Table of Contents

Class 45 - 2010 October 1 - Friday

OBJECTLESS/BOUNDLESS/NON-OBSERVABLE (MIG TSE MAY) COMPASSION ............................................................ 1
+0#<-0+-
& EMPTINESS ........................................................................................................................ 2
FAULTS OF CYCLIC EXISTENCE .............................................................................................................................. 2
UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS OF FREEDOM FROM SAMSARA, A PREREQUISITE FOR BODHICITTA ............................. 3
SIX TYPES OF SUFFERING SIX FAULTS OF CYCLIC EXISTENCE - Track 2 ................................................................... 4
1. FAULT OF UNCERTAINTY ............................................................................................................................ 4
2. FAULT OF INSATIABILITY (DISSATISFACTION) .................................................................................................. 5
3. FAULT OF PERPETUALLY DYING. .................................................................................................................. 5
4. FAULT OF PERPETUALLY BEING REBORN ...................................................................................................... 5
5. FAULT OF CONSTANTLY CYCLING THROUGH HIGHER & LOWER REALMS ............................................................. 5
6. ONE TRAVELS ALL ALONE THROUGH SAMSARA .............................................................................................. 5
JE RINPOCHE CATEGORIZES THREE FAULTS OF SAMSARA .......................................................................................... 6
1. NO SECURE BASIS TO COUNT ON IN SAMSARA. .............................................................................................. 6
FOUR REASONS NO SECURITY CAN BE FOUND IN SAMSARA ........................................................................... 7
(1) NO SECURITY IN OBTAINING A BODY BECAUSE WE CONSTANTLY MUST GIVE IT UP. .......................................... 7
(2) NO SECURITY IN AGENTS OF HELP OR HARM. ........................................................................................... 7
(3) NO SECURITY IN ATTAINING A WONDERFUL CONDITIONS. .......................................................................... 7
(4) NO SECURITY IN COMPANIONS. ............................................................................................................. 7
2. SAMSARIC PLEASURES NEVER BRING REAL/LASTING SATISFACTION .................................................................... 7
PHYSICAL BASIS REQUIRED TO NEWLY GENERATE BODHICITTA - Track 3 ..................................................................... 8
ASPIRING BODHICITTA & ENGAGING BODHICITTA ................................................................................................... 8
ASPIRING BODHICITTA ................................................................................................................................... 8
BODHISATTVA VOW - ENGAGING BODHICITTA ................................................................................................... 8
IF YOU ARE NOT A BODHISATTVA, YOU DONT RECEIVE THE BODHISATTVA VOW ................................................. 8
BODHISATTVA VOW SYSTEMS OF ASANGA & NAGARJUNA ............................................................................... 9
SELF-LIBERATION / PRAKTIMOKSHA VOWS - Track 4 ........................................................................................ 10
MONASTIC SOJONG & MAHAYANA (THEK-CHEN) SOJONG -
#<-$-
- TRACK 5 .............................................. 12
VOW AGAINST KILLING, VEGETARIANISM, FACTORY-FARMED ANIMALS & ETC. - TRACK 6 ..................................... 15
PHYSICAL BASIS/REALM OF BIRTH REQUIRED TO GENERATE ASPIRING BODHICITTA- TRACK 7 17
HOMEWORK 20


Ornament for Clear Realization Perfection of Wisdom Studies
Class 45 - 2010 October 1 - Friday
Institute for Buddhist Dialectics, McLeod Ganj, India
Teacher - VEN. KELSANG WANGMO
KAREN: I am not familiar with this prayer
1
.
GEN WANGMO: Maitreyas Praise at the beginning of the Ornament for Clear Realizations
(Abhisamayalamkara) to the Three Mothers, i.e., Three Knowers, the three types of wisdom.
This verse is discussed extensively in the First Year of this course, which was taught
extensively in 2007, and reviewed again this spring, in our April and May, 2010 classes. H.H.
the Dalai Lama recites this prayer in Tibetan at the beginning of every teaching day;
followed by a verse from Nagarjunas Fundamental Wisdom.
OBJECTLESS/BOUNDLESS/NON-OBSERVABLE (mig tse may -
+0#<-/I-0+-
) COMPASSION
Ven. Nordron asked a question (in class 43, Sept. 27) regarding the meaning of a compassion
described as dmigs brtse med , translated sometimes as objectless compassion (e.g., the first
line of the Lama Tsong Khapa (Mig-Tse May) mantra/prayer: So that line can also be
translated as, Avalokiteshvara, you who possess the treasure of compassion which has
(characteristic) of dmigs med, objectlessness or non-observability,
So
+0#<-
means observe.
0+-
is basically a negative, so no observation or non-observing.
So dmigs med can be interpreted in many different ways. So the way I interpreted it is the
way Im most familiar with from translations of this praise to Lama Tsong Khapa as having
compassion like that of Avalokiteshvara, the wisdom of Manjushri and the power of
Vajrapana. So the first line basically says, Je Rinpoche is like Avalokiteshvara. Who has the
treasure of compassion that observers nothing or which is free of observation. It could be
translated as objectless also. But object is actually a word in Tibetan, yul ; and dmigs pa is
object of observation or dmigs pa is to observe something.
So this has so many different meanings. I checked with one of my teachers and he said that
it could also refer to boundless, Avalokiteshvara , who has a treasury of
boundlesscompassion in the sense that theres no preference, no more compassion towards
one being than another. It could be with respect to just a compassion, itself, which is
boundless.
I prostrate to the Mother of Buddhas and of the groups of Hearers and Bodhisattvas,
Who through the knowledge of all leads Hearers seeking pacification to complete peace,
Who through knowledge of Paths causes those helping migrators to achieve the aims of the world,
And who through possession of which the Subduers set forth the varieties having all aspects.
