100 Buddhist Ethics The four basic precepts are branches of ethical conduct; abstinence from drinking alcohol is a branch of conscientiousness, and the last three are branches of disciplined conduct In this context, “disciplined conduct” means to renounce one’s previous immoral ways as a lay person to engage in the conduct of the purificatory fast The disciplined conduct of the lay practitioner and of the renunciate should also be understood in the same manner To these eight branches, the practice taught by Lord Atisha adds two [precepts]: eating vegetarian food83 and drinking water [after the noon meal] as a reminder [that one is not supposed to eat afterwards] Moreover, the purificatory fast allows the lay practitioner to purify and renew his or her vows, while for one who has not assumed layperson’s vows, it simply serves as a purificatory fast Renunciates need not be expressly concerned with the one-day purificatory fast The person who observes a life-long purificatory fast is known as a “venerable (gomi) lay practitioner.”84 Concerning this, Vasubandhu states: The “venerable lay practitioner” discipline is derived from the oral instructions transmitted by the Sthavira, 85 but it does not seem to have been taught by the Joyful One References to this [discipline], however, are found in the scriptures of the Universal Way For example, Cluster of Jewels states that Prince Mind of Great Compassion took the eight precepts of the purificatory fast for life Therefore, in the above words, Vasubandhu must have meant that the scriptures on discipline not explicitly mention a life-long purificatory fast Precepts of the Lay Practitioner [B'] Lay practitioners are of five types The first is committed to the Three Jewels And abides by the three special and five general precepts The second abstains from one; the third, from some; the fourth, from most; And the fifth, from all four root downfalls and alcohol Traditionalists maintain that there is also a celibate lay practitioner There are five types of lay practitioner The first is known as the lay practitioner committed to the Three Jewels Once he or she has taken refuge, this lay practitioner must follow the six special and five general precepts related to refuge alone, as they are explained by Lord Atisha.86 The Vows of Personal Liberation 101 The first three special precepts concern prohibitions: having gone for refuge in the Buddha, a Buddhist must not venerate worldly deities; having gone for refuge in the doctrine of the Buddha, a Buddhist must refrain from injuring others; having gone for refuge in the Buddhist community, a Buddhist must not form close ties with religious extremists The other three special precepts concern obligations: the practitioner should regard as if it were the actual Three Jewels [and treat respectfully] any representation [of the Buddha], even just so much as a fragment of a votive image87; any symbol of his words, even a single letter; or any symbol of the Buddhist community, even someone wearing as much as a patch of yellow cloth The five general precepts are not to renounce the Three Jewels, even for the sake of one’s life or country; to put one’s trust exclusively in the [Three] Jewels, without seeking worldly means, however great the necessity or importance; to make offerings regularly to the Three Jewels on the prescribed occasions, with a constant appreciation of their qualities; to go for refuge with an awareness of the benefits [of doing so], and to encourage others to the same; and to prostrate before the buddhas and depictions of them wherever one happens to be These precepts are the preconditions not only for the vows of a lay practitioner but also for the purificatory fast and the novice and monk disciplines In addition to these, the actual ethical conduct of the lay practitioner includes the four basic precepts [to abstain from murder, theft, adultery, and untruth], plus abstinence from intoxicating drinks, this last vow facilitating the preservation of the former ones Depending on the number [of precepts] one promises to follow, there are four types [of lay practitioners]: a lay practitioner who observes one precept alone (to abstain from murder); one who observes some precepts (to abstain also from stealing); one who observes most of the precepts (to abstain also from untruth); and the perfect lay practitioner who follows all five precepts, including forsaking adultery and drinking alcohol According to Analysts, when the aspirant receives any of these four precepts, he or she simply vows to be a lay practitioner and subsequently observes one, two, or however many he or she intended to follow For Traditionalists, however, this is not the case; they assert that during the ceremony to become a lay practitioner, the aspirant must assume the specific precept or precepts he or she wishes, and observe 102 Buddhist Ethics them thereafter If, after having assumed all five precepts, the practitioner does not observe them all, his or her ethical conduct will be disrupted Traditionalists assert that there is yet another lay practitioner, the celibate lay practitioner, who renounces all forms of sexual intercourse As implied in these words from the scriptures on discipline88: Practicing the teachings even while wearing jewelry Further, the disciplines of the celibate layperson and the venerable practitioner of the purificatory fast [mentioned above]89 have been explicitly taught in the Display of Miracles Scripture In both cases, since sexual intercourse has been renounced, the practitioner is no longer a householder, but as the [monastic] lifestyle has not been adopted, he or she is not considered a renunciate Concerning the lay practitioner who has entered the Secret Mantra, the Questions of Subahu