Samaya
Encyclopedia
The samaya is a set of vows or precepts given to initiates of an esoteric Vajrayana
Buddhist order as part of the abhiṣeka
(empowerment
or initiation) ceremony that creates a bond between the guru
and disciple.
According Keown, et al., Samaya may be defined as:
scholar, outlined fourteen primary points of observance to consider in keeping one's samaya vow "pure." Other outlines however contain three, twenty-eight, or other denominations of points of observance. These may be further divided into root and branch samayas.
These vows pertain specifically to the anuttarayoga tantra class of practices; they are incurred after one has received an abhiṣeka into that class of practices. The fourteen vows described by Sakya Pandita, as elucidated by Shamar Rinpoche, are transgressed by the following fourteen root downfalls (Wyl. rtsa ltung bcu bzhi):
Shamar Rinpoche states, "Breaking one or a number of these 14 points requires purification within a short period of time. The most optimal is to purify this difficulty within one day. From among the various practices offered, an effective and simple method concerns the meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva. This practice involves the flow of nectar throughout the body by which all defilements and broken commitments will be purified. Due to conscious and unconscious reasons one often breaks the samayas. It is therefore recommended to apply this practice at least once or twice a day."
Jamgon Kongtrul
comments on the Lamrim Yeshe Ningpo that samaya is established by taking abhiṣeka and samaya is the manner in which practitioners "preserve the life-force of that empowerment within your being".
defines root samayas as any which if violated would remove all the benefit from practicing. He defines branch samayas as any which if violated would diminish or impair the benefit of practice. He states that the most egregious root samaya to violate is the commitment
to one's guru.
Foregrounding the mindful observance of the mindstream
, whilst intimating the binding reciprocity of samaya, Gyatrul (b.1924) in his commentary to Chagmé
(Wylie: karma-chags-med, fl. 17th century), rendered into English by Wallace
(Chagmé et al., 1998: p.29) states:
In the Nyingma lineage, the three root samayas are categorized as body, speech, and mind. Each requires refraining from non-virtue as well as maintaining sacred view. Maintaining sacred view generally means to view all beings and all phenomenon as 'primordially pure' (Tib: kadak). The samaya of body is to refrain from non-virtue with respect to body, and also to always offer yourself to your guru and to your vajra sangha
. The samaya of speech is to avoid non-virtuous speech, and also to never forget one's commitment to practicing mantra
. The samaya of mind is to refrain from divulging the secrets and to always maintain the view that one's mind is dharmakaya
.
, there are four increasing stages in which one's samaya may be damaged: "infraction, breach, violation, and complete break". Once damaged, samaya may be repaired. But if it is left without repair for more than three years, it is not repairable.
Samaya is easily damaged. Patrul Rinpoche
said it is very hard to maintain samaya and used a famous metaphor that maintaining samaya is like keeping a mirror or tile clean that is lifted up into a sand storm; dust settles on it as soon as it is clean and we must continuously clean it. To repair samaya, a practitioner may restore mindfulness and awareness of sacred view; confess the violation to another practitioner that holds samaya;; recite the one hundred syllable mantra (Vajrasattva
mantra); or use other methods determined by their guru.
The first recorded taking of the Samaya precepts at Todaiji temple began in 822 when Kukai
performed the Abhiseka ritual before the abdicated emperor, Heizei, and helped to establish Shingon Buddhism as a legitimate school in Japan.
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
Buddhist order as part of the abhiṣeka
Abhisheka
Abhisheka is a Sanskrit term comparable to puja, yagya and arati that denotes: a devotional activity; an enacted prayer, rite of passage and/or religious rite or ritual...
(empowerment
Empowerment (Tibetan Buddhism)
An empowerment is a ritual in Tibetan Buddhism which initiates a student into a particular tantric deity practice. The Tibetan word for this is wang , which literally translates to power. The Sanskrit term for this is abhiseka which literally translates to sprinkling or bathing or anointing...
or initiation) ceremony that creates a bond between the guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
and disciple.
According Keown, et al., Samaya may be defined as:
- A particular system of teaching or doctrines;
- The conduct required of a tantric practitioner, often as a set of vows or commitments;
- The realization (abhisamaya) of BuddhahoodBuddhahoodIn Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
; - In Tantric Buddhism, union with the Three VajrasThree VajrasThe Three Vajras namely 'body', 'speech' and 'mind' are a formulation within Tibetan Buddhism and Bon which holds the full experience of the 'openness' of Buddha-nature, void of all bar the 'qualities' and 'marks' and establishes a sound experiential key upon the 'continuum of the path' to...