2 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
Or to a compassion that realizes Emptiness which would be a compassion not having an
object. If it refers to a compassion that realizes Emptiness, that is only possible in the
continuum of a Buddha.
The question has been asked, Bodhicitta: is that a realizing mind? For a sentient beings
(someone who is not a Buddha yet), Bodhicitta never realizes its object; is never a mind that
understands something. Bodhicitta is a mind that wishes for something as opposed to
actually realizing a fact about reality, some fact about reality, whether it is subtle
impermanence, etc.
In the continuum of sentient being, Bodhicitta, love, compassion, those emotions, if you like,
those minds that belong to the category of Method do not realize their objects. But in the
continuum of a Buddha, Great Compassion, love, any of those emotional states, at the same
time, these mental states realize all phenomena directly.
So this is basically saying that Lama Tsong Khapa is like Avalokiteshvara, who has boundless
compassion, i.e. , a compassion that doesnt have any preferences, or if we take it more
literally, in the sense of having no object, which refers to Emptiness, then it is really saying,
your compassion is like that of a Buddhas Great Compassion which simultaneously realizes
Emptiness.
+0#<-0+-
& EMPTINESS
How does mig med , no observing, or no observed object, refer to Emptiness? it can refer to
no truly existent observed object, or it doesnt observe anything that truly exists or as truly
existent; in that way, mig pa med pa no truly existent observed object.
Or it can mean, beyond concept. Emptiness is actually something that is beyond concept
beyond words; something you need to directly realize to get the full flavor of what it refers
to.
Or in the sense that it does not refer to a positive phenomena. It is actually just a negation of
something.
So these are all different interpretations of dmigs med after doing some research. Tibetan is
not like Sanskrit where one term can have so many different meanings that you can easily
interpret with many meanings. You can have the entire path, Method and Wisdom, in just
word. Tibetan is not like that, but still some words have a huge number of meanings;
whereas, English is more likely to have different terminology for each meaning.
FAULTS OF CYCLIC EXISTENCE
I wanted to continue the series of Lojong texts, for instance the Wheel of Sharp Weapons. I
wanted to, but Im not going to. But since the idea of sufferings is so important and theres a
3 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
very famous Indian text that could be categorized as a Lojong (Mind Training) text, even
though the name of that genre was coined in Tibet. However, actually many Indian texts
concerned Mind Training. But Santidevas Guide to a Bodhisattva Way of Life is definitely
in that category.
As we discussed last time, Bodhicitta is so hard to generate for a number of reasons, because
developing the required preliminary minds is quite difficult:
We talked about Equanimity, perceiving all sentient beings as equal and equally wishing
the same happiness for all of them. Generating the mind of Equanimity required for
Bodhicitta is difficult.
Moreover, to wish for Enlightenment, while having no idea what Enlightenment means,
is not very beneficial.
But even before developing those minds, we need to really:
UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS OF FREEDOM FROM SAMSARA, A PREREQUISITE FOR BODHICITTA
So that one can generate genuine aspiration to free all beings from suffering, one must
understand the benefits of being free from more than just the Suffering of Suffering: were
talking about being free from Samsara, and that is so hard. To wish all sentient beings to be
free from Cyclic Existence because we are so attached to Samsara. We like at least the good
parts of Cyclic Existence. We strive for the positive ones all the time. So, to wish for others
to be free of Samsara, ... weve got to wish for that freedom for ourselves. Theres no way
around it. We have to start from the beginning.
I was listening to part of Jetsun-ma Tenzin Palmos audio on Mind Training. She was
stressing that Atisha was brought to Tibet to reestablish the basics of Mahayana practice,
because at that time, Tibetans were only interested in tantra. Then she said, Sounds
familiar? Yes, look at us Westerners, most of the retreats were engaged in are tantric
retreats. There arent so many other retreats. I havent met anyone who said, Im going to
do a three month retreat on death and impermanence. So she said that around the 11
th

century when Atisha was invited to Tibet, the major problem was that Tibetans had lost the
foundations of Buddhism.
Having just built a temple at the nunnery, she used the analogy that many want to make
offerings to gild the temple roof, but no one is interested in building the boring foundation.
Of course without that foundation, the walls and roof will crumble.
She explains in great detail how Atisha laid foundation correctly . He was also called the
Refuge Lama, he taught refuge, suffering, death, impermanence over and over and over again
until people got a really good understanding, and then from there, Bodhicitta. Bodhicitta
only makes sense with a thorough understanding of the suffering of Cyclic Existence.
4 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
[Track 2]
SIX TYPES OF SUFFERING SIX FAULTS OF CYCLIC EXISTENCE
So todays Mind Training text is a verse by Santideva concerns the Six Sufferings. Were
familiar with the three types of Suffering (Suffering of Suffering, Suffering of Change, All
Pervasive Suffering). However, there is a presentation of the Six types of Suffering which are
described in terms of Faults, i.e., the faults of Samsara where are responsible for suffering.
2

1. FAULT OF UNCERTAINTY
The Fault of Uncertainty arises from being in Cyclic Existence. Samsara does not refer to a
place. Samsara refers to our having these minds and bodies due to which, in dependence
upon our bodies and minds, we perceive a certain type of external reality. So, we perceive
water, because we have human bodies and minds; but Pretas (Hungry Ghosts) or a hell
beings see something totally different. We perceive one type of liquid as water, while Preta
realm beings may perceive it as puss and blood, hell realm beings see it as molten iron, and
Devas as nectar. Basically, we all have the perception that the external world exists (out
there) independently of us. For all we know, this space may simultaneously be experienced
very differently by beings living in parallel Desire Realms. For example, beings in a Cold
Hell realm may be located in this very space, that we perceive as a lovely library room.
STEVE : Could you also call that conditioning, because were conditioned to see things
depending on whether we are human, Preta or hell realm beings? Is this the third type of
Suffering, the All Pervasive, Conditioned Suffering?
