Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute teaching, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen provides detailed analysis of the bodhisattva root vows—which vows comprise the foundation of practice and what actions break them. He opens by establishing the three types of morality as essential for any path to enlightenment. After guiding students through setting bodhicitta motivation and visualizing all sentient beings as worthy of liberation, he examines eighteen principal bodhisattva vows, focusing on thirteen detailed in the Akshayamati Sūtra. He explores four major vows in detail: stealing offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, or Sangha; abandoning the holy teachings; causing harm to the ordained community; and committing the five heinous crimes—explaining the conditions and intentions that constitute a full breach of each. Intended for practitioners already studying or about to receive bodhisattva vows.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 05 FoP.mp3
UUID: f6e8b556-2edc-4ecf-a255-d2bbcbc6fc28
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Foundation of Practice (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1996 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.7 minutes
Words: ~3,015
So quoting a line from Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching where Lama Tsongkhapa advises are saying that not only like generating the mind that is bodhicitta, but along with that, like, dream or practicing the moralities. Those are the three kinds of moralities. So as we are the one who is seeking for for liberation, so those who are seeking for liberation, just just having good heart or generating this good heart is not enough right now. So so as one have as one have generated the mind, that is the bodhicitta, along with that the vows that one have to one have to keep or the precepts that one have to live with. So so if one is not if one is not to live with the precepts that is explained according to the mind generation of bodhicitta, then one won’t be able to achieve liberation.
He just before he came in, was talking a lot, then he his mind is, how do you say, wandering around. He just got distracted. So so after generating the mind, if one is not to train on these three type of morality or those are the precepts of bodhisattvas, then one won’t be able to achieve a fully enlightened state. And the reason is because that these three types of morality or the practice of morality is what is known as the one lead path that which is followed by all the Buddhists for their enlightenment. So saying that this practice of morality, these three types of moralities known as the one leap path that is followed by all the Buddhas of the three times, which means that the past bodhisattvas after generating the mind, bodhicitta, they followed the three moralities or kept these three vows pure and along with that, through these practices they come to achieve the full enlightened state.
And similarly those bodhisattvas who are residing now at present too have generated this mind and kept pure the three types of morality or the vows of the disciples and by keeping pure the three moralities they will also achieve the full enlightened state. And similarly those of the future bodhisattvas, they will to generate this mind, that bodhicitta, and kept the three types of moralities pure, which where then they also will, let’s say, come to achieve the form of life. So if one is to live with the precepts of bodhisattva, then that is what brings happiness to one at present or temporarily. And in the future one will achieve the highest state as a result and finally ultimately keeping this preset purely it becomes the cause for our ultimate achievement that is full enlightenment. So in the Buddhist teachings it says that for some morality or keeping pure moral precepts or morality happiness.
So which means that by keeping pure moral discipline that is how one achieves happiness. And and similarly, on the next line, it says, for some morality is, what’s it, suffering or misery. Yeah. So, like for some, they said morality is happiness which is that those who are seeking liberation or those who are seeking the full enlightenment for the sake of others. They generate this mind bodhicitta and by keeping the precepts of the bodhisattvas pure that they also achieve happiness.
So then for some, is like morality is known as, for some morality is pain which that by taking the vows, if one is not to keep the vows as it is prescribed, then instead of inducing happiness, it will induce suffering or pain. So so in order to keep those presets pure or to guard those presets, one first need to know what are the precepts or what are the vows. And then by knowing the vows then one can, what you say, one can abandon those breaks one can abandon those action which breaks those vows. So the period that we spent here listening to dharma, listening and learning this dharma has to be the cause for the happiness of others which is to achieve fully enlightened state. So now we have to set good motivation which is setting up the motivation that as we hear only a few numbers of people here, but one can imagine like all all sentient beings around one, all the sentient beings like all those animals and everyone, all all living beings which in the form of human, imagine they are here.
And also visualizing all the the most kind parents. The parents are on one in in in their own aspect and similarly of close friends. And and at the same time, also, want you also imagine or visualize one whom we head or as which are known as our enemies thinking they are kind as one to one mother and imagining in front of one. So so then after visualizing all this in front, those who are very close to one and those who are distant from one, all of them visualizing in front and totally forgetting oneself but completely thinking of those other sentient beings that in order to bring happiness to them, thinking that I want to bring happiness and free them from the state of sufferings. Like that may all those sentient beings be, after death, may all of those sentient beings never have to suffer the suffering of the lower realms.
