipline.
The Sublime Teaching Sutra is the last and
most cherished commentary since it resolves and teaches the
meanings of the first three Vinaya texts which are profound
and difficult to understand.
The Sutra of Similar Class includes:
The Sutra which Annihilates the Breaking of Ethical Conduct
The Sutra of Nejok, the Discourse which is Essential for Monks
The Sutra of the Bhikshu's Staff
The Sutra which Teaches all the Manner of Holding the Staff
The Sutra of the Gandi (Wooden Gong)
The Sutra on the Occasions for Use of the Gong
The Sutra for Possessing Perfect Moral Discipline, and so
forth.
Previous to 1959 CE, thousands of monasteries
and nunneries existed in Tibet. Ordained Sangha in various
numbers dwelled in them. In the larger monasteries there were
thousands of monks, hundreds in the average ones and some
ten or so in the smaller ones. Among these were monastic centers
of nuns and monasteries of upasaka vow-holders. However most
were monasteries containing Shramanera and Bhikshu. This majority
abided in the authentic observance of the three basic precepts
of the Vinaya: the Summer Retreat, the ceremony for releasing
its rules and the Posadha ceremony for restoring the vows.
In the second millennium the Buddhist Sangha of Tibet upheld
one of the Pratimoksha traditions, but at the time of the
Cultural Revolution in Tibet, they went into decline. Nevertheless
at present, the Tibetan Sangha who abide in India and Nepal,
are upholding and preserving the Pratimoksha doctrine as before.
In that way, without transgressing the intent
of these four classes of scriptures on the monastic discipline,
the Tibetan Sangha uphold the Vinaya and, as well as never
having failed in the observance of the Vinaya, also take on
the Bodhisattva vows and the vows of Vajrayana and therefore
perform the practice of the three Dharmas - Pratimoksha, Bodhisattva
and Vajrayana.
Those with an intellect that narrowly clings
to partiality like the "gaze of a one eyed man",
might maintain that the Pratimoksha, Bodhisattva and Tantric
vows contradict each other. This is due to seeing these as
classifications and not perceiving their true intention, in
which there is never a contradiction. It is explained at the
level of Pratimoksha, Bodhisattva or Tantra that the cause
of being bound to the three realms of samsara is the actions
of the three doors which are under the influence of the negative
emotions or kleshas, such as desire, aversion, and so forth.
According to the Pratimoksha of the shravakas, by abiding
by the vows which teach one the method for avoiding wrongdoing
one becomes free from rebirth in the lower realms and creates
the cause to attain rebirth in the heavens and liberation.
According to the Bodhisattva vows, one abide
by the Pratimoksha through refraining from negative conduct;
then by skilful means one cultivates great compassion and
the wisdom of emptiness, engaging in the conduct of a Bodhisattva
such as the six paramitas and the four "samgraha vastu"
or ways of attraction, for the sake of benefiting others,
and then these become the cause of attaining the level of
supreme Enlightenment.
In the Tantric vows, even greater than the
great skilful means and wisdom of a Bodhisattva is the special
practise of the generation and completion stages, which is
the cause for attaining to unexcelled supreme Enlightenment
without requiring a long period of time.
In brief, in whichever level, the Pratimoksha,
Bodhisattva, or Tantra, there is uniformity of view in the
need to relinquish the negative emotions or kleshas and cease
wrongdoing, and then, it is necessary to train in the cultivation
of virtuous actions and positive qualities. According to one's
situation, whether beginner, yogi, siddha or omniscient, one
must not confuse the behaviour; it is essential to act in
a manner appropriate to that condition. In the great commentary
on the Kalachakra Tantra, it is stated "Therefore the
beginner should not perform the actions of the yogin. The
yogin should not do the actions of a siddha, and a siddha
should not do the actions of an omniscient one". So it
is necessary to understand what is to be accepted or rejected
at the each condition.
Thus, for those who enter the door of the precious
teachings of the Buddha, the main point is to know the avoidances
of the Pratimoksha since this is the basic support of all
good qualities. When the capacity of the mind is raised by
skilful means and wisdom, having grasped the profound practice
of the generation and completion stages. It is then necessary
to practice according to one's own development of increasingly
higher realization. The vows of the Pratimoksha, the Bodhisattva,
and the Tantra are like the steps of a ladder. Without being
supported by the lower ones, the upper ones do not arise.
In the Lamp of the Path by the lord Atisha Dipankara he reflects
the view of Arya Asanga that only those who have the seven
levels of Pratimoksha may receive the Bodhisattva vow, but
others do not have the good fortune.