GEN WANGMO: Yes, it couldnt be he first two Sufferings, the Suffering of Suffering or the
Suffering of Change, which are feelings. Whereas, the remaining sufferings of Samsara are
categorized into the All Pervasive Suffering, i.e., Conditioned Suffering.
Cyclic Existence means this body and mind. Therefore, it means our experienced
environment we experience, because there is no independent environment other than the
one we experience. And that the environment very much depends upon us becomes clear
from the example of the bowl of liquid. So this is Samsara, this is what we experience
right now.
(b) Reflection on the six types of suffering: (i) The fault of uncertainty. (ii) The fault of insatiability.
(iii) The fault of casting off bodies repeatedly. (iv) The fault of repeated rebirth. (v) The fault of
repeatedly descending from high to low. (vi) The fault of having no companions.
5 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
The First Fault of Cyclic Existence is that there is no certainty. Anything can happen to us
at any time including all the negative stuff. Usually it is said that we can take rebirth in any
realm. Our loved ones can be our mortal enemy in the next life, etc. We may die at
anytime. We may get horrifically sick and injured.
2. FAULT OF INSATIABILITY (DISSATISFACTION)
The Second Fault of Samsara is dissatisfaction or insatiability. Whatever wonderful object
there is, if we get it, we will never be satisfied. We believe we will finally be satisfied when
we get certain objects, that then, Everything will be fine. But every time we our desires are
met, they change again.
3. FAULT OF PERPETUALLY DYING.
Third, we have to give up our bodies over and over, all of the time. We become terribly
attached to our bodies, but we have to give them up again and again, cast them off over and
over.
4. FAULT OF PERPETUALLY BEING REBORN
We have to repeatedly take rebirth, again and again. You study, you learn Tibetan, die and
are reborn you have to learn it all over again. Its so frustrating. You learn so much in
your life, and when you die and its gone.
Since we cant use our subtler levels of consciousness, our learning is in our coarser
consciousness which disappear at death. Sure, we do get imprints, but due to negative
activities, we lose a lot of our positive imprints.
5. FAULT OF CONSTANTLY CYCLING THROUGH HIGHER & LOWER REALMS
Since we have to cast away our bodies, take rebirth, again and again, we constantly go up and
down the through the Six Realms of Samsara with no certainty. Even in just one lifetime,
if we achieve a high position in society or politics, we can or will lose it. The same with
fame: it wont last. Either it is the 15 minutes of fame or maybe it lasts for a few years. A
Hollywood actor, Tony Curtis, just died. He used to be so famous. Everyone loved him in
Some Like it Hot. Then he grew old, and soon hardly anyone remembered him.
6. ONE TRAVELS ALL ALONE THROUGH SAMSARA
The last one, we are each of us actually all alone in cyclic existence. We have no
companions (when travelling from this life through death to the Bardo and then to the next
rebirth). We are alone.
6 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
Lama Tsong Khapa
3
cites Santidevas, Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds:
This body comes forth whole, yet
The bones and flesh that accompany it
Will break apart and disperse. As this is so,
Why mention others, such as loved ones?
You are born alone.
Also you die alone.
As others cannot share your suffering,
Of what use is the hindrance of loved ones.
The sense of the word hindrance here is attachment
JE RINPOCHE CATEGORIZES THREE FAULTS OF SAMSARA
Lama Tsong Khapa then re-categorizes the Six Faults of Cyclic Existence into Three Types.
When you do the Bodhicitta meditations, I can only recommend that you consult the Lam
Rim Chen-Mo (Great Exposition of the Stages of the Path) which is one of the most
important texts to be translated into English. The complete three volume set is a bit
expensive but totally worthwhile. Chapters 17-20 of the First Volume address Suffering. In
the 18th Chapter, cited above, Je Rinpoche, having reviewed the Six Faults of Samsara, then
he says that these six are actually of three types
4
:
1. NO SECURE BASIS TO COUNT ON IN SAMSARA.
When I first read this, I thought, Yeah, thats what we want security! Especially in the
West: people insure their houses, cars, bodies, pension incomes. We spend so much effort
seeking security in our lives, but all such security is illusion. Why?
Thus, these six faults comprise three types:
1) In cyclic existence, there is no secure basis that you can count on.
2) However much you may indulge in its pleasures, they will not bring satisfaction in the end.
3) You have been caught in cyclic existence from beginningless time.
The first of these has four parts:
1) There is no security in obtaining a body, for you discard bodies repeatedly.
2) There is no security in agents of help or harm, for they are not certain.
3) There is no security in attaining a wonderful condition, for what is high becomes low.
4) There is no security in companions, for at death you go without companions.
The third of these four refers to being reborn again and again; there is no limit to the stream of rebirths.
Reflect on suffering under this threefold arrangement as well.
7 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
FOUR REASONS NO SECURITY CAN BE FOUND IN SAMSARA
Lama Tsong Khapa cites four reasons you cannot find any reliable security in Cyclic
Existence:
(1) NO SECURITY IN OBTAINING A BODY BECAUSE WE CONSTANTLY MUST GIVE IT UP.
Its an illusion that our bodies gives us any security because we dont even know if were
going to die tomorrow or in the next moment. You can have a brain aneurism and drop
dead. Our bodies are racing towards death.
(2) NO SECURITY IN AGENTS OF HELP OR HARM.
Harm in the sense that there is no security in (the retaliation of) harming that which harms
me. For example, theres no certainty that a medicine that is supposed to get rid of a harm to
my body will actually cure my disease. Theres no certainty that the police or security
guards will actually protect us, i.e., no certainty in the effectiveness of agents that are
expected to help or attempting to help me. E.g., Earthquakes dont kill people, but the
homes and buildings that are meant to provide shelter kill people when earthquakes strike.
So this is the second lack of security in Samsara.
(3) NO SECURITY IN ATTAINING A WONDERFUL CONDITIONS.
