YOUTHFUL PLAY # AREA IV The vows of the bhikshu and bhikshuni are attained from the Sangha The novice monk, novice nun, and male and female pursuer o f virtue vows are at tained from an individual The phrase “et cetera” is mentioned in order to in clude the ten ways the Great Exposition vinaya says the bhikshu vows may be taken The ten ways the vows are taken are taught in the autocommentary: (i) The buddhas and self-buddhas take bhikshu vows spontaneously (2) The five supports, by developing certainty.186 (3) Ajnata and the others, by being sum moned, “Bhikshu, come hither.” (4) Mahakashyapa, by accepting the Buddha as Teacher (5) Sodayin, by delighting the Buddha with his response to a question (6) Mahaprajapati, by accepting the dharmas of re spect.187 (7) Dharmadinna, by messengers.188 (8) People in remote lands, by five upholders o f the vinaya (9) People in central lands, by an assembly o f ten (10) The assembly of the good group o f sixty took bhikshu vows by repeating three times that they go for refuge At this point, the glorious Shakya Chokden explains that the Buddha taking vows spontaneously refers to him renouncing his household and so forth, but this is an imaginary fabrication It is thoroughly and completely refuted in the Great Kartlk The Springtime Cow o f Easy Accomplishment itself, so I shall not beat that dead thing over again Philosophies one’s own m ind imagines, N ot heard of in the Noble Land, May delight all the fools in Tibet, But alas, can they bring true relief To all those who want liberation? Specific explanations This has four topics: a The time vows are taken for, b Ascertaining the time period o f wrong vows, c Specifics o f fasts, and d Specifics o f the five lay precepts a The tim e vows are taken for 27ab The vows are taken for life or else The period o f one day and night T he seven classes of vows o f individual liberation are taken for the rest of this 314 THE PRESENTATION OF KARMA life, or else the fasting vows are taken for the period o f one day and night The end of the period o f the vows o f individual liberation is either the end of life or the end of a day and night Here the Great Exposition proposes that fasting vows can only last one day and night The Sutra school says there is no harm in fasting vows lasting for many days The Master explains there is no logical problem with fasting vows lasting many days, but fasting vows are taken for a single day only because that is how it was established by the Buddha The modern tradition of taking fasting vows for every m onth, where one takes a vow today, for example, and maintains it on the eighth or some other day o f every lunar m onth, is said to be Lord Atishas tradition Some scholars say that this is illogical If one were to take fasting vows for one particular day of every m onth, would such a vow arise or not? In the first instance, one would have to maintain the fasting vow continually from that day on In the second instance, there would be no possibility o f m aintain ing the vows on the eighth day or full m oon o f the subsequent months, so they say Well then, it follows that one can take the eight precepts of fasting for the rest of one’s life, because you have explained that the individual who swears to uphold the eight precepts o f fasting for the rest of his life is a righteous pur suer o f virtue.189 You cannot deny the proof, and the pervasion holds If you agree, it contradicts your position that the fasting vows cannot last longer than one day and night O ur own position is that when one promises to maintain the fasting vows on the full moon or eighth day of the following lunar months, the vow arises out of the power o f resolve in the mind Extensive proofs and rebuttals of this appear in the great Tika b Ascertaining the tim e p erio d o f w rong vows 27cd There is no one-day-long wrong-vow, Because there’s no such oath, it’s heard There is no one-day-long wrong vow W hat is the reason? you ask Because there is no such oath where one says, “May I possess a wrong vow for one day and night,” it is heard c Specifics o f fasts This has three topics: i General presentation, ii Estab lishing the quantity of precepts, and iii The need to begin by going for refuge 315 YOUTHFUL PLAY ?f A R E A IV i G eneral presentation 28 W hile kneeling low with no adornments, Recite the words Till morrows morn O ne swears before another at dawn To all the precepts o f the fast How does one swear to the day-long fast? It is taken while the person who is taking the vow is kneeling on one or both knees with their palms joined lower than the preceptor One should adorn oneself w ith no new adornm ents One recites the words, repeating after the preceptor The period for which the vow is taken is until the sun rises on the m orrow or next day s m orn, one complete day and night The time when one commits is when one swears before an other at dawn before eating any food to all the precepts of the fast // Establishing the quantity o f precepts This has two points (1) A ctual 29a—c There are four, one, and three precepts O f discipline, and carefulness, Austerity respectively There are four root precepts, one precept o f abandoning alcohol, and the last three precepts These are the precepts o f discipline, which abandon the in herently unwholesome; and the precept o f carefulness, remaining