In relation to the Mahayana path, the importance
of pure motivation is stressed, along with the outer observance
of the Pratimoksha rules of restraint. Actions of body, speech
and mind should be blended with the intention to attain Enlightenment
in order to benefit others. And the deeper one's penetration
of wisdom, the greater one's capacity for love and compassion.
As Geshe Kharak Gotrichung says:
"It is no use taking all the vows, from those of refuge
up to the tantric samayas,
"Unless you turn your mind away from the things of this
world.
"It is no use constantly preaching the Dharma to others
"Unless you can pacify your own pride.
"It is no use making progress if you relegate the refuge
precepts to the last place.
"It is no use practising day and night unless you combine
this with Bodhichitta."
In order to take the vows of the Vajrayana
commitments, one must first take those Pratimoksha vows which
restrain from harmful action and the pledges that generate
the aspiration for supreme Buddhahood of the Bodhisattva vows.
Without these there is no way to generate the Vajrayana commitments
of the vidyadharas - the precepts of the Vajrayana practitioner,
nor to engage in the practice of the Vajrayana. In short,
whether Pratimoksha, Bodhisattva or Vajrayana vows, the essential
point is to restrain the non-virtues of one's mind-stream.
In the Vinaya scriptures it is stated "One
must understand that any teaching which directly or indirectly
becomes a cause of desire, or does not aid in becoming free
of desire, is not the Dharma; it is not the Vinaya; it is
not the teaching of the Buddha. One should understand that
any Dharma which indirectly or directly is the cause of becoming
free of desire and is not a cause of desire, is the Dharma,
is the Vinaya, and is the teaching of the Buddha." Likewise,
concerning aversion, ignorance and so forth it is also explained
in detail.
In the mental continuum of a Vajra holder of
the three-hold vows, the qualities of these three sets of
vows are present in such a way that the higher absorbs the
lower. The avoidance of harming others, in accordance with
the Pratimoksha is complete in the accomplishment of helping
others in the Bodhisattva vow. As to both of these, when they
are enhanced by special means and wisdom, they are complete
and brought together on account of the higher incorporating
the lower within the Vajrayana pledges. Unlike hot and cold,
these are not in contrast.
The doctrine that flourished in Tibet is the
pure doctrine of Lord Buddha. The reasons being the first
it is the authentic Sutras spoken by the Buddha, collected
and compiled by Arhants, meditated upon by the siddhas, and
elucidated by the Panditas. Then they were translated into
Tibetan by the undisputed translators of India and Tibet and
these precise sutras and commentaries were set down.
The second reason is that practicing in accordance
with the instruction, they attained the qualities of the signs
on the path and they manifested the level of accomplishment.
They attained not just one or two of the signs but many such
as gliding unimpeded through rocks and mountains, flying through
the sky like a bird, the ability to display to many people
the body as the mandala of the deity, and knowing the minds
of others, etc. From these two reasons, one is able to gain
conviction. These are not just stories from antiquity. In
these times also, there are bhikshus completely pure in their
reliance on the Pratimoksha, who devote their entire lives
to the training in the enlightened attitude of the Mahayana
and who practice in accordance with the two stages of the
Vajrayana. At the time of cremation of the corpse, the heart,
tongue and eyes do not burn. Furthermore red and white sharira
- tiny pearl-like relics- manifest, as well as many hundreds
of five-coloured sharira and many sharira in the form of clock-wise
turning miniscule white conch shells, very-distinct and amazing.
Rainbows appear in the sky, evident phenomena visible to all
present. Such events also happened in our monastic center
which is situated in India.
Concerning the manner in which the Vajrayana
teachings spread in Tibet, in the two above-mentioned sutras
and commentaries, there are included many tantra of the Kriya,
Charya and Yoga classes with their explanations. In particular,
in the 8th Century CE when the precious master Padmasambhava
was invited to Tibet, he bestowed extensively the empowerments
(which ripen the mental continuum and liberate) and the oral
instructions of the Three 'Yogas and classes of inner tantras
to many disciples of extraordinary good fortune. At the same
time, encouraged by his monarch Trisong Deutsen, Vairochana,
the king of all Tibetan translators, reached India, where
he attended the twenty-five Panditas, and in particular studied
extensively the profound teachings of Dzogchen from the Vidhyadhara
Shri Singha, later spreading these teachings in Tibet. King
Trisong Deutsen also sent to India the two translators, Kawa
Paltseg and Chog-Ro Lui Gyaltsen, to invite to Tibet the great
Pandita Vimalashila. Upon reaching Tibet, the Pandita turned
many times the wheel of the Doctrine of the class of the Oral
Instructions of the Great Perfection, Dzogchen. This period
of time came to be known as the Vajrayana of Early Translations.
