THE BODHISATTVA vow by The Dzogchen Ponlop, Rinpoche Translated by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso PUBLICATIONS • Vancouver, Canada • 1999 SIODHI PUBLICATIONS P.O Box 93542 RPO Nelson Park Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V6E4L7 E-mail: [email protected] THE BODHISATTVA Vow. Copyright ©1999 The Dzogchen Ponlop, Rinpoche. All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Edition Translation ofthe Bodhisattva Vow on page 30 by Jules Levinson Compiled and edited by Cindy Shelton and Lyle Weinstein from Bodhisattva Vow Ceremony Talks given at The Treasury ofK.nowledge Retreats, San Antonio, Texas. THE BODHISATTVA VOW Contents I. INTRODUCTION ................................... 1 II. Two LINEAGES oF TIIE BomiiSATIVA Vow ........................................... 3 Ill. ASPIRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION BODIIICITTA ................................... 4 A. Three styles of Aspiration Bodhicitta ......................................... 4 B. Implementation Bodhicitta ................. 7 IV. COMMITMENTS OF TilE BODIIISAT TVA Vow ............................................... 9 A. Five Commitments of Aspiration Bodhicitta ...................................... 10 B. Commitments of Implementation Bodhicitta ........... 12 V. THE RooT DoWNFALLS ..................... 14 A. Explained as Fourteen ...................... 14 B. Explained as Four.. ........................... l9 C. Explained as One .............................. 20 VI. THE THREE-FOLD FEARLESSNESS OF A v BODIIISATIVA .................................... 23 VII. THE BonmsAr rvA Vow CEREMONY ... 25 A. Seven Branch Supplication .............. 25 B. The Bodhisattva Vow ...................... 28 C. Conclusion ....................................... 32 VITI. RESTORING BODIIICITTA ...................... 35 IX. DEDICATION OF MERIT ..................... 36 vi THE BODHISATTVA VOW INTRODUCTION Taking the Bodhisattva Vow means that we are going to engage in the procedures for initially generating Bodhicitta, the mind of awakening. Generally speaking, the individual liberation vows of the Hinayana tradition are transmitted. in a coarse manner by means of a signal. In the case of the Refuge Vow as well as in the case of novice and full ordinations, the signal is a finger snap indicating the moment at which the vow or ordination is complete. The transmission of the Bodhisattva Vow is more subtle; it is internal. The vow is accomplished through the force of the students' intention in taking it. Your attitude and intention are of the utmost importance in this process. Therefore, you must look at and examine your motivation. It is necessary in the beginning to know the benefits and qualities of Bodhicitta. It is necessary to understand, basically, what Bodhicitta is. Then, when you actually take the vow and generate Bodhicitta formally, you do so within the recollection of these things. The first thing that the generation of Bodhicitta depends upon is the presence of love and compassion directed towards all beings. The intention should be: "I will establish all beings, without exception, in a state of present happiness and ultimate happiness, and I will free 1 all beings, without exception, from their present suffering and from all suffering." Possessing this as your intention and generating this as your attitude is the basis for receiving the vow. 2 THE Two LINEAGES OF THE Vow BonmsATTVA The Bodhisattva Vow is the entrance to the path of the Mahayana. The ceremony oft he Bodhisattva Vow exists in two formats which come from the two lineages of the Mahayana transmission of this vow. One is called the Lineage of Vast or Extensive Conduct. This format comes from Maitreya and involves an extensive ceremony that requires two days to perform. The other tradition is called the Lineage of the Profound View. This tradition began with Arya Nagaijuna. It was passed on from him to Chandrakirti, Shantideva, and so on up to the present. That is the one we're going to be doing. It does not involve a particularly dramatic ceremony. What has to be dramatic is your attitude because the Dharma is internal: It's in your mind. The actual words used as the liturgy of the vow were composed by the Bodhisattva Shantideva and are found in the Bodhicaryavatara. 