COVENANT

NAMO GURAVE!

The concept of ‘covenant' is central to holistic Buddhism. From the perspective of the various 'yanas' this is to be understood in terms of the Three Covenants or 'sDom.Pa.gSum'. These are the Pratimoksha or 'self-liberation' of the Hinayana., the universal covenant of the Mahayana, the Bodhisattva Vow; and the 'Samaya' or'Dam.Tshig.' of the Vajrayana. Admittedly each yana has as its fruition the transcendance over suffering to varying degrees. The attainment of complete enlightenment however, is the fruition of the unsurpassed 'ekayana' as elucidated in the Manjushri Mayajala Tantra. This may be understdood as the 'holistic' yana.

There exist two points of view as to the nature of the Three Covenants. The one maintains that essentificially they are different; the other that they are one. According to the latter point of view, the first two of the Three Covenants posess the charateristic of being transformed into 'samaya' during the conferring of an initiation. This is to be the perspective of this article .

A follower of the Buddha is thus required to acknowledge for oneself that these covenants are pertinent to one's daily life, rather than being purely scholastic issues . These are quite naturally, to be understood within the context of 'karma', cause and effect: the concatenation which furthers one's existence in samsara. Simultaneously it needs to be understood that all who would call themselves Buddhist, are not necessarily committed to the attainment of enlightenment. Each individual is variously motivated between the extremes of furthering one's own selfish nationalistic, sectarian, political and economic goals, and living commitedly for the benefit of others. This is a fact, one often over-looked in transcultural interactions!

It is emphatically stated in the scriptures and oft repeated by Masters, that it is not merely sufficient to take on these vows. A follow-up in terms of the commitment to live in accordance with them is of the utmost importance. To do otherwise would be to defeat the very purpose of one's aspirations and the Dharma.

The first of the Three Covenants is the Pratimoksha Vow , or the covenant to 'self-liberation' . This directs the aspirant away from nocent behaviour of body, speech, and mind. Simultaneously it encourages the individual to adopt behaviour patterns which will be conducive to the psychosomatic well-being of both oneself and others. This vow is limited in scope to the dissolution of the elements of one's current existence .

As the aspirant continues to mature on one's pilgrimage one's vision becomes more expansive and culminates in the formal commitment known as the Bodhisattva Vow or Covenant. This is essentially an inner discipline in that the aspirant. actively motivated by loving-kindness and compassion, seeks to attain enlightenment not for oneself alone, as had been the case earlier. Rather, he seeks it in order to benefit others. It is in the progression along this path that the faults of body, speech, and mind, are automatically abandoned, allowing the innate wholesomeness within to manifest.

This is the path along which Sugatas, 'those gone to bliss', of the past have trodden; those of the present are doing; and those of the future will do. There exists as such, a strong sense of family and heritage within this context. The scope of this covenant is unlimited in that it is valid until the attainment of the very essence of enlightenment. It is thus transcendant over time and space.

The Covenant of the Tantrayana is based on these two and is even more rigorous. The initiate embarks on a speedy and equally dangerous path to enlightenment. A Vajracharya, the initiate's Principal Guru, actually conducts the aspirant through direct experiences of enlightened modalities as enunciated variously in the four or six Yanas of the Vairayana. 'Samaya' is said to comprise an infinite number of elements, the bond being made with one's Principal Guru, the very embodiment of the enlightened modalities of the Buddhas.

It is thus, that the person who keeps the covenants with one's Guru, keeps them all. One thus attains to the excellent siddhi or spiritual attainments -- that of consummate enlightenment.

This is explained further in terms of the aspirant's relationship with one's ‘companions in the covenant', 'rDo.rJe. mChed.'Grogs.'. The first of these is compared to the relationship between the natural offsprings of the same parents. In this instance, one's Guru is the father, the deity and the mandala of initiation, one's mother. The bond is thus the strongest amongst those initiated into the same mandala by a particular Vajracharya, either together or at different instances.

The second is akin to having a common parent. Thus one may encounter a fellow-disciple of the same guru, i.e. father; or one who has been initiated into the same deity-mandala as oneself, the mother, but by a different authentic Master. In this instance the two would be considered as having the same mother. This category is thus extended so as the include all the followers of the Vajrayana.

