Teachings

Failing to Liberate if the 10 Prerequisites are met: the 10th Root Downfall

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The following is respectfully quoted from “Perfect Conduct” with commentary by Dudjom Rinpoche:

4.b.3(b.10) Failing to liberate if the ten prerequisites are met:

The tenth is failing to liberate or express love when there is potential and when the ten prerequisites are complete.

The word of honor concerns that which brings harm to the doctrine, namely the physical enemies of the Three Jewels and more specifically the physical enemies of own’s own lama, those who have failed to restore deteriorated words of honor, those who have embraced the view and conduct of mantra and who have then developed incorrect view or have rejected the view and conduct, those who have hatred or anger toward the lama or the vajra family, those who have entered the secrete teachings without authorization, those who have brought harm to sentient beings or who are harming pure upholders of samaya, and those who continue to accumulate extremely negative karma. Such individuals qualify as objects of liberation through profound compassion. Any one of these nine causes for suffering must be present, along with the fact that these individuals wills surely fall to the three lower realms and experience unendurable suffering as a result of their conduct. Including the point that the results of their negative karma will surely be fatal constitutes the ten prerequisites. If any of these ten are complete, and especially if the potential to liberate exists, failure to accomplish this constitutes the tenth downfall.

Sweet Intention

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The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Sensitive people should protect themselves, not become hard and mean. We are all sensitive at the core.

We grieve for the feel of love, and yet we all avoid love with responsibility, just live fast? Doesn’t work.

At this time, in my Sangha, people are dying, and people are popping awake. How? Who are you?

How hideous the dying part. How real the life, and joyful.

Waxing poetic here, still, this is Dharma thought. We bare joy and pain, and we can only control them with love. Dear sweet intention, Bodhicitta will save us all.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo All rights reserved

Doubting the Dharma: The Ninth Root Downfall

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The following is respectfully quoted from “Perfect Conduct” with commentary by Dudjom Rinpoche:

4.b.3(b.9) Doubting the Dharma:

The ninth is explained as doubting the innate purity and liberating nature of the foundation, path and result.

The foundation, path, result, and all meanings are explained as the natural, perfectly pure nondual clear light bodhicitta, which is the originally pure fundamental essence of the sugatas. To believe that this path of Dharma is merely meant to lead one to a happier state but does not have the ultimate potential to bring about full awareness of one’s buddha nature, and to then doubt it so that faith and confidence are lost, constitutes the ninth root downfall.

Disrespecting the Aggregates: The Eighth Root Downfall

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The following is respectfully quoted from “Perfect Conduct” with commentary by Dudjom Rinpoche:

4.b.3(b.8) Disrespecting the aggregates

The eighth is physically abusing oneself out of disrespect for the five aggregates, which are actually the five buddhas.

In inner Vajrayana practice, the five aggregates are viewed as the five buddhas. At the time of empowerment, the body itself becomes a support for the offering of all desirable objects and the increase of bliss. In dependence upon the body, primordial wisdom is actualized. Not knowing this and so maintaining the view that the body is a source of suffering, and further belittling the body verbally or physically–such as by actually severing one’s own limbs and so forth–constitutes the eighth downfall.

Revealing Secrets: The Seventh Root Downfall

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The following is respectfully quoted from “Perfect Conduct” with commentary by Dudjom Rinpoche:

4.b.3(b.7) Revealing secrets:

The seventh is openly revealing secret teachings to unsuitable vessels, to those with incomplete and unperfected ritual, or to those with deterioration who fear the profound.

Teaching certain aspects of secret mantra to spiritually immature individuals is a root downfall. Spiritually immature individuals are those who have not completed prerequisite training; who have not been empowered; who have incomplete practice; who have not received the three higher initiations; who, although having received empowerment, have allowed words of honor to deteriorate; who are afraid of the profound party; and who, like the śravakas and pratyekas, are not mature enough to receive the secret teachings. To intentionally expose such individuals to the uncommon substances and materials of secret mantra and their secret meaning so they lose faith constitutes the seventh downfall.