, the body, speech and mind of the Buddha.
Fourteen root downfalls
In one of the most widely followed teachings on samaya, Sakya Pandita, a preeminent 12th century Tibetan BuddhismTibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
scholar, outlined fourteen primary points of observance to consider in keeping one's samaya vow "pure." Other outlines however contain three, twenty-eight, or other denominations of points of observance. These may be further divided into root and branch samayas.
These vows pertain specifically to the anuttarayoga tantra class of practices; they are incurred after one has received an abhiṣeka into that class of practices. The fourteen vows described by Sakya Pandita, as elucidated by Shamar Rinpoche, are transgressed by the following fourteen root downfalls (Wyl. rtsa ltung bcu bzhi):
- Physically harming or slandering the teacher from whom one received the abhiṣeka - The following conditions must be present for the samaya to be broken: one must be fully aware of one's actions and intend them, be aware that they will displease the teacher, and fail to regret them. With intention but no follow-through, only a breach is committed. Further, the severity of the breach is considered small, average or great depending on whether or not the student has received abhiṣeka, explanations and pith instructions--if just the former it is small, if the first two it is average, and if all three it is great.
- Opposing the words of the buddhas - Denigrating Buddhist teachings.
- Strong negative emotions towards one’s vajra brothers and sisters - Becoming strongly hostile towards men and women who have received abhiṣeka from the same teachers as oneself
- Abandoning loving kindness and compassion for sentient beings
- Abandoning the bodhichitta in aspiration or application
- Criticizing other Buddhist traditions
- Revealing secrets to those who are unworthy "If one describes the meaning of great bliss as taught in Vajrayana to individuals who do not possess the required educational background, they might misunderstand and abuse these teachings. "
- Mistreating one’s body "The human body is the support for dharma practice, the basis upon which realization of the two buddhakayas is attained. With respect to Vajrayana the human body is considered to be an important instrument on the path. Therefore exposing the body to extreme conditions such as whipping, burning or destroying it by suicide, contributes to the breaking of the samaya."
- Abandoning emptiness
- Keeping bad company Associating with samaya corrupters
- Failing to reflect on emptiness
- Upsetting those who have faith in the teachings
- Failing to observe the samaya commitments "During specific occasions the Vajrayana master, who should be a highly qualified teacher, will require that the student carries out certain practices such as secretly eating the 5 types of meat, drinking the 5 kinds of nectar and dancing nakedly. This is requested in order to test whether or not conventional concepts are relinquished. If, due to moral tendencies, one hesitates or refrains from carrying out these rituals, this contributes to the breaking of the samaya."
- Denigrating women "Within Vajrayana women are considered to be the embodiment of wisdom. Regarding women as inferior or abusing them as witnessed in certain cultures, contributes to the breaking of the samaya."
Shamar Rinpoche states, "Breaking one or a number of these 14 points requires purification within a short period of time. The most optimal is to purify this difficulty within one day. From among the various practices offered, an effective and simple method concerns the meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva. This practice involves the flow of nectar throughout the body by which all defilements and broken commitments will be purified. Due to conscious and unconscious reasons one often breaks the samayas. It is therefore recommended to apply this practice at least once or twice a day."
Jamgon Kongtrul
Jamgon Kongtrul
Jamgön Kongtrül is a name of a prominent line of Tibetan Buddhist teachers , primarily identified with the first Jamgon Kongtrul, but also the name shared by members of a lineage held by tradition to be his subsequent reincarnations , to date....
comments on the Lamrim Yeshe Ningpo that samaya is established by taking abhiṣeka and samaya is the manner in which practitioners "preserve the life-force of that empowerment within your being".
Root and Branch
Khenpo Karthar RinpocheKhenpo Karthar Rinpoche
The Venerable Khenpo Karma Tharchin Rinpoche , widely known by his abbreviated name Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, is a highly regarded Lama of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism...
defines root samayas as any which if violated would remove all the benefit from practicing. He defines branch samayas as any which if violated would diminish or impair the benefit of practice. He states that the most egregious root samaya to violate is the commitment
Commitment
Commitment may refer to:*Promise, or personal commitment*Contract, a legally binding exchange of promises*Brand commitment*Involuntary commitment, the use of legal means or forms to commit a person to a mental hospital, insane asylum or psychiatric ward...
to one's guru.