The third category specifically explains a Buddhist's covenant with Buddhists in general, irrespective of their ethnic origins, clan, colour, sex, and most importantly, their individual persuasions. Merely by having taken Refuge in the Three Jewels, an individual becomes intrinsically connected to others who have done likewise. This fact is often glossed over which is highly unfortunate!

The last category delineates one's relationship as a Buddhist to the non-Buddhist world in general. It needs to be understood here that in accordance with the teachings of the Mahayana, all wights or beings, have been one's kind and gracious parents in the past. Since it is beyond normal human capabilities to be able to recount one's previous existences in samsara, and considering that they are countless, each of these having required a parent, a mother and child relationship is said to exist amongst all!

Looking at the world around moreover. it requires little imagination to realize that there is perhaps not a single being who does not seek happiness. It is seen however, that they tend to be confused as to the methods they might employ to achieve their end. Invariably it will be noticed that the fulfilment of any one project brings about both a sense of satisfaction as well as one of dissatisfaction, rather than the state of happiness intended.

The Bodhisativa is thus to repay the kindness received from them by living out one's genuine concern for them.

In the higher yanas moreover, the aspirant's perception of the world around is transformed into that of a comprehensive deity-mandala, wights being perceived as none other than deities. It is simultaneously a play of the co-existence of compassion and wisdom. It is therefore a tautology for a follower of the Vajrayana to expect to delink oneself from the world around one in any way. Any attempt to do so is explained as being a 'fundamental breach', ‘rTsa.lTung.’ of the Covenant, with exceptionally severe consequences.

The importance of an individual’s Principal Guru as the repository of enlightenment and unquestionable link with Bodhi cannot be over-emphasised. Bhaengar Jampal Zangpo, the great Kagyu saint, has stated succinctly in the prayer known as the ‘Dorje Chhang Thung Ma’: “It is the Guru who opens the gate to the treasury of the profound oral instructions.” Implicit here is that one’s Guru embodies in him/herself and is the repository of those very same modalities of enlightenment as represented by various Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and other Vajracharyas. Hence, whereas it would only be natural for individuals to have personal preferences with regard to their teachers, it cannot be over-emphasised that such preferences are understood as inclusive rather than exclusive. In other words, whereas essentificially all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Vajracharayas cognitively abide within the Dharmakaya, they simultaneously manifest variegated forms in their boundless compassion for the sake of wights in order to take them across the ocean of suffering. And although they may and do manifest extremely diverse forms, inherently there exists no contradictions amongst or between them whatsoever.

In the modern context when traditional barriers are fast breaking down, the importance of the above is self-evident. It becomes the more so when various Buddhist groups and sects are vying each with the other for superiority the world over, be it political, economic and so on, not on the basis of their own inherent merit, rather at the expense of the other.

Back in pre-history, a king in India known as Kri Kri had a series of dreams. When he had discussed these with his personal teacher, the Buddha Kashyapa, he was told that they were prognostications for things to come. In one of them the king had seen a majestic lion being eaten up from its insides. The Buddha had explained that this indicated that whereas the Buddha’s Dispensation is all-powerful, encompassing and majestic, as the lion is the king of the jungle; that it was being eaten up from its insides indicated that it would be destroyed not by enemies external to it, but by those within. Events within Himalayan Buddhism during the current Tibetan diaspora, as also historically, bear their own testimony to the above.

It is therefore essential that any who would call oneself Buddhist attempts to understand the teachings of the Three Covenants as briefly elucidated in this paepr, and live in accordance with them. Those who are fortunate enough to have direct access to authentic Masters are urged to repeatedly ask them about these, since the convenants form the very pivot of the Dispensation of exposition and praxis. Thus they will know the better and live in accordance with them rather than be swayed by spurious considerations as and when they arise. Simple blind faith is perhaps not enough except in isolated instances. It is true that merely by the fact of one's existence in this world. one is automatically a target of cynosure, ridicule and exploitation. Considering this individual vulnerability, for a Buddhist, there is no more secure Refuge than one's Guru, and no guidelines more correct and reliable than the authentic Dharma, but not the dharma of political conveniences and power struggles!

