The Vows and Pledges of Secret Mantra 265 The Eight Secondary Downfalls [2"] Eight secondary downfalls are to rely on a consort without pledges, Quarrel at ritual feast, accept nectar from an unsuitable consort, Not teach when appropriate, answer questions perversely, Stay in the home of a proclaimer, boast of being a tantric practitioner although ignorant, And proclaim secrets to the unsuited There are many other ways to enumerate secondary downfalls Eight secondary downfalls are related to the fourteen root downfalls: (1) To rely on an awareness-woman who has no pledges (either because she has not been initiated or has violated them), who cannot keep secret [the practice], lacks faith in oneself, and does not possess the necessary qualifications.191 This downfall applies principally to the lay tantric practitioner (2) To quarrel at times of tantric activities; for example, to argue over seating order, food, or drink during a ritual feast This includes to argue in the course of mandala rituals, fire rituals, consecrations, etc (3) To accept the outer and inner nectars of the pledges192 from a shameful consort or one who has not been specified in the tantras [i.e., an ordinary consort who is not fully qualified] (4) To fail to reveal tantric instructions to sincere disciples who request them, either because they are poor or due to one’s unwillingness to share one’s knowledge (5) To fail to answer questions on the teachings directly but to respond with playful banter, or to explain the discourses, for instance, in response to a request for [teaching on] the Secret Mantra (6) To stay more than one week in the home of a proclaimer193 who has contempt for the Universal Way (7) To boast of being a tantric practitioner when one is ignorant of the outer, inner, and alternative levels of the Secret Mantra194 and of the yoga of union [of wisdom and means], and knows only outer rites and procedures of the creation phase 266 Buddhist Ethics (8) To disclose secrets in disregard of the stipulation to give personal instructions195 only to jewel-like disciples, collective instructions to the sandalwood-like and the other [three types of disciples],196 and teaching on the common principles [of the Universal Way] to disciples unsuited [to tantra] The Indestructible Nucleus’ Ornament Tantra enumerates six secondary downfalls: the first, second, fifth, sixth, and eighth as above, plus to show secret [articles].197 Various other [secondary downfalls] are found here and there in the tantras, and therefore it is difficult to make a definitive enumeration of all of them Indian masters have also presented these downfalls in various ways The source for the above list is [Rangjung Dorjé’s] Ocean of Pledges, itself based on Manjushriyashas’s works.198 The Great Lord of Jonang [Taranatha],199 in his work known as Elimination of Errors, explains eight [secondary downfalls] in accordance with Garbhapada’s work200: (1) To enjoy practice with a consort Who has no pledges; (2) To quarrel at a ritual feast; (3) To expound other teachings To disciples with faith [in the tantras]; (4) To stay more than seven days in the home Of someone proud to be a proclaimer; (5) To disclose secrets to unqualified disciples Who are not sufficiently prepared; (6) To teach the physical seal201 To disciples who lack the necessary skill in the seals; (7) To perform mandala rituals [such as an initiation] Without first completing proper service, etc.; (8) To transgress the precepts of the Individual and Universal ways Without having a special [altruistic] purpose Some scholars say that the secondary downfalls number nine, the ninth being to use symbolic behavior202 without a specific purpose The Twenty-eight Subtle Infractions [3"] The subtle infractions include fifteen concerning charismatic activity and seven branches The Vows and Pledges of Secret Mantra 267 The first fifteen of the twenty-eight subtle infractions are downfalls in the performance of charismatic activity These are explained by the master Shura203 as follows: (1) To reject the deity on which the flower [tossed into the mandala] has fallen and to favor another 204; (2) To let a day and a night pass [without engaging] in the creation and completion [phases] of one’s deity 205; (3) To be attracted to [and worship] non-Buddhist deities 206; (4) to view the [mandala, the deity, and other forms of the] creation phase as real; (5) To confer [full] initiation on disciples when one has not been fully initiated oneself; (6) To teach profound subjects for the sake of worldly gains; (7) To deprecate [and fail to follow] the ethics of lower spiritual pursuits [and minor pledges]; (8) to give a contrived image of oneself [as spiritually accomplished] for the sake of gain; (9) To engage in [appeasing] charismatic activities, [etc.,] without having gained the necessary power; (10) to pass the time [meant for practice] in meaningless distractions; (11) To fail to take care of others though able to; (12) to be attracted to [and to follow] lesser forms of spiritual conduct [that of the proclaimers and so forth]; (13) To desire material goods 207; (14) to fail to discipline those who violate their pledges; and (15) To engage prematurely in tantric activity208: these are the fifteen The seven branch subtle infractions are to fail to the following: (1) Devote oneself to an authentic master 209; (2) Examine whether a disciple has the qualifications [to enter the Mantra]; (3) Cause no harm to others while accomplishing one’s desires210; (4) Refrain from making personal use of the property of the Three Jewels211 [or of the master or vajra siblings]; (5) engage in what benefits others; (6) Seal one’s [merit] by dedication212; and (7) be skillful in the transference [of consciousness213] The six mistakes are these: (1) To have doubts about [the view and conduct of] the Secret Mantra; (2) To teach the three ways214 simultaneously, rather than [according to the] levels [of the disciples]; 268 Buddhist Ethics (3) To act as a tantric master without [expertise] in the ten fields215; (4) To lack skill in the ways to investigate demonic forces; (5) To fail to examine [whether one has transgressed the root and secondary] pledges; And (6) to fail to acknowledge minor infractions All these add up to twenty-eight subtle infractions The Red and Black Yamari tantras list four other secondary downfalls: (1) Do not wander [into the village] begging [out of desire]; (2) Do not abandon the tantric meditation; (3) Do not discontinue the recitation of secret mantras; and (4) Do not fail to rely on the pledge’s [substances], etc 216 The Pledges of the Four Initiations and Other Pledges [4"] The tantras give numerous classifications of the pledges, the pledges of the four initiations, etc Various ways of classifying the pledges are presented in the tantras, for example, the different pledges for each of the four initiations taught in most of the mandalas related to the fundamental and explanatory Chakrasamvara [tantras] In particular, the instructions on the Path and its Fruition217 present different pledges for each of the four initiations For the vase initiation, (1) the pledge of equipoise is [to cultivate] the creation phase; (2) the pledge of post[-equipoise] conduct is to practice the three realities218; (3) the pledge of sustenance is [to eat] the pills made with the five meats and five nectars; (4) the pledges to be safeguarded are the twenty-two root and secondary mantric vows219; (5) the pledge not to be separated from is to hold vajra and bell For the secret initiation, (1) the pledge of equipoise is to engage in the control of the breath and channels220; (2) the pledge of post[-equipoise] conduct is [to rest in] selfexisting pristine awareness221; (3) the pledge of sustenance is [to nourish oneself with] emptiness and clarity; The Vows and Pledges of Secret Mantra 269 (4) the pledge to be safeguarded is [to shun] all that hampers self-existing [wisdom] and [its] wind; (5) the pledge not to be separated from is [to work with] either gentle or forceful breath [control] For the pristine-awareness-through-wisdom initiation, (1) the pledge of equipoise is to meditate on the mandala222; (2) the pledge of post[-equipoise] conduct is [to rest in] the innate [pristine awareness of bliss]223; (3) the pledge of sustenance is [to nourish oneself with] bliss; (4) the pledge to be safeguarded is not to allow the six losses of seminal essence224; (5) the pledge not to be separated from is [to rely on] an actual or imaginary consort For the fourth initiation, (1) the pledge of equipoise concerns the “three [vajra] waves”225; (2) the pledge of post[-equipoise] conduct is [to rest in the] utterly pure reality; (3) the pledge of sustenance is [to nourish oneself with] the blissemptiness of great bliss; (4) the vow to be safeguarded is [to overcome] the two impediments,226 in particular those that hamper the attainment of omniscience; (5) the pledge never to be separated from is [to rely on] an actual padmini [lotus-like consort] or an imaginary consort.227 These pledges are honored in four ways: first by assuming them correctly; by recollecting them again and again; by having [at least] a single [meditative] experience; and by having a special respect for the vajra master It is said that failure to fulfill the first means losing the pledges that would draw one out of the suffering of cyclic existence Failure to fulfill the latter three ways means loss of pledges resulting in a delay in one’s spiritual progress “Etc.” [in the root verse] refers to pledges taught in other tantras, for example, the Samputa Tantra’s pledges of the enlightened body, speech, and mind: The pledge of vajra body Is not to despise, even if unaware [of reality], The body of a male or female ... 216 The Pledges of the Four Initiations and Other Pledges [4"] The tantras give numerous classifications of the pledges, the pledges of the four initiations, etc Various ways of classifying the. .. are these: (1) To have doubts about [the view and conduct of] the Secret Mantra; (2) To teach the three ways214 simultaneously, rather than [according to the] levels [of the disciples]; 268 Buddhist. .. fifteen of the twenty-eight subtle infractions are downfalls in the performance of charismatic activity These are explained by the master Shura203 as follows: (1) To reject the deity on which the