Theres no security in attaining wonderful conditions because they dont last, the high
becomes low. Perfect spouse, children, job, house, none of these last.
(4) NO SECURITY IN COMPANIONS.
Theres no security in other people, in friends, in family, because they may start disliking us
or they may die or we die, which ever comes first. We cant find security even in our
spiritual teachers, because our delusions may create obstacles to our maintaining faith, or
they may pass on. Even when we attend His Holiness teachings, we dont know if well be
seated behind a pillar, so theres no security in Cyclic Existence.
So those are the four sub-topics of the First Fault of Cyclic Existence, that no security can be
found in Samsara, categorized by Je Rinpoche.
2. SAMSARIC PLEASURES NEVER BRING REAL/LASTING SATISFACTION
The second of the Three Faults of Cyclic Existence:
However much you may indulge in its pleasures, they will not bring satisfaction in the end.
Were caught in Cyclic Existence since beginningless time. If we dont do something about
it, it will continue.
8 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
Some of the things were so attached to in Samsara honor, fame, sensory pleasures, etc.
are like holding onto quicksand. This is why Bodhicitta is great and makes us feel great
when we wish for it. And when we contemplate the faults of Cyclic Existence, we may not
feel so great and even may feel uncomfortable just thinking about them but before we can
generate the causal Aspiration of Bodhicitta, the wish that others become free of suffering,
we must understand our own predicament.
[Track 3]
PHYSICAL BASIS REQUIRED TO NEWLY GENERATE BODHICITTA
Back to Bodhicitta, what did you find out about the physical basis of Bodhicitta? We talk
about a two-fold basis for Bodhicitta, a physical and mental basis. What is the two-fold basis
you must have for newly generating Bodhicitta (the first time)?
We talk about two types of Bodhicitta. So we need to specify more about those two types;
then it will be easier to understand their bases.
ASPIRING BODHICITTA & ENGAGING BODHICITTA
ASPIRING BODHICITTA
The first type of Bodhicitta is Aspiring Bodhicitta. Any Bodhicitta, whether Aspiring or
Engaging Bodhicitta aspires.
Here, Aspiring Bodhicitta refers to the first type of Bodhicitta that you can generate, a
spontaneous, sincere mind: Wishing to attain Enlightenment (with the understanding of what
Enlightenment means) for the benefit of all sentient beings.
The first moment you have that Aspiring Bodhicitta, you (enter the Mahayana Path of
Accumulation).
BODHISATTVA VOW - ENGAGING BODHICITTA
Having become a Bodhisattva on the First Path, you are a qualified candidate to receive the
Bodhisattva Vow which enables you to generate Engaging Bodhicitta, the second type of
Bodhicitta.
IF YOU ARE NOT A BODHISATTVA, YOU DONT RECEIVE THE BODHISATTVA VOW
Although you can attend the ceremony and take part in the Bodhisattva Vow ritual whether
or not youre a Bodhisattva, if you are not actually a Bodhisattva, you dont receive the Vow.
Although this is debatable, our text clearly states, If you are not a Bodhisattva, you cannot
take/receive the Bodhisattva Vow.
9 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
Nonetheless, we still attend the Vow ceremonies conducted by H.H. the Dalai Lama, et al.,
because in this world, there are so few people who are qualified to give the vow and lead
disciples to Bodhicitta. When we attend the Vow ceremony, due to the skillful teacher,
strong emotions arise, His Holiness is one of the few persons qualified to confer the Vow, so
you dont want to miss the opportunity to attend and participate. But whether or not you
actually receive the Vow is a different matter. Whether or not you receive the Vow, you do
receive incredible imprints. And all we all take with us to our next lives, is our mental
consciousness with its imprints.
BODHISATTVA VOW SYSTEMS OF ASANGA & NAGARJUNA
There are two systems of the Bodhisattva Vows corresponding to the two methods for
generating Bodhicitta: Asangas Method Lineage of the Seven-Fold Cause & Effect Method;
and Nagarjunas Wisdom Lineage of Exchanging Self for Others.
Both were passed down (separately) from the Buddha to Maitreya and Manjushri
(respectively) and later combined in Atisha.
The emphasis of Nagarjunas system of the Bodhisattva Vows differs from that in Asangas
system. The conferral of the Bodhisattva Vow in the Tibetan Tradition follows the Asanga
Method Lineage (presented in Bodhisattva Bhumi) of 18 primary and 46 secondary vows
which are found in the teachings of the Avatamakasa Sutra.
You may wonder why you end up with different numbers and characterizations of the vows
as though the systems are contradictory. However, you find a similar situation in the Vinaya
lineages of monastic vows. Buddha gave the vows as he deemed appropriate for the disciples.
Buddha travelled all around India, in what is now India and Pakistan. Buddha spent time
with different disciples and taught them what they needed. So you have different lineages
that are passed on. Nonetheless, it is important that ordination be conferred by an unbroken
lineage.
Likewise, with the Bodhisattva Vows. Asanga took the vows from the sutra and delineated
18 root and 46 secondary vows. In Nagarjuna tradition, one can simultaneously generate
Aspiring and Engaging Bodhicitta; however, Asanga disagrees. According to the Asanga
tradition, a Bodhisattva first generates Aspiring Bodhicitta, and then Engaging Bodhicitta.
Furthermore, Asanga says the Bodhisattva must have take some Self-Liberation vows before
taking the Bodhisattva Vows, lay or monastic.
Nagarjuna was the Wisdom Lineage Holder, so this tradition emphasizes the importance of
realization and understanding, while the Method Lineage of Asanga stresses conduct, the
morality of conduct and Self-Liberation vows. Perhaps. ..