in m ind fulness; and the precepts o f austerity, which are compatible w ith those precepts, respectively (2) Dispelling d o u b t 29d Those bring unmindfulness and arrogance Those, drinking alcohol and eating food after noon, respectively bring u n mindfulness o f what to and what not to and weaken the mindfulness o f the fast High seats, song, dance, and so forth not only weaken mindfulness, they make one arrogant Hi The n e e d to begin by going fo r refuge 30ab 316 Others may also fast, of course, But only after going for refuge THE PRESENTATION OF KARMA Can only people who hold the lay precepts take the fasting vows, or may others as well? you ask O thers than just those who have the pursuer o f virtue vows may also fast, o f course, b ut only after first going for refuge to the Three Jew els on that day Otherwise the vow will not arise d Specifics o f the five lay p rec ep ts This has five topics: i Explaining the meaning o f a quotation from a sutra, ii Rebutting that it is contradictory of the sutras, iii Distinctions between lesser and greater vows, iv Explaining the sources of refuge, and v Specifics of the precepts / Explaining the m ean in g o f a quotation from a sutra 30cd By promising to pursue virtue The vow is made, its taught, like bhikshus From the Mahdndman Sutra:190 Mahanaman, thus if a householder dressed in white clothes who possesses the male faculty of a man goes for refuge in the Buddha and goes for refuge to the Dharm a and Sangha, and then also says the words, “Accept me as a pursuer of virtue,” by that alone he becomes a pursuer o f virtue Can one become a pursuer of virtue who holds the lay precepts merely by going for refuge? you ask The Aparantakas say one can The Kashmiris say that alone does not make one a pursuer o f virtue, but by prom ising after going for refuge, “Accept me as a pursuer of virtue for the rest of my life,” the vow is made and arises— one becomes a pursuer of virtue Well then, reciting the liturgy “Just as the noble A rhats ”191 then become meaningless, you say It does not, because it is taught not as a way to attain something that has not yet been attained but as a way to know what limits have been attained and must be upheld For example, it is like reciting the precepts of a bhikshu or a novice after attaining the vows ii Rebutting that it is contradictory o f the sutras 31a—c If that is so and all is thus bound, How is there single conduct, et cetera? Hold that, and it is held, it’s heard 317 YOUTHFUL PLAY i* A R E A IV If th at is so and all five precepts o f a pursuer o f virtue are thus bound, how is it that the Buddha spoke o f four types o f pursuers o f virtue: those who aban don taking life alone as single conduct, et cetera, including those who hold two precepts as partial conduct, those who hold three or four as majority con duct, and those who hold all five as complete pursuers of virtue? In response, the Great Exposition says that the intent of this is that at first all of these attain all five precepts completely Later one violates some precepts, but one holds that, another of the precepts, w ithout violation A nd that is how it, single conduct or any o f the others, is held, it is heard /// Distinctions b e tw e e n lesser a n d greater vows Id They’re weak, et cetera, like the mind The cause for them , vows, being weak, et cetera, middling and strong, is that although there are differences in how many precepts are held, one’s motivation is primary, so the vow is stronger or weaker, like the stronger or weaker faith in one’s mind iv Explaining the sources o f refuge 32 All those who go for refuge to The three, take refuge in the dharmas That make the Buddha and the Sangha— No learning and both— and nirvana W hat are the Three Jewels to which we go for refuge? you ask All those who go for refuge to the Three Jewels, take refuge in the Buddha: they go for refuge in the dharmas th at make the Buddha, the truth o f the path o f no more learning A nd going for refuge in the Sangha is going for refuge in the dharmas that make the Sangha, the truth of the path of no learning and learn ing both A nd going for refuge to the D harm a is going for refuge in the dharma that makes the jewel of the Dharma, nirvana, which is the cessation of all afflictions and suffering w ithout exception The Great Exposition proposes that the dharma body alone is the Buddha who is the source o f refuge, and the form body is not the Buddha Likewise, the Sangha that is the source of refuge is the truth of the path only, while the Sangha that is its support is not the Sangha that is a source o f refuge The Sutra school proposes that both the support of the form body and the dharma body it supports are the Buddha who is the source o f refuge, and both the 318 ... refuge to the Three Jewels, take refuge in the Buddha: they go for refuge in the dharmas th at make the Buddha, the truth o f the path o f no more learning A nd going for refuge in the Sangha.. .THE PRESENTATION OF KARMA life, or else the fasting vows are taken for the period o f one day and night The end of the period o f the vows o f individual liberation is either the end... in the dharmas that make the Sangha, the truth of the path of no learning and learn ing both A nd going for refuge to the D harm a is going for refuge in the dharma that makes the jewel of the