Table Of ContentB E
UDDHIST THICS
B E
UDDHIST THICS
Jamg(cid:154)n Kongtrul Lodr(cid:154) Tay(cid:142)
Translated and edited by the
International Translation Committee
founded by the V.V. Kalu Rinpoch(cid:142)
Snow Lion Publications
Ithaca, New York
Snow Lion Publications
P.O. Box 6483
Ithaca, New York 14851 USA
607-273-8519
Copyright ' 1998 Kalu Rinpoch(cid:142)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any
means without prior written permission from the publisher.
Printed in Canada on acid-free recycled paper.
ISBN 1-55939-066-2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ko…-sprul Blo-gros-mtha(cid:213)-yas, 1813-1899
[(cid:218)es bya mtha(cid:213) yas pa(cid:213)i rgya mtsho. English. Selections]
Buddhist ethics / by Jamg(cid:154)n Kongtrul Lodr(cid:154) Tay(cid:142) ; translated
and edited by the International Translation Committee.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-55939-066-2 (alk. paper)
1. Buddhist ethics. 2. Buddhism--China--Tibet. I. International
Translation Committee. II. Title.
BJ1289.K6513 1997
294.3(cid:213)5--dc21 97-33450
CIP
Contents
Foreword by Bokar Rinpoch(cid:142) 7
Introduction by His Holiness Sakya Trizin 9
Translators(cid:213) Introduction 19
Chapter I: The Qualities of the Spiritual Teacher and Student 35
Chapter II: The Vows of Personal Liberation 79
Chapter III: The Commitments of Awakening Mind 161
Chapter IV: The Vows and Pledges of Secret Mantra 215
Root Text 307
Abbreviations 329
Notes 333
Bibliography of Works Cited by the Author 513
Reference Bibliography 533
Index 545
Dedicated to the long life
of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Chapter Title 7
Foreword
Jamg(cid:154)n Kongtrul Lodr(cid:154) Tay(cid:142) was one of the great nineteenth-century
figures in Tibet(cid:209)in learning, in spiritual attainment, and in reputa-
tion. He was a master of the ten fields of classical knowledge. With
great confidence, respect, and pure vision in the Dharma, he studied,
contemplated, cultivated, mastered, and applied the teachings of all
schools of Buddhism. In particular, he had a special aptitude for com-
mentary and writing.
In his day, many of the instructions for spiritual maturation and
liberation were rarely practiced, widely scattered, and close to ex-
tinction. With his special abilities, he collected these rare and fragile
transmissions into what are now known as The Five Great Treasuries, a
collection of more than a hundred volumes.
Of these, the treasury called The Encompassment of All Knowledge
discusses the path to freedom, describing the three disciplines of eth-
ics, contemplation, and wisdom. It covers the Buddha(cid:213)s teachings from
the sutras and tantras, the main commentarial traditions and essen-
tial instructions along with such traditional subjects of learning as
medicine, art, and linguistics. This work doesn(cid:213)t just touch on one
topic here and there but encompasses all areas of knowledge with
unprecedented clarity and thoroughness.
The Lord of Refuge, the Venerable Kalu Rinpoch(cid:142), Rangjung
Kunkyab, was the activity manifestation of Jamg(cid:154)n Kongtrul Lodr(cid:154)
Tay(cid:142). He felt that in the present times this great treasury was essen-
tial for Buddhist practitioners around the globe and he therefore spear-
headed the effort to translate this work into English. The present text
8 Buddhist Ethics
is the translation of the section of this treasury that deals with the
three vows, the essence of the practice and application of what Bud-
dha Shakyamuni taught in the three collections of teaching (Skt.
tripi(cid:254)aka) and the four divisions of Tantra.
For any person, the proper practice and application of these teach-
ings will reduce the negative dimensions of life such as suffering and
inappropriate reactions. Equally, the positive dimensions of life, hap-
piness and well-being for oneself and others, will grow and flourish.
Ultimately, one will completely stop what is problematic, understand
how things are, naturally realize the two aims, and awaken fully into
buddhahood.
Bokar Rinpoch(cid:142)
Bokar Nged(cid:154)n Ch(cid:154)khor Ling
Mirik, India
April 4, 1997
Introduction 9
Introduction
Buddhist Ethics, the fifth book of Kongtrul Lodr(cid:154) Tay(cid:142)(cid:213)s ten-part
Encompassment of All Knowledge, begins with a presentation of the
qualifications of both the spiritual teachers who embody the differ-
ent systems of ethics and their disciples, the trainees of these sys-
tems. The text explains the process whereby teachers and disciples
establish and cultivate a proper spiritual relationship, which, once it
has been established, provides a foundation from which teachers can
expound the Buddha(cid:213)s doctrine and disciples can receive the teach-
ings. The author then provides a detailed description of the three major
systems of ethics, or vows, within the Buddhist tradition.
In Buddhism, vows are viewed in many ways, depending on
the context of the discussion, but generally the ethical systems are
designated as three sets of vows, as two sets of vows, or as one all-
inclusive vow. The three sets of vows spoken of throughout all
divisions of the Buddhist scriptures are those of personal liberation
(pr(cid:221)timok(cid:253)a), of meditative absorption (dhy(cid:221)na), and of the uncontami-
nated (an(cid:221)srava) vows. These are essentially identical to the three forms
of training on the Buddhist path: the development of morality, medi-
tation, and wisdom. In fact, in order to gain the different types of
enlightenment of their systems, proclaimers ((cid:217)r(cid:221)vaka), solitary sages
(pratyekabuddha), and bodhisattvas must forsake disturbing emotions
and other obstacles on their paths by cultivating an uncontaminated
discriminative awareness which is developed by training in wisdom.