So, first, before you take the vows, you develop Bodhicitta. Then once you take the vows,
your Bodhicitta is then called Engaging Bodhicitta. Why? Before you took the vows, you
wished to become enlightened for the benefit of all sentient beings, but that doesnt imply
10 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
that you engaged in the practices that take you to enlightenment, i.e., the practice the Six
Perfections. Maybe some new Bodhisattva immediately do practice the Perfections; maybe
some dont. However, by taking the Bodhisattva Vows, one takes the commitment to engage
in those practices. Therefore, the Bodhisattva is engaged in the practices and definitely on
the way to Enlightenment, because practicing the vows takes you to Enlightenment.
Engaging Bodhicitta is that Bodhicitta in the continuum of someone whos taken the
Bodhisattva Vows.
[Track 4]
SELF-LIBERATION / PRAKTIMOKSHA VOWS
What are Praktimoksha or Self-Liberation vows? The first Buddhist vows practiced are the
Self-Liberation vows. Then you have the Bodhisattva Vows, then you have the Tantric vows.
Self-Liberation or Praktimoksha are associated with the Hinayana or the Foundational Path,
and we need a foundation. Then you have the two Mahayana, or Universal Vehicle, the
Bodhisattva Vows
How many types of Self-Liberation are vows prescribed?
VEN. KHUNPHEN: Seven
GEN WANGMO: Seven or eight.
VEN. KHUNPHEN: Lay man and lay woman; getsul and getsul-ma (novice monks and nuns),
probationary (postulate) nun, (fully ordained) monk and nun (gelong and gelong-ma).
GEN WANGMO: Basically, we have the six vows plus probationary nun vows or postulate
nun vows. A nun holding novice vows, who wants to receive full ordination, needs to take
these probationary vows, i.e., training vows, for two years before she can become fully
ordained. I used to be put off by this, but we need to go back 2,500 years ago, womens
position was very and Buddha was revolutionary. He was the greatest feminist of his
time, I guess. Just the fact that he was the first to ordain women there wasnt a tradition
of female renunciates still he was a great revolutionary.
As the Heart Sutra , says, any son or daughter of the (Mahayana) lineage (rik gi pu, rik kyi
pu mo -
9#<-`-/70-9#<-`-/-0-
) should train
AL: I seem to remember he was reluctant.
GEN WANGMO: Just a moment being a woman myself, Im definitely up in arms but for
the highest tantric teachings, Buddha said .. a female can be more effective in certain practice
and tantric vows mandate respect for women. That being the case, this whole account of
Buddha being reluctant to fulfill the request (of his maternal aunt and foster mother) to
11 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
create an order of nuns ... Moreover, once ordination for females was established, why did
Buddha require an additional two years of probation before full ordination? The
explanation Ive received, when a woman had left her home, she could not go back. They
werent supposed to leave, it was so untraditional. A womans place was in the home. So if
she changed her mind, where was she going to go, because there was no turning back.
Therefore the Buddhas reluctance, as when he first became enlightened, he was reluctant
to give teachings. He didnt teach for 14 days. Was he taking a break to relax or something
because he was really frustrated with peoples ignorance? That doesnt make sense.
TODD: I heard he went to Goa.
GEN WANGMO: Right. So the explanation given what he had to teach was so beyond
peoples thinking and conduct, that in order for people to actually have the interest and
request him, he waited for some time. So for word to spread from those who had some
inkling something special had happened, that Buddha had an attained unique realization, and
the gods were the first ones to request teaching . ...
Likewise, with the nuns situation, it might seem, I dont want those nuns to take
ordination, rather than, Be certain; theres no turning back. Similarly, from novice to full
ordination, you take on 364 vows, many of these vows were meant to protect the women,
such as the vow to always travel with another nun ...So, Be certain you want to take on all
these additional vows, .
After all you can always interpret it how you like. Or with skillful means, understanding
that Buddha wanted to help the women seeing their social disadvantages in that time. Of
course Buddha had to be very skillful with the men and of the time, who might oppose
womens ordination. So the nuns were given a vow that senior nuns were to prostrate to
newly ordained monks. wouldnt do now as women are totally equal.
When Buddha gave the higher Bodhisattva and tantric teachings to the more evolved
disciples, he was very clear about equality of men and women. You break your tantric vow
if you despise or look down on women. Theres no vow, dont despise a man.
So those are the Seven Self-Liberation Vows. There is an Eighth Vow: the One Day Vow.
So theres a division of the Self-Liberation vows into seven (7) or eight (8) types. We covered
the eight-fold categorization of the vows. So which vow removed from the seven-fold
division of vows? Sometimes, the eight vow sets is reduced to seven by subtracting the
postulant nun vow because thats not taken for life or for one day. However, Asanga in his
Stages of Yogic Deeds sys that the one day vow that should be subtracted from the eight-fold
categorization.
[Track 5]
12 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
MONASTIC SOJONG () & MAHAYANA SOJONG (THEK-CHEN SOJONG) -
*#-&,-

#<-$-

Now I have a question. There is something called in Tibetan Thek-Chen Sojong, Thek-Chen
means Mahayana. The So (gso) in Sojong means to restore, to repair. Jong (sbyong)
means to train. Now, Mahayana Sojong is not the bi-monthly Sojong ceremony where
monks and nuns restore their vows. That is called Sojong, but not Thek-Chen Sojong.
Sojong is sometimes translated as confession, but that is a little misleading because you dont
go up to a person and orally confess specific vows youve broken. In your mind, you recite
the vows during the ritual. The lineage of fully ordained nun never made it to Tibet from
India. . Monastics have bi-monthly Sojong, where first the fully ordained monks
convene, and then the novices join and recite the novice vows while thinking about which
ones theyve broken, generate regret and the determination not to violate them again. Then
having mentally purified, the novices go before a fully ordained monk to complete the
ceremony of restoration. Thats called Sojong, the ceremony for restoring the purity of
monastic vows. (Certain vows, when broken at the root, cannot be restored.) Lay people should
not attend Sojong. However, they do here in McLeod as the security guards have given up
trying to prevent them from attending.
