The treasury of knowledge book five buddhist ethics buddhist ethics v 5 (11)

Second, we dedicate the merits [of listening to the teaching] to the goal of awakening by reciting Asanga’s prayer above, substituting the words “listening to” for “expounding.” Third, w

Generosity that is empty of gift, recipient, and benefactor

Is called the transcendent perfection.

Accordingly, [the teaching activity] should be sealed with [contem-plation on] the nonconceptual wisdom that is free of the limited con-cepts [of agent, act, and object]

The Responsibilities of the Listener [2]

The student makes offerings, recites dedication prayers, and maintains mindfulness.

As students, we have three tasks: First, we show our appreciation by giving remuneration; remembering [the master’s] kindness, we make prostrations and offerings, such as a mandala130 of thanksgiving Second, we dedicate the merits [of listening to the teaching] to the goal of awakening by reciting Asanga’s prayer (above), substituting the words “listening to” for “expounding.”

Third, we maintain mindful awareness of the words and meaning

of the teaching, as advised in Sönam Tsemo’s Gateway to the Doctrine131: Mindful of the teaching, go to a solitary place Without distrac-tion or apathy, reflect continuously on whatever instrucdistrac-tion you have received! Read it! Write it! Question your spiritual master

on all points about which you have doubts! Make the teaching a living experience and then please your master by showing your appreciation.

The Usefulness of Teaching and Listening [D]

Study, reflection, expounding, listening, and upholding the doctrine

Integrated with living experience is said to yield limitless merits.

The manifold virtues of study of and reflection on the teachings are taught in the Garland of the Former Lives of the Buddha and other sources

such as the Analysis of Discipline Scripture, which states:

Persons who have listened and reflected extensively earn five benefits: they become learned in the subject of the aggregates, learned in the subject of the experiential elements, learned in the subject of the experiential media, learned in the subject of inter-dependent origination, and acquire the skill to present these sub-jects as teachers in their own rights.

76 Buddhist Ethics

The sutras and tantras all proclaim the merits of listening to the doc-trine to be inconceivable Accordingly, the Principles of Elucidation132 states:

The Blessed One declared that five merits are acquired by listen-ing to the doctrine: by listenlisten-ing, you become learned, and you acquire mastery [of the doctrine]; thereby, your doubts are quelled and your philosophical views are rectified; and by virtue of dis-criminative awareness, you will gain understanding of the words and the profound meaning [of the teaching].

Among the myriad virtues attributed to teaching the doctrine, the

Inspiring Universal Responsibility Scripture gives a list of twenty.133 All

of those stem from the following three: teaching is the best way to honor the buddhas; it is the highest gift one can make to others; and

by teaching, the teacher’s merit increases and he or she gains super-natural knowledge

The benefits accrued from upholding the doctrine that are men-tioned in several [sources] are summarized in the [Scripture] Reveal-ing the [Inconceivable] Secrets of the Transcendent One134:

Even if for millions of eons

The buddhas were to describe

The merits of preserving the sacred teachings

[They] could not possibly encompass them all.

The particular merits of expounding the Universal Way or listening

to it are described in many scriptures in the following way In the con-text of the basis for spiritual life, the merits outshine those of teaching and listening to the doctrine of the Individual Way In the context of the experiential cultivation of the path, by virtue of these merits, each and every obscuration is overcome In the context of the fruition, the merits [culminate in] the attainment of complete buddhahood [The merits] accrued from spiritual practice done in order to gain realization far surpass even those [mentioned above] Simply taking seven steps in the direction of a place of spiritual practice while aware

of the selfless nature of persons and phenomena is said to yield in-conceivable merits To be concerned only with hearing the teaching without making a living experience of it is utterly meaningless There-fore, [the Buddha in his] discourses spoke of twenty shortcomings of taking delight only in listening to the doctrine Nevertheless, to en-gage in ethical and contemplative disciplines without [sufficient] study

is like a blind person embarking on a journey Thus, a supremely quali-fied practitioner is one who both is learned and has made a living experience of the teaching Accordingly, the Scripture Ornament

states135:

The meditation of the yogi 136 is not fruitless.

The teaching of the joyful ones is never without value.

If reality could be perceived simply through learning, then

meditation would be without purpose.

If meditation could be cultivated without study, teaching

would be senseless.

The benefits [that result] from integrating learning with living expe-rience are unfathomable, as stated by the exalted Nagarjuna: Wisdom is enhanced by study

And reflection When both are present,

Meditation will also develop accordingly.

With meditation, unsurpassable awakening is attained.

78 Buddhist Ethics

Chapter II

The Vows of Personal Liberation

OUTLINE

I An Overview of the Three Systems of Ethics

II Explanation of the Vows of Personal Liberation

A The Vows of Personal Liberation of the Proclaimers

1 Essential Meaning of the Vows

a The Basis for Defining the Vows

b The Definition

c Different Assertions Concerning the Nature of the Vows

2 Etymology of Personal Liberation and Its Other Names

3 Distinctions of Disciplines

a Distinctions of Disciplines according to the Level of

Existence

b Distinctions of Personal Liberation Vows according to the Person

4 Conferral of Vows

a Various Procedures for Monastic Ordination

b The Candidate

c Unfavorable Conditions and Obstacles for the Conferral of Vows

d Favorable Conditions for the Conferral of Vows

i Temporary vows

ii Vows for Life