Commentary 3: Gathering the Three Trainings without Contradiction

[Gathering the Three Trainings without Contradiction (574.5-578.2):]

Third (see p. 1189) there is a teaching on the gathering of the three trainings without contradiction. This has two parts, namely, the absence of contradiction and the means of gathering them. As to the first: One might think that these three kinds of vow are completely contradictory because for pious attendants the four inimical defeats (phas-pham-pa bzhi) are the basic (vows of prātimokṣa) to be guarded against,^[1] and their branches include (vows) not to drink ale and so forth; and because for Bodhisattvas acts harmful to sentient beings are ostensibly opposed. If so, it is taught that these do not contradict (the commitments of secret mantras) for the following two reasons:

First there is no contradiction in the prātimokṣa vows of pious attendants because, when the defeat of murder occurs, four elements are required to complete it—the ground or the human being, the thought of hatred which freely incites murder when is not bewildered in other respects, the main part which is the impeding of the life-breath with weapons and so forth, and the aftermath or satisfaction. in this context (of the secret mantras) however, when the rites of "liberation" are performed, there is no defect at all because the aspect of the ground (of murder) is incomplete—the form (of the victim) is visualised as the syllable HŪṂ, and because it is essentially uncreated, there is no human being, non-human animal or other creature. The aspect of the thought (of murder) is incomplete because one has compassion which desires to separate (the being) from suffering and the attitude of a willful murderer is not present; the aspect of the main part (of the murder) is also incomplete because there is neither an object to be killed, nor a subject which kills, so that there is neither life nor the killing of life; and the aspect of the conclusion (of the murder) is incomplete because afterwards there is no satisfaction motivated by hatred.^[2]

Similarly when stealing occurs, the foundation is the need to acquire property as one's own possession. Here however (in the secret mantras), because oneself and others are realised to be without duality, one takes property which is self-manifesting in the manner of a dream, and rather than the need for the thought of theft, in this context there is no thought of theft because (the property) is simply the appearance of one's own mind, and is a self-manifesting display. As for the main part (of the action), quite apart from taking possession of (the property) by conceiving elaborately of its full value, that too is Incomplete. There is no conceptual elaboration because in the manner of an apparition or a dream there is no duality. As for the aftermath (of the theft), rather than having the thought that one has acquired something, here is no apprehension of an obtained object or an obtaining subject.

Again, when the defeat of sexual misconduct occurs, the foundation is the need for another man's woman and so forth. However in this context (of the rites of sexual union) the individual (Yogins and Yoginīs) are creatively visualised as deities. Rather than the need for one who has inserted the penis into the vagina to experience a climax (bags-rim 'das-pa), (here) these two organs are visualised as a vajra and a lotus, and they are not therefore complete with Independently existing characteristics. Even the aspect of thought (associated with sexual misconduct), namely, the desire to experience bliss with an unbewildered attention is incomplete (in this context) because here (bliss) is known within the three maṇḍalas.^[3] Therefore there is no defect.^[4]

Then when lies are told, one has to convey a distorted perception to other beings, as when saying that one sees a deity though one actually does not. in this context, however, one knows that all phenomena are considered to be lies, and may be beneficially expressed for the sake of others. Therefore, there is no defect.

Similarly when ale is drunk, it is transformed (through the secret mantras) into nectar. The statement that it is Improper to taste ale is not contradicted.

In all these Instances (of vows relating to the four inimical defeats) It is necessary for oneself to be a monk, for the object not to be bewildering, and for perception not to be distorted. But here (in the secret mantras), the prātimokṣa vows of the pious attendants are not contradicted because phenomena are transformed into the maṇḍala of deities.

Secondly, (in the secret mantras) the vows of the bodhisattvas are not contradicted because they are retained by extraordinary compassion and skillful means which desire to benefit others.

These two qualities are also conferred on spiritual warriors, as is said in the following passage from the Great Bounteousness of the Buddhas (T. 44):

The skillful means which genuinely acts on behalf of sentient beings
Is the supreme training for the conquerors' sons.
It is a great cloudburst which reaps an excellent harvest.

The means of gathering together (these vows within the secret mantras) are twofold. As to (the gathering of the vows) of pious attendants: Those vows which emphatically attain one's own benefit are gathered here (In the secret mantras) to bind the mind in order that the Yogin might be released from his own suffering. At the time when life is taken (by the rites of "liberation”), there are no non-virtuous thoughts of hatred and so forth. Indeed, the vow which renounces killing is actually subsumed in that rite in order to control one's own corrupt components with their individual characteristics. The remaining (prātimokṣa vows) are similarly encorporated. However coarse the conduct of skillful means may appear, all vows of the pious attendants are essentially and absolutely gathered because the corrupt components with their individual characteristics are under control. For example, when certain doctors prepare a cooling medication for the sickness of fever, they are opposed by some but benefit comes swiftly through the cure. Although these two seem contradictory there is in fact no contradiction. Likewise, although the skillful means of the path appear contradictory, they are actually in complete harmony with the renunciation of conflicting emotions and the attainment of virtue in one's own mind.

The second means of gathering the vows together encorporates those of the Bodhisattvas. At the time when one engages in any conduct, the moral discipline of control is present because the willful indulgence of ordinary conflicting emotions is controlled. Dependent on this, the moral discipline which gathers virtuous doctrines is present because the enlightened attributes of the path are further increased. And, through that skillful means, the moral discipline of action on behalf of sentient beings is present because others are benefitted and taken into one's following.^[5]

In this way, the vows of the secret mantras gather all these (vows) within them because mind-control and the purification of conflicting emotions are identical.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

On these pham-pa'i sde-tshan bzhi, namely murder, sexual misconduct, theft and falsehood. see 'Jam-mgon Kong-sprul, shes-bya kun-khyab, Vol. 2. pp. 52ff.

[2]:

On the pure view and practice of the rites of "liberation", see above Ch. 11, pp. 914-922. Ch. 18. pp. 1176-1179, Ch. 20. pp. 1258-1261.

[3]:

Tibetan dkyil-'khor gsum, i.e., those of the male consort, the female consort, and their coalescence.

[4]:

On the pure application of the sbyor-ba practices, see above Ch. 11, pp. 900-913. Ch. 13. 1006-1022.

[5]:

On these three aspects of moral discipline, viz. "gathering the virtuous doctrine” (dge-ba chos-sdud), "acting on behalf of sentient beings" (sems-can don-byed), and "controlling malpractices" (nyes-spyod sdom-pa'i tshul-khrims), see also NSTB, Book 1, Pt. 3. pp. 127a-131b, under "moral discipline"; and on bodhisattva conduct in general see 'Jam-mgon Kong-sprul, shes-bya kun-khyab, Vol. 2, pp. 98-134.