Tantra states that he or she must follow all the rules set out in the scriptures on discipline [for the renunciates], with the exception of a few rules prescribed by the Buddha [for monks], such as taking on the attire of a monk, participation in formal monastic ceremonies, and not eating after noon The Ethical Conduct of the Renunciate [ii] This section has three parts: (1) rules for the male and female novice, (2) rules for a postulant nun, and (3) rules for the monk and nun Rules for the Novice [A'] Novices may incur ten transgressions of the rules: violations of the eight branches, Plus the rule not to accept gold and silver With the exception of thirteen permissible ones, The related minor infractions are the same as those of the monk The ethical conduct of the male or female novice has three parts: (1) transgressions of the rules for the novice, (2) related minor infractions, and (3) related violations of vows assumed during the [intermediate] ordination The Vows of Personal Liberation 103 Transgressions of the Rules [1'] The novice vows summarized under ten overt violations of the novice’s ethical conduct are taught mainly for the sake of those aspirants who would become disheartened on hearing of many rules [and thus be reluctant to become novices] Nine of these are the violations prohibited by the eight precepts of the purificatory fast The extra one is derived from the transgression of the precept prohibiting dancing and wearing necklaces, that for a novice is split into two The tenth is a rule not to accept gold and silver Transgressions of the four basic precepts, although the same as those of the monk, would be only “violations similar to a defeat” for a novice The other six, failure to abstain from alcohol, etc., are minor infractions to be confessed These novice rules may be subdivided into thirty-three: (1-4) The four basic vows (not to murder, etc.); (5-7) Three related to the rule not to murder: not to kill animals, not to use grass that has insects, and not to use water that contains insects; (8-19) Twelve related to lying: to abstain from making groundless accusation or accusation for a trivial reason, causing a schism in the monastic community, taking sides, causing a layperson to lose faith, consciously lying, falsely accusing another monk of favoritism, censuring the caretaker of the monastic community, accusing another monk of teaching to get a little food, defaming [a monk] by accusing him of having committed a partially defeating offense, rejecting the discipline out of disdain for it, and covering the [vegetables with] rice when wanting more [vegetables]; (20) One to abstain from drinking alcohol; (21-23) Three to abstain from dancing, [singing, and music]; (24-26) Three to abstain from wearing necklaces, [cosmetics, and perfumes]; (27-28) Two to abstain from the use of a luxurious bed or a high bed; (29) One to abstain from eating after noon; (30) One not to accept gold and silver; 104 Buddhist Ethics (31-33) Three to safeguard oneself from the three types of deteriorations: [adopting the attire of a layperson, giving up the monastic attire, and despising the preceptor] There are other ways of enumerating the novice rules.90 Related Minor Infractions [2'] Except for the permissible transgressions to the rules, any offense that would be a downfall for the monk is also an infraction for the novice,91 though a minor one Such an infraction can be remedied by privately reaffirming one’s intention to refrain from the act in the future No public confession is required Accordingly, in his Luminous Commentary on the Three Hundred Stanzas on the Novitiate,92 Shakyaprabha explains in detail how [the novice] should maintain all of the monks’ rules as part of a concordant ethical conduct However, the transgressions of thirteen rules for monks are not even infractions for the novice by virtue of dispensation In addition (to explain “etc.” in the root verses), six other transgressions are permissible according to Tibetan masters of the discipline These nineteen permissible transgressions of the monks’ rules are as follows93: (1) Keeping extra cloth, (2) being separate from one’s robes, (3) keeping an extra begging bowl, (4) tilling the soil, (5) Handling precious objects, (6) lighting a fire, (7) resuming eating, (8) climbing or (9) cutting trees, (10) Eating what has not been ritually offered and accepted, (11) urinating or defecating on the grass, (12) Partaking of food that has been stored, and (13) destroying seeds The six are: (1) retaining [cloth] for more than a month, (2) storing [any of the three kinds of food], (3) being without [one’s robes] while in seclusion, (4) [Going to the village] without informing [a senior monk], (5) withdrawing assent, and (6) sleeping in the same room as the unordained Related Violations of Vows Assumed during the [Intermediate] Ordination [3'] During the intermediate ordination, the novice makes the vows to relinquish the attire of a layperson, to adopt the monastic attire, and to respect his preceptor Renouncing these three by adopting wholeheartedly the attire of a layperson even for just a day is said to lead to the loss of ordination ... a fragment of a votive image87; any symbol of his words, even a single letter; or any symbol of the Buddhist community, even someone wearing as much as a patch of yellow cloth The five general... wearing jewelry Further, the disciplines of the celibate layperson and the venerable practitioner of the purificatory fast [mentioned above]89 have been explicitly taught in the Display of Miracles... Liberation 103 Transgressions of the Rules [1'] The novice vows summarized under ten overt violations of the novice’s ethical conduct are taught mainly for the sake of those aspirants who would