Thek-chen Sojong is totally different. Thek-chen Sojong means taking the Mahayana
precepts, the one day Mahayana vows for 24 hours. For instance, on the day of Saka Dawa,
traditionally people go to the temple before dawn to take the one day Mahayana vows. Then
the next day, if you dont continue to follow the vows, theres no transgression because you
dont have the vow anymore.
What are these vows? Are they actual vows? If so, are they Praktimoksha Vows?
Bodhisattva Vows? Tantric Vows? Theres no class of Mahayana Vows.
I called one of my teachers, who went back and forth, and then I called a Geshe who has
studied the Vinaya in great detail. He also vacillated. I asked about something Id heard of
called the Mahayana Self-Liberation Vows. And he agreed that they are Mahayana Self-
Liberation Vows, because this is not something really practiced in Tibet to its full extent.
However, a text by Jamgn Khamtrul Rinpoche, (Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye), dealubg
with the Three Types of Vows, has a chapter on Praktimoksha Vows in which the Mahayana
Praktimoksha Vows are discussed. Three types of Mahayana Praktimoksha Vows are
described.
5

13 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
1. The first type are the Mahayana Praktimoksha Vows where you take vows that are
exactly the same as Self-Liberation Vows (full ordained monks and nuns, novice monks and
nuns, lay persons) but with the motivation of Bodhicitta. You can have the motivation of
Bodhicitta while you take the vows, or because of having taken the vows, you may later
generate Bodhicitta afterward. If you generate Bodhicitta afterwards because of having taken
the vows, those vows become Mahayana Self-Liberation Vows.
2. The second type is sub-divided into two: a) Vows received in historical ceremonies, e.g.,
at the time of the Buddha, conferring full ordinations conferred by preceptors such as the
Eight Great Bodhisattvas (see, Spring 2010 - Handout 5) were Mahayana Praktimoksha
Vows. b) and ceremonies such as those conferring the Mahayana Sojong vows, i.e., the
Thek Chen or Mahayana One-Day Precepts.
3. The third type of Mahayana Self-Liberation vows are those you take before taking
Bodhisattva or Tantric Vows.
Before conferring Bodhisattva vows. His Holiness confers Lay vows for those who do not
have them. Monastics are not allowed to take Lay vows. If I were to take Lay vows, I would
The Distinctive Features of the Vows of Personal Liberation in the Universal Way are explained in
seven parts . . .:
(1) Awakening Mind: Individualists vows of personal liberation become Universalists if assumed with
an altruistic motive to attain enlightenment, or even when the mind of awakening arises afterwards.
The exclusive and extensive procedure for the conferral of Universalist vows of personal liberation was
never introduced into Tibet. However, [one can still receive such ordination without that procedure] as
is indicated . . .
(2) The Ceremony. Universalists precepts of personal liberation are conferred in three types of
ceremonies:
(1) The Universalists ceremonies that are undifferentiated from those of the proclaimers system,
which are the ceremonies of the eight classes [of vows], performed according to the proclaimers
system but received with the attitude of the Universal Way, the resolve to awaken.
(2) Special ceremonies, which include the ceremonies of the past by which Maitreya, Manjushri, and
others conferred full ordination on many persons, and the ceremonies of the present day, such as the
procedure for taking the precepts of purification-renewal, 274/ . . .
(3) Higher rites, which include the rite for assuming the commitment of the aspiration [for complete
awakening], the preparatory part of a tantric empowerment, and other rites, which [among their
precepts] confer the vows of personal liberation.
Fn. 274: Vows of purification and renewal (gso sbyong): to purify negativity and restore virtue. The
eight precepts of the purificatory fast in the Universal Way (including not eating meat) are assumed,
motivated by awakening mind, in front of a person, ordained or lay, who observes the personal
liberation rules, or before an image of the Buddha or other sacred representation. Ibid., p. 399.
14 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
lose my ordination we have sufficient vows to take the Bodhisattva vow. At Higher
Yoga Tantric empowerments, where his His Holiness confers Tantric Vows, first the Lay
vows followed by the Bodhisattva Vow are conferred. So, this is the third type of Mahayana
Self-Liberation vows that are taken in order to take another type of vow.
So from this explanation found in Jamgn Khamtrul Rinpoches book, it is very clear, there
are Mahayana Self-Liberation vows. However, Bodhicitta is not required in order to take
Self-Liberation vows. Usually, in taking novice ordination, the Preceptor asks you to take
refuge and to generate renunciation, which are causes for the arousal of those vows, for
making those vows stable in your continuum
If you decide to take those vows with a Bodhicitta motivation, you take the same vows but
they become Mahayana Self-Liberation Vows. In order to take the Bodhisattva Vows,
you must have the Bodhicitta motivation, In order to take the Tantric vows, you must have
the Bodhisattva motivation. They are definitely Mahayana vows, because you cant receive
the vows without that motivation.
For the Self-Liberation vows, you dont need the Bodhisattva motivation. But when you do
combine them with that Mahayana motivation, then the Praktimoksha Vows are the
Mahayana Praktimoksha Vows.
AL: Isnt there another vow regarding abstaining from sexual conduct?
GEN WANGMO: Thats another way of looking at the Lay Persons vows. There are different
explanations. Ive seen a division where, from amongst the standard Five Lay Vows, one may
take:
One vow;
All of the vows;
More than one but less than a majority;
Majority of the vows;
All the vows plus an additional vow, which means a vow that in addition to the
vow of no sexual misconduct of no sexual conduct at all.
Actually none of the five are taken, but one promises to abstain from engaging in the
10 non-virtues.
I thought there was another one, but I forget.
TODD: Its not required to take one vow?
GEN WANGMO: Its not required to take one. You can take 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 5, plus
instead of saying, no sexual misconduct, you can take it further to no sexual conduct
whatsoever.
AL: I understood that you at least had to take the vow against killing?