It is stated clearly in the 'sDom.gSum.dPag.bSam.sNye. Ma.': "The Three Covenants are the same in that they are directed to the restraining of unwholesome behaviour." As is stated in the 'Dul.Wa’i. Lung.’: "Any Dharma which directly or indirectly becomes the source of passion-lust, rather than the cause for its eradication, is not the Dharma., is not the Vinaya, and is to be understood as not being the Dispensation of the Buddha. That which directly or indirectly becomes the cause of the eradication of passion-lust, but does not become its source, is the Dharma, is the Vinaya, and is to be understood as being the Dispensation of the Buddha. The same applies to the other conflicting neuroses such as aggression-hatred and so on."

It follows then that sectarianism is none other than an egotistical inversion on the part of its perpetrators. There is no other way to understand it except as being an inherent breach of one's covenants with oneself, with the world at large, and above all with one's personal Guru, the very epicentre of the Dispensation!

In conclusion it needs to be pointed out that those who foster schisms in any way, or bring them about, irrespective of any other considerations whatsoever, are responsible to the Three Jewels, the Three Roots, and the entire community of Buddhists, for having committed one of the 'mTshams.Med.Pa.lNga.', the five heinous acts which cause their performers to go straight to the hell realms without any intervening existences! Intrinsically they have borken their convenants.

It needs to be admitted here that during the millenium Tibetans have been under the Buddha's Dispenstion, a number of irreversible events have taken place. These have irretrievably fragmented up the Tibetan community. It is not within the scope of this paper to delve into these breaches of covenants in any detail. This is moreover a highly

sensitive issue, and the inquisitive reader is referred to one's own teachers and traditions for further elucidation. It is true however, that subsequently interaction between such groups is actively discouraged as being within the context of one's own samaya. Simultaneously it needs to be emphasised here that the above would be valid within the realm of the relative truth alone.

Is it not better than, then perceiving one's own Principal Guru as the chief amongst all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vidyadharas, and so on; one's sadnana -- meditation or spiritual exercises, as being essentificially the unity of the eighty-four thousand dharm as taught by the Buddhas; each person remembers the following lines whilst going through one's daily life?

"May all parent wights be happy and possess the causes of happiness;

May they all be free from suffering and its causes:

May they never be separated from unadulterated happiness, untainted by sorrow;

Relating to all with magnanimity, may all dwell in great equanimity.”

The trick is to realise that essentially no one, high or low, can find happiness or truly serve an authentic Master and hence the Dispensation, by actively engaging in pursuits which perpetrate confusion, engender disharmony, and in this way increasethe sufferings of others. It needs to be stressed that more often than not, a Master will test a disciple to estimate one's understanding of the Dharma. by making confusing and anti-Dharma-like statements. On such occasions it is the responsibility of induvidual disciples to remain unswayed, guided by the letter and the spirit of the Dharma. Disciples in this way must necessarily prove their mettle before their Guru will consent to give them the really profound teachings. Others are invariably dished out the general soup, being given the impression simultaneously that they are doing great! It might be mentioned here that the enlightened Masters of Tibet are maestros at human relations. As such they are able to appreciate the uprightness of individual character suitably expressed in accordance with the Dharma, in contrast with slavish acquiescence!

If there is therefore, such a thing as 'enlightened politics', it must necessarily be one based on uprightness -- the Bodhichittas. Thus alone can we ensure lasting peace, both individual and international!

Postscript :

"if we say we have no sin in us, we are deceiving ourselves, and refusing to admit the truth.... Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother, is still in the dark."

(from Chaps. 1 & 2 of the first Letter of John; Jerusalem Bible)

Colophon

Disturbed at the events taking place in the Buddhist world, this short essay was written by Shree Narayan Singh, recognised by H.H. Dhilgo Khyentse Rinpoche as being an incarnation of Jamyang Khyentse'i Wangpo. It was completed at the Drugpa Chhogar in Darjeeling on the new moon, Oct. 22, 1987, Deepawali. It is meant to enable him to recall the teachings of the Dharma he has received from authentic Gurus, as well as help others like him along the path, and is a humble offering in the service of the Buddha's Dispensation!

Iti shubham!