In the 10th Century CE, Drogmi Lotsawa Shakya
Yeshe studied the oral instructions of the Hevajra Triple
Tantra from the great Indian Panditas Shantipa and Gayadhara
and so forth and later bestowed them on Konchog Gyalpo of
Khon. And the Indian Mahasiddha Virupa arrived at the land
of Sakya in Western Tibet, as if delivering the Dharma to
the door, entrusted to Sachen Kunga Nyingpo the secret short
transmission of the Lamdre or Path and Fruition teachings,
which spread and flourished greatly in the region of Sakya.
In the 10th Century Marpa Chokyi Lodro, having
travelled three times to India, bowed at the feet of many
learned and accomplished masters such as Pandit Naropa and
Maitripa, and having requested them to satiate him with the
ambrosia-like profound oral instructions of Chakrasambhara,
Hevajra and Guhyasamaja, subsequently propagated them in Tibet.
Similarly, in the 10th Century CE the accomplished
scholar Khyungpo Naljor went to India where he followed 150
panditas and siddhas, receiving from them the 5 classes of
Tantras: Chakrasambhara, Hevajra, Mahamaya, Guhyasamaja and
Yamantaka, which he later propagated in Tibet. The Indian
siddha Phadampa Sangye lived in the last part of the 11th
Century, mid he visited Tibet five times. On the second occasion
he granted the practice known as "Advice on the Holy
Dharma for Pacifying Misery", and others. For all these
reasons during the next 12 hundred years the outer and inner
teachings of Vajrayana became widespread and flourished in
Tibet.
Regarding all this, it is possible that there
are many who would wish to know more about the view, meditation
and action of the Vajrayana. But I would not be able to explain
this tradition adequately in a mere few words and had I written
more, would not have the time to read it now.
I have yet some final words to say to the spiritual
friends, the learned delegates who are worthy of honour and
respect. The Bhagawan stated in the Lankavatara Sutra "just
as a physician gives medicine to different kinds of patients,
in like manner the Buddha teaches the Dharma according to
the capacity of sentient beings to withstand it". In
that way the teacher, the Buddha, in conformity with the nature,
faculties and motivation of those to be tamed, teaches the
variety of Dharmas, such as for the Shravakayana, Mahayana
and Vajrayana, and so forth. Everyone is agreed that the ultimate
aim of our endeavours is the state of Buddhahood alone. Despite
the slight differences of' language and terminology, and the
distinctions between the skilful methods of training of each
one's various Dharma traditions, in general, regarding the
View of the Four Seals of the Budhavachana and the meditation
which acts as an antidote to the kleshas of the peak of existence,
and the training on the path of peace which is non-violent
conduct, all these are the sole path of the entire Buddhist
Schools.
Since these traditions are the followers of
the one teacher, it is essential to increase more and more
the unity, friendship and harmony between them. Through this
potential of unity, in order that the peace, happiness and
stability of the world comes about, we must work together
to persuade Governments to stop wars and prohibit the manufacture
of and trade in weapons such as nuclear arms, etc. Not only
that, but in order to pacify the evil weapons of the inner
mind which overcome both oneself and others, such as envy,
anger, ill-will and so forth, which occur again and again
in the mind-stream of all beings, we should genuinely show
the path to establish in the mind-stream of all the people
of the world the foundation of peace and happiness, the essence
of the Dharma which was taught by the compassionate Master
Buddha love, compassion, forbearance, altruism. and non-violence.
To enable people to increase their mental capacity,
learning is certainly required. However that intelligence
must not remain isolated but should combine with the higher
behaviour of the good heart of universal responsibility as
explained in the Buddhist texts. Thus the younger generation
of this new Millennium will be able to benefit society on
a vast scale and we should all accept that responsibility.
Thank you.
AS LONG AS SPACE ENDURES, AS LONG AS THERE
ARE BEINGS TO BE FOUND, MAY I CONTINUE LIKEWISE TO REMAIN
TO DRIVE AWAY THE SORROWS OF THE WORLD.
MAY THE DOCTRINE, ONLY REMEDY FOR SUFFERING,
THE SOURCE OF EVERY BLISS AND HAPPINESS, BE NURTURED AND UPHELD
WITH REVERENCE, AND THROUGHOUT A VAST CONTINUANCE OF TIME,
ENDURE!
SHANTIDEVA
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