15 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
GEN WANGMO: Yes, because of the five negative actions, the worst is killing. In the
presentation of the 10 Non-Virtues, the worst negativity of each category is given first. So
of the three non-virtues of the body, the worst is killing. The worst of the four non-virtues
of speech is lying. The worst of the three non-virtues of the mind is covetousness.
Therefore, if you take one of the vows, killing is the definite one to take.
TODD: Ive heard some differences of opinion. Someone with definite accomplishments, said
the vow youre encouraged to take is no intoxicants.
GEN WANGMO: No mind-altering intoxicants. I guess its probably a different interpretation.
H.H. the Dalai Lama often tells the story of Ling Rinpoche, who was giving lay vows to a
man who objected that he couldnt give up a glass of wine; and Ling Rinpoche said, Okay,
Take the vow against intoxication and allow one glass of wine.

Theres the story for monks and nuns. A monk who was living in a retreat place, and a
beautiful woman, who wanted to entice him, came for a visit. She brought a goat, and said,
Lets kill the goat and have a good time. He refused, I cant kill. So please take your goat
and leave. So she replied, Well, at least we could have sex. And the monk said, No! No
way, no sexual contact. She said, Oh, please, please, lets at least drink some alcohol. So
the monk thought Since shes begging me, I can at least do that. So he got drunk, they
killed the goat and had sex.
This is an illustration of the importance of the vow not to take intoxicants.
AL: The point is so that you dont lose mindfulness.
GEN WANGMO: Eventually the vow is supposed to help us so that even without the vows, we
refrain from harmful acts.
[Track 6]
VOW AGAINST KILLING, VEGETARIANISM, FACTORY-FARMED ANIMALS, ETC.
KAREN: Ive never understood the interpretation of non-killing that permits meat eating.
To me that includes not eating meat or killing animals with a brain.
GEN WANGMO: Im guilty myself, I eat meat.
KAREN: My teacher reminded me that Tibetans couldnt have agriculture whether they
lived.
VEN DROLKAR: varied, say prayers before they slaughtered a beast.
16 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
GEN WANGMO: Vegetarianism. One of the hardest things to change is your diet from what
youre brought up on. They find it very hard to change when they come from Tibet. This is
also a bit of an excuse. Some Tibetans, if you look at what Tibetans eat, they eat large
animals.
Dont you think of the insects that die with agriculture? But I think youre right if you can
avoid eating meat
TODD: Is the act of eating meat a transgression of the vow of killing?
GEN WANGMO: No.
TODD: So eating meat is not the act of killing?
GEN WANGMO: No, its not the act of killing. No, but there are vows, there are some tantric
vows against eating meat, but it is not part of the Bodhisattva Vows.

VEN NORDRON: An important part of the monastic practice of begging for food is not
acting preferentially (with attachment or aversion) to the food offered.
GEN WANGMO: The word for fully ordained monk is gelong, or fully ordained nun,
gelong-ma. Ge means virtue. Long means to beg. So the etymology of fully ordained
monastic is someone who begs and strives for virtue.
So monks and nuns traditionally would go out and beg. And then the Buddha was very
clear, you shouldnt be vegetarian; you shouldnt be non-vegetarian. In other words,
monastics should not refuse, discriminate; you should take whatever is given.
And I think that applies to a Bodhisattva. If someone offers you meat, you should take it,
because theres a Bodhisattva Vow that you cannot refuse taking gold; right? If that applies
to gold, then if someone offers you meat, then I guess you should also not refuse taking that
meat if it is given out of a pure motivation, you should accept whatever is given even gold.
6

So then it is all about moderation, I guess. In the end, with the Bodhisattva Vows you can
even go against the Self-Liberation vows if it is necessary. Self-Liberation vows are
associated with the seven non-virtues. They are not so much vows about the mind but they
are more about refraining from actions of body and speech.
17 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
So you can break all of the Self-Liberation vows if done with the motivation of a Bodhisattva
(i.e. , you are a Bodhisattva and, more particularly for some vows, an Arya Bodhisattva) and
if necessary. So the Bodhisattva vows are higher than the Self-Liberation Vows.
MAN: Shakbar, a famous yogi, wrote a lovely book about the faults of meat eating that has
been translated into English.
GEN WANGMO: Translated into English, nice. . . . A popular movie in the Tibetan community
shows the brutal slaughter of animals, and many have become vegetarians. Recently, I saw a
movie, FOOD, INC., and what they do to the chickens Wow! It is unbelievably horrible.
AL: Its nothing compared to what the French do to geese.
VEN NORDRON: No, it is. Its really worse.
(Discussion of Food, Inc.s depiction of monopolistic industrial meat-production)
VEN NORDRON: The film FOOD INC. shows factory farming of feed lots for cattle and pigs,
similar to chickens.
( conversation continues)
[Track 7]
PHYSICAL BASIS/REALM OF BIRTH REQUIRED TO GENERATE ASPIRING BODHICITTA
TODD: We had some homework from the last class
GEN WANGMO: Yes, I did. So lets drop the meat eating for now. And that is why I talked
about the Vows: to differentiate between the Praktimoksha and the Bodhisattva Vows. So
having understood that there is Aspiring Bodhicitta and Engaging Bodhicitta.
Ive also been a little bit loose today, because there are a lot of people missing for another
event today, and I didnt go into the class material in depth today, because I want them to be
here.
Anyway, your homework was to come up with your own view, or possibly ask someone,
what do you think is the physical basis for initially generating Bodhicitta, Todd?
TODD: I remember the story of Buddha generating Bodhicitta in the Hell realm.
GEN WANGMO: Very good. There is the story of Shakyamuni, in a earlier life, being born
into a Hell Realm where he and a companion pulled a chariot while being tortured by a
Yama. And he developed Great Compassion. Sometimes it is not clear whether he actually
18 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
Great Compassion or Bodhicitta. Anyway, he asked the Yama, Please dont beat my friend
up. Ill pull this chariot by myself. So dont torture him; torture me.