 

Contempt Toward the Vajra Family: The Third Root Downfall

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The following is respectfully quoted from “Perfect Conduct” with commentary by Dudjom Rinpoche:

4.b.3.(b.3) Expressing contempt toward the vajra family:

The third is becoming angry toward general, distant, close and immediate relatives; holding a grudge; and showing jealousy, disrespect and so forth.

In general, all sentient beings are considered to be our relatives. Even closer are those who have entered the path of Dharma. Closer still are those who have entered Vajrayana, since those who have the same lama are considered to be children of the same father. Those who have received empowerment together at the same time are children of the same parents. Those who received empowerment first are the elders, and those who received it at the same time are likened to twins born into the mandala simultaneously. To express or to hold anger in one’s mind toward any of these near or distant vajra relatives, or out of jealousy to harm them with body and speech, to speak harshly to them, or to argue with them and express their faults, constitutes the third root downfall. It is especially important to be careful toward the innermost vajra family, because to fight with or abuse them in any way accrues extremely negative karma that is difficult to remove.

Contradicting the Buddha’s Words: The Second Root Downfall

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The following is respectfully quoted from “Perfect Conduct” with commentary by Dudjom Rinpoche:

4.b.3(b.2) Contradicting the Buddha’s words:

The second concerns the utterance of the sugatas, who reveal what to accept and what to reject. This includes the lama’s speech. To knowingly contradict it by engaging in unwholesome conduct is the second downfall.

The words of the sugatas clearly reveal the path of what to accept and what to reject in accordance with the advice given by one’s lama. The Tripitaka and the four tantras all qualify as the sugata’s utterance. Ignoring these teachings, acting in opposition to the three trainings (prātimoksa, bodhisattva, and Vajrayana), and displaying such conduct in front of others transgresses the Buddha’s speech. This downfall is second in weight to directly disrespecting the vajra master.

 

Disrespecting the Vajra Master: From “Perfect Conduct”

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The following is respectfully quoted from “Perfect Conduct” with commentary by Dudjom Rinpoche:

The fourteen root downfalls are explained as follows:

The fourteen root downfalls are likened to the trunk of a fruit-bearing tree. In dependence upon the trunk, all the branches and leaves develop. If the trunk deteriorates, the entire tree will tumble down. Likewise, the root vows are like the trunk, and if they are guarded it is through them that all noble qualities of the path develop. Otherwise, if the trunk is damaged, this becomes the root cause for falling to the lowest hell realm, where there is no chance for liberation and where unbearable suffering is endured. To avoid this, it is necessary to carefully guard against these fourteen.

4.b.3(b) An extensive explanation of the fourteen:

4.b.3(b.1) Disrespecting the vajra master:

The first concerns heartfelt disrespect for the vajra master who has been kind in the three ways. To belittle him or disturb his mind is the first downfall because of its weight.

The vajra master is one who has bestowed empowerment, transmissions, and pointing-out instructions. These are the three expressions of kindness because they make transmission complete according to inner tantric practice. In addition, the vajra master is one who has given a direct introduction to the nature of the mind. Being disrespectful to such a master, either directly through body and speech or indirectly through one’s mind, or opposing the advice given by him or harming or disturbing those who are in the lama’s immediate retinue, qualifies as the first and heaviest downfall. This is the first of the fourteen root downfalls because of the strength of the weight of negative karma it carries.

The vajra master should be cherished as the essential nature of all buddhas and should, therefore, be the principle object of one’s devotion, admiration, and respect. Moreover, in dependence upon one’s relationship with the vajra master, all noble qualities of the path, as well as the resultant qualities, are developed. If one allows the precious relationship between oneself, as the disciple, and the irreplaceable vajra master deteriorate in the ways described above, then whatever meditation one aspires to accomplish will only be the cause for birth as a rudra. One must therefore be extremely careful.

The second root downfall will be posted tomorrow…

 

 

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