Foregrounding the mindful observance of the mindstream
Mindstream
Mindstream in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment "continuum" of awareness. There are a number of terms in the Buddhist literature that may well be rendered "mindstream"...
, whilst intimating the binding reciprocity of samaya, Gyatrul (b.1924) in his commentary to Chagmé
Karma Chagme
The name Karma Chagme refers to a 17th century Tibetan Buddhist lama and to the tülku lineage which he initiated. Including the first, seven Karma Chagme tülkus have been recognized...
(Wylie: karma-chags-med, fl. 17th century), rendered into English by Wallace
B. Alan Wallace
B. Alan Wallace is an American author, translator, teacher, researcher, interpreter, and Buddhist practitioner interested in the intersections of consciousness studies and scientific disciplines such as psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and physics...
(Chagmé et al., 1998: p.29) states:
If a Lama obstinately refuses to grant instruction to a qualified disciple, this constitutes an infraction of the Lama's samaya. It is proper for the Lama to show some hesitation by not consenting on the first request in order to arouse and examine the disciple. It is not a ploy to see if the amount of offerings can be increased, but rather provides time to examine the student's mind-stream.
In the Nyingma lineage, the three root samayas are categorized as body, speech, and mind. Each requires refraining from non-virtue as well as maintaining sacred view. Maintaining sacred view generally means to view all beings and all phenomenon as 'primordially pure' (Tib: kadak). The samaya of body is to refrain from non-virtue with respect to body, and also to always offer yourself to your guru and to your vajra sangha
Sangha
Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
. The samaya of speech is to avoid non-virtuous speech, and also to never forget one's commitment to practicing mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
. The samaya of mind is to refrain from divulging the secrets and to always maintain the view that one's mind is dharmakaya
Dharmakaya
The Dharmakāya is a central idea in Mahayana Buddhism forming part of the Trikaya doctrine that was possibly first expounded in the Aṣṭasāhasrikā prajñā-pāramitā , composed in the 1st century BCE...
.
Repairing Damaged Samaya
According to Tulku Urgyen RinpocheTulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche . A contemporary Buddhist master of the Kagyü and Nyingma lineages, who lived at Nagi Gompa hermitage in Nepal, Urgyen Rinpoche was considered one of the greatest Dzogchen masters of our time.-Life:...
, there are four increasing stages in which one's samaya may be damaged: "infraction, breach, violation, and complete break". Once damaged, samaya may be repaired. But if it is left without repair for more than three years, it is not repairable.
Samaya is easily damaged. Patrul Rinpoche
Patrul Rinpoche
Patrul Rinpoche was a prominent teacher and author of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.-Biography:...
said it is very hard to maintain samaya and used a famous metaphor that maintaining samaya is like keeping a mirror or tile clean that is lifted up into a sand storm; dust settles on it as soon as it is clean and we must continuously clean it. To repair samaya, a practitioner may restore mindfulness and awareness of sacred view; confess the violation to another practitioner that holds samaya;; recite the one hundred syllable mantra (Vajrasattva
Vajrasattva
Vajrasattva is a bodhisattva in the Mahayana, Mantrayana and Vajrayana buddhist traditions...
mantra); or use other methods determined by their guru.
Shingon Buddhism
In the esoteric lineage of Japanese Shingon Buddhism, the Samaya precedes the Abhiseka initiation ceremony proper. The initiate undertakes four precepts:- Never to abandon the True Dharma.
- Never to negate bodhicittaBodhicittaIn Buddhism, bodhicitta jang chub sem, Mongolian бодь сэтгэл) is the intention to achieve omniscient Buddhahood as fast as possible, so that one may benefit infinite sentient beings...
. - Never to withhold or be selective of Buddhist teachings toward others.
- Never to cause any sentient being any harm.
The first recorded taking of the Samaya precepts at Todaiji temple began in 822 when Kukai
Kukai
Kūkai , also known posthumously as , 774–835, was a Japanese monk, civil servant, scholar, poet, and artist, founder of the Shingon or "True Word" school of Buddhism. Shingon followers usually refer to him by the honorific titles of and ....
performed the Abhiseka ritual before the abdicated emperor, Heizei, and helped to establish Shingon Buddhism as a legitimate school in Japan.