3 ASPIRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION BoDHICITTA The attitude of the vow itself is two-fold. These two attitudes are called Aspiration Bodhicitta and Implementation Bodhicitta. If you have already heard of the Mahayana Dharma before this you will know about these and therefore it will be easy for you to generate Bodhicitta now. Aspiration Bodhicitta is exactly what its name implies: It is the aspiration or desire for a certain result. It is an intention, a motivation. Because it is a thought, it is not difficult to generate. Its generation requires merely an alteration of your intention or attitude. While it is simple to generate in that way, it is extraordinarily and immeasurably beneficial. In this case, aspiration means a pure aspiration for the accomplishment of omniscient Buddhahood; not simply for yourself but in order to bring all beings without exception to that same state. That is the aspiration which is Aspiration Bodhicitta. Three Styles ofA spiration Bodhicitta There are three styles of Aspiration Bodhicitta. They are called King-like Bodhicitta, Ferryman-like Bodhicitta and Shepherd-like Bodhicitta. Any one of these three is sufficient for the development of authentic Aspiration Bodhicitta. King-like Bodhicitta, as the name implies, is similar to the approach of a king. A king must first consolidate his authority and amass sufficient wealth. Thereafter, if he is 4 a good king, he uses his authority to protect his kingdom and shares his wealth with his subjects. King-like Bodhicitta is similar. It is the thought, "In order to be able to free all beings, I must first accomplish all the qualities of Buddhahood. I must train in the path, acquire profound prajna and compassion, and attain awakening myself. Having done so, I will then use these qualities to bring all beings to that same state." That is King-like Bodhicitta. The idea is that you must attain Buddhahood first in order to be able to liberate others. The second style is Ferryman-like or Boatman-like Bodhicitta. A ferryman seeks to bring himself and all of his passengers safely across the. body of water at the same time. Similarly, someone who generates Ferryman like Bodhicitta makes the aspiration, "I will bring all beings across the ocean of samsara with me so that all beings attain Buddhahood simultaneously." The third style of Aspiration Bodhicitta is Shepherd-like Bodhicitta. A shepherd first sends the flock out ahead of him and then follows after them to make sure that they are protected. In the evening, he sends them in ahead of him and then follows after them to make sure that they all return safely. So 4e is the last to arrive. He ensures that they have good grazing and protects the flock from wolves. In the same way, someone who generates Shepherd-like Bodhicitta makes the aspiration that, through his practice, all other beings will be brought first to the attainment of full Buddhahood. One aspires to be the last being to accomplish the peace and happiness of Buddhahood. Shepherd-like Bodhicitta is the thought, "My happiness is unimportant compared to the happiness of all beings, 5 so may I drive all beings before me into awakening. May I remove all of their obstacles to awakening. May I be the last to attain Buddhahood." This type ofBodhicitta is exemplified by the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara; particularly as illustrated in his form with one-thousand eyes and one thousand arms. Shepherd-like Bodhicitta is the hardest for ordinary beings to generate because Bodhicitta is not just simply an idea or a fantasy but something that would actually be implemented in your experience. If we look at the way we act, we'll see why this really goes against the grain of our conventional personality. For example, when we're shopping and we have to line up at the cash register, everyone wants to be first. We don't let everyone else in the store go before us. Another example would be that when you are waiting for a taxi, you take the :first taxi that arrives in order to get to your destination without delay; you don't let the person who came after you to the taxi stand take that first cab. It's very hard for ordinary beings to truly generate this Bodhicitta. For that reason, the Buddha said it is supreme. Of these three types of Bodhicitta, the Buddha said that the best is Shepherd-like Bodhicitta, the second best is Ferryman-like Bodhicitta and the third best is King-like Bodhicitta. However, any of these three is acceptable as authentic Aspiration Bodhicitta. You needn't try and talk yourself into Shepherd-like Bodhicitta if that's not the way you feel right now. You should generate whichever of the three suits your disposition at this time. In any case, the actual generation of Aspiration Bodhicitta is done by repeating the words which describe its generation. It is important that you consider the meaning while reciting because the essence 6