And finally, they, how to say, experience the happiness of liberation. So so I was thinking in this way. And I think that I need to free all those sentient beings who are the one that wanna visualize. But right now, I I I’m unable to do that. So so then thinking who who can, what to say, lead all sentient beings to the enlightened state thinking that the only, what to say, Buddha is the only one who can free all all sentient beings from the state of suffering.
And Buddha is the one who works for all whether they have benefited or not. So so so now here in order to achieve that state, that enlightened state, I will I will listen to this teaching on Bodhisattva vows. So setting up this kind of mind and the short meditation. So of the Bodhisattva vows, those are the eighteen root vows, four of the eighteen from the beginning, which the four come from the Bodhisattva Grounds, which has been explained, which has been explained last So then the second set, that is thirteen root vows, which is explained in the Akshayamati Sūtra. So of the of those thirteen, the first one, that’s this text, page number eight or number five, which is stealing the properties or the belongings of the objects.
In order to receive these faults of breaking this root vow, the person has to be one who has receive what is out of vows and this action has to be done out of delusions for one’s sake. So the belongings or the the properties of of the refuge object, for example, whether the thing or whatever the object is, if it’s directly offered to an actual Buddha or even if it’s not, if the object is offered to an image of a Buddha and if one is to steal that for for one’s own use, for one’s own sake, then, yeah, that is what’s stealing refuge belongings of the refuge. So there are there are people who believe one refuge object are there are also those who believe more. And in Buddhist teaching, the refuge object are known as three. Dharma refuge which is of two, which is the scriptural teaching, the scriptural part of the teaching that which Buddha gave, and the the insight or the realization realization, that part that I mean, this the insight part which is the realization of these two.
So, and similar with the Sanga refuge object, again, can classify into two. That is the area sanghas or the superior beings and that of the ordinary sanghas here. So the Sangha is huge refuge object, which are known as beings who have had a direct realization of selflessness of the person. Whoever have a direct realization of the selflessness of the person, since then they are known as Aria Sangha refuge objects. Since that time, all the path that they have and all the their realizations are the children.
The t lambda. Lambda. So so one one with with the sorry. The Ārya Sankara refuge objects, which are those who have had direct into the selflessness of the person. So then the ordinary Sangha refuge objects are known as the group of four fully ordained monks or nuns.
And or more than four, then they are known as the ordinary Sangha refuge objects. So to these three refuge object, if someone dedicates object or offers object to these three refuge, and if a person steal by himself or herself that object which is offered to refuge objects or let someone else to do the stealing, to do the stealing, then as soon as one receives the object that which is belong to the refuge, then one breaks this root vow. So so when so just when we are making group which are offering, like the torma offering that we make make. And after making the talk, like, torma offering to to the refuge object. And right after that, if you, without thinking anything, if you just eat or you take it for yourself, then it’s not like breaking the full vows, like the full root vow, but you still receive some of the faults.
So so when you when you enjoy or when you eat eat the top offerings, you have to think that I’m I’m taking it in the form of like, once you take it in the form of blessings. So So with these root vows that one can break in three ways. One, by taking the property or the belongings of the Buddha, and secondly, taking the property or the belongings of the Dharma, And then thirdly, taking or stealing the property of the Sangha. So one can break the vow in these three different ways. So now going to the sec the second root root vow, that’s number six, is abandoning the root vow of abandoning the holy Dharma.
So, the holy dharmas, they are of again three kinds which is the Dharma teachings that which shows hero’s liberation and the Dharma teaching that which shows, I wanna say, Prateka Buddha’s liberation And the Dharma teaching that which shows the Mahāyāna liberation. So there are these three type of holy dharmas. So so this one can be this root vow can be breaking breaking either like one stop abandoning these holy Dharma teachings or for example if one let someone else to abandon the holy Dharma teachings, then you also receive this, I would say. You also receive the faults of breaking the root vows. So when we say abandoning the holy Dharma holy Dharma, which is doesn’t has to be all three.