This act is said to have arisen either from Great Compassion or from Bodhicitta. But whether
it is Great Compassion or Bodhicitta doesnt matter because if it is possible to generate Great
Compassion in a Hell Realm, it is possible to generate Bodhicitta.
So in a Hell Realm, with the body of a Hell being, one can generate Bodhicitta.
VEN. NORDRON: In this story, Im not sure whether the reason this earlier incarnation of
Shakyamuni was in a Hell Realm was because, as a Bodhisattva, he committed the act of
killing which is told in another very popular story.
GEN WANGMO: No, because he was a Bodhisattva when he killed the ship captain. And this
Hell Realm story is about when he initially generated Great Compassion or Bodhicitta. This
story is given as an example of the initial generation of Bodhicitta.
Still, a Bodhisattva can be reborn in the Hell Realms, but usually as a result of acts performed
out of Great Compassion, so the life in Hell is said to last for just a short moment. I think
theres an example, I dont know if youre familiar with the story, when the Buddha was
traveling on a boat with 500 merchants one of whom was planning on killing all the
others, and the only way to prevent 499 people from being killed was for the prior
incarnation of Shakyamuni to kill that one person. This is the story, that with Great
Compassion I dont know why he couldnt tie him up; but never mind whatever
happened, he had to kill him. Im reminded of Hitler; right. At the time of Hitler, people
tried to assassinate him as the best solution. And with Bodhisattva motivation, with Great
Compassion for all the people who might be killed, and for Hitler himself the negativity
he has accumulated therefore a Bodhisattva with that motivation may kill and this story
is given as the illustration of that: Killing this one potential killer in order to save everyone
else and to save the killer too.
For that, he was reborn for a short time in a Hell realm, but only for a short time. Right
away, he came out again. Its said to be like a split second or so.
Here, the story is that he was in Hell for some time and then generated Bodhicitta for the
first time. Or some say he generated Great Compassion, not Bodhicitta, but from that you
can infer that if Great Compassion can be generated in Hell so can Bodhicitta.
Okay, so the Hell realm is possible. The Human realm is definitely possible. What about the
the Preta (Hungry Ghost) and Animal realms?
SOMEONE: Yes.
GEN WANGMO: You would say so. Okay. And then, of course, the God Realms.
19 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
TODD: I would actually question whether it is possible in the God realm.
GEN WANGMO: Interesting. Why?
SOMEONE: What about Arhats?
GEN WANGMO: What about the Arhats? Can they generate Bodhicitta?
VEN. NORDRON: Is she talking about the Arhats who are in Solitary Peace?
GEN WANGMO: Are you saying Arhats cannot at all, ever, generate Bodhicitta? Or are there
certain times when they cannot?
KAREN: Im just bringing up the Arhats as part of the discussion with everyone.
GEN WANGMO: Okay, what do you think: Arhats who have attained Self-Liberation for
their own benefit, just in general?
TODD: Theyre not in the Six Realms
GEN WANGMO: Are they in the Six Realms? There are two ways of talking about the Six
Realms: the Samsaric Six Realms or just Six Realms.
Because the Buddha was a Human, but he was no in the Samsaric Six Realms. Hes a human
being because he had the Praktimoksha Vows. To have the Praktimoksha Vows, you must
be human.
Anyway, well talk about this but I think were out of time. Because there are so many
missing, and well have to go through it all again.
SOMEONE:
GEN WANGMO: Yes, this is in tune with what Ven Nordron said. Theres a time, when they
just become Arhats, that they are totally absorbed in the blissful state of the absence of
suffering, that theyre not going to be disturbed by any inspiration to become a Bodhisattva.
But eventually that meditation weakens although it may take many aeons which is why
becoming an Arhat is a detour, because the become trapped in a prolonged state of bliss ...
Once that weakens, the Buddhas will inspire them, communicate with them, and inspire
them to move on. These Arhats, Arhats without remainder, are not in the Six Realms. They
dont have a physical body, but theyre able to communicate with the Buddhas mentally;
they have certain clairvoyant powers, and the Buddhas can communicate with them
mentally and inspire them. Because everyone has the potential to become fully Enlightened,
and will eventually become fully Enlightened, even the Arhats . Its a good time because
there is a time period when it is probably easier to inspire a human being than an Arhat.
20 2010 Class 45 - October 1 - Ornament for Clear Realizations Chapter 1, Class 7
TODD: What about the God and Demi-God realms?
GEN WANGMO: What about the Celestial realms? Think about it for the next time. Why
does Todd have this doubt, because
TODD: Theres so much pleasure.
GEN WANGMO: Theres so much pleasure and bliss, and not much suffering.
KAREN: So theyre not of the Samsaric realms.
GEN WANGMO: They are. Im just challenging, are you sure? Todd has a good point. Hes
saying, what about, yet in the Hell realm, you see the suffering all around you; but if you
dont ever see, at least, the Suffering of Suffering, can you generate Bodhicitta? The
Suffering of Suffering is generally absent, except at the moments before death, in the
Celestial Realms. So do you need the Suffering of Suffering to generate Bodhicitta. The
Suffering of Change and the All Pervasive Suffering are present in the God realms, so
TODD: Are they aware of it?
HOMEWORK
GEN WANGMO: Are they aware of it. Are we humans aware of it? So Todd has a good point
here. What about the God realms: are the God realms possible as physical realms to
generate Aspiring Bodhicitta.
Second question: What is the physical basis required to take Bodhisattva Vows?
Ask someone else. I liked it when Al came back with a geshes view that Bodhicitta is a
mental factor, so please check with someone. When we study, the teacher says one thing in
class, and then we go out and debate So find some a geshe and asked: Why is Bodhicitta a
main mind? Etc.