If you happen to abandon one of them of the three, then you receive the faults, you receive the faults which is breaking the root vows. So with the with the third one that of the teachings, the Dharma teaching which shows Mahāyāna liberation where the teachings are two kinds which is known as one part which is known as the profound part of the teachings and second which is the extensive part of the teachings. So has to be like abandoning both of these aspect. So so then the the second down, which is the of the teachings, the holy Dharma teaching, which shows the liberation of the Pratyekabuddha, which which are the teachings on the twelve links of dependent arising. And then that of the first one, which is teachings, or Dharma teaching, which shows the liberation of hearers, which are that of the teachings on four noble truth.
So so then breaking this root vow again can come in two ways. One, one self abandoning, I wanna say, these holy Dharma teachings. That of the hearers or the two lower one, whichever if one if one abandoned that, then one received the faults of breaking this vow, or one makes others abandon this vow. Like, you know, one makes other to abandon these of the three, what is the teachings, Dharma teachings, then one also receives false breaking, the root vow. So then going to the next one, that is the third one.
Sorry. That is causing harm to the sanghas. So the sanghas here means those who have taken the ordinations or those who are the followers of the Buddha who have taken the ordinations such as novice, fully ordained monks and novice and fully ordained monk plus those who have taken the vows but they have broken their vows. Two are the one, what to say, basis where one breaks these third So in text it also says that those who have kept the precepts and those who haven’t kept the precepts, Both are mentioned here. So when you said those who have kept the precepts, is those who have kept the bars pure?
So so then the second one, those who haven’t kept who haven’t kept the precepts which say in the beginning they have taken the vows but then later they happen to break the vows. Then if you break the vows before how do you say? If you happen to offer the vows before breaking it, then that category or that people of the beings of that category is the second group. So these two are the basis. Like one, which we have kept the precepts and one, we have taken but let’s say offered back and no more keeping the precepts.
So on the basis of these two that we come to break this third So so then that’s the base. And then you have you need to have the motivation which is to break this vow. The motivation is to cause harm to that being. And then secondly the action which is you have to perform the action that is like what is it, rubbing their robes or their belongings. So that’s the first part which is like giving harm to the Sangha.
And the second part or the second way that you break this vow is that again if there are monk who are living in the monastery and one goes to the monastery and cause them to leave the monastery or cause them to disobey, then that is second way one break or second way of breaking these third vows, root vows. So which one, this the Sangha where one causes harm or from whom we rob their belongings. That Sangha has to be, for example, if it’s a fully ordained monks, then it should be less than three. If it’s more than three, if it’s four, then it becomes a Sungal refuge object where then it falls that they’re like taking from the Sungal refuge object then it’s like another vow which first it becomes the first one, breaking the first root vow. Mhmm.
So it has to be less than for a fully woven mouth. So this one, the third one has again two, two which is that one is, what is it, robbing their belongings such as robe and so on. That’s the first way of breaking. And the second way that you can also break is by causing them to disrupt or what’s it? Yeah.
Causing them to disturb. That’s it. Then now going to the fourth one, that’s number eight. That is committing the five heinous crime. So so then this this one, the fourth one, I was committing the heinous crime.
The the heinous crime, there are five which are known as like killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, killing and how to say dividing sanghas, Sangha community. And and intentionally like causing causing blood from the body of Buddha or Tathagattis. So if one is to commit one of these five, any one of these five, then one breaks the root vow that is, like, committing. So doesn’t has you’d one doesn’t need to commit all the five. If one have committed one of the five, like killing father, then one receives the fall of breaking in the root vows.
So like this killing tool has to have all the branches there which is that has to have this motivation out of the motive, which is deluded motive, which are to kill the father or the parents. So so there has to have the the intention or the motive to kill kill. And then after then then next next step is actually engaging in the action. Whatever weapon that you use to kill and as soon as when they die or stop breathing, then one, I would say, receives a downfalls of breaking this root so then next one that, like, dividing the Sangha community which say you go to one monastery or place where there are many sanghas and you divide like you tell something different to one group of monks and sell something different to another group of the monk and causing them to be separate. So like separating them and yeah, separating them into two groups.
Once you succeed doing that then yeah, you’ll see again the fault of committing the Hinius crime. So so then the last one which is intentionally causing blood from the body of Tathāgata, just Buddhist, like a time when when Buddha was like alive that time. If one is to with with intention to kill or harm, if one stab a knife and cause a blood, cause blood, then then that’s the, what I say, one of the crime which are known as committing the five heinous crimes which is one breaks the one or two vows. So if you if you don’t have the the motive or the intention to kill, then it doesn’t become like full, what do say, hideous crime. For example,