Twenty Verses from the Bodhisattva VowSearch

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Twenty Verses from the Bodhisattva Vow Khenpo has asked me to teach on the text "Twenty Verses from the Bodhisattva Vow". The twenty verses talks about the precepts associated with the vows and among them ii says that refusing to teach when requested is a downfall. So I agreed to Khenpo's request. The bodhisattva's vow is to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings. But to accomplish these there are very specific precepts on what to avoid doing. There are

different traditions for enumerating these downfalls. Nagarjuna's system has eighteen major downfalls and forty six minor infractions. Asanga's tradition has four major downfalls and forty six minor infractions. In China there is a tradition of ten major downfalls and forty eight minor infractions. This text follows the tradition of Asanga. The commentary I am relying on is Phagmodrupa's commentary on Chandrgomin's twenty verses. The commentary is divided into six topics. The first is the master who composed the text. He gives a brief biography of Chandragomin. Phagmodrupa was the primary teacher of Jigten Sumgon and was one of the chief disciples of Gampopa. Phagmodrupa was probably the most important of Gampopa's disciples. His disciples founded eight schools of the Kagyu. Phagmodrupa studied under many teachers. He received all the teachings from the Sakya tradition. Then his Sakya teacher told him to go debate Gampopa. When he got there, it was lunch time and Gampopa was eating tsampa and ignored him. Phagmodrupa said hello and introduced himself. He explained what teachings he had received. Gampopa asked about his realization. Phagmodrupa said I've reached the first bhumi. Gampopa said this mouthful of tsampa I'm eating is worth more than your first bhumi. Phagmodrupa was humbled and became his student. This is not to denigrate the Sakya, Phagmodrupa's karma lay with Gampopa. What's interesting about this commentary is that it is the oldest surviving Tibetan commentary on the twenty verses. There were two Indian commentaries, but this is the oldest Tibetan commentary.

So the topics discussed in this text are: first, the master who composed the text, second, the section this text belongs to, third, how this text was named, fourth, the purpose the text was written, fifth, that which is meaningfully taught from beginning to end (the bulk of the commentary) and sixth the results that will arise from the practice. It's traditionally taught in the monastic context after bodhisattva vow is given. Phagmodrupa gives a brief biography of Chandragomin. In a previous life he was a Buddhist scholar named Chanti. He was good at debating non-Buddhist scholars. The Buddhists believe that Hinduism declined in India after Buddhism declined because there was no one to debate with. So sharp words are used, but debate encourages people to learn more. "My lama says so," is not enough. So he was debating a materialist and was able to convince him of the logic of the existence of past and future lives. But grudgingly the materialist said, "where is the evidence?" So Chandragomin said, "I will die at the next full moon and seven years later I will come back and debate you." So he died and was reborn as a son of a scholar named Dharmachakra. Dharmachakra was debating with this same materialist. Chandragomin had spoken soon after he was born, but his mother said, "Shush, people will think you are strange," and he didn't say another word for seven years. Chandragomin spoke up and reminded the materialist of their previous debate. So the materialist was defeated and Chandragomin became famous. He was invited to Nalanda but protocol did not allow them to pay homage to a lay person. Chadragomin resolved the problem by saying,

"Invite a statue of Manjushri and I will stand behind it and fan it and you can pay homage to it." He composed a prayer in praise of Manjushri while he walked there and it was so beautiful that the statue turned its head to face him. Chandragomin debated Chandrakirti quite a bit. He represented the Mind Only School and Chandrakirti represented the Prasangika. It's said that Chenrezig told him what to say during the debate. This text belongs to the level of conventional truth. Conventional does not mean lower. The doctrine of two truths means there are two aspects that are not opposed to each other, but which are viewed by two different view points. The Middle Way holds both are true at the same time. The ultimate is discerned based on the conventional. The text belongs to the discipline section of the Tripitaka. The name of the text was given to express its purpose, which was to explain the vows of the bodhisattva. The purpose of the text is to compose an abbreviated form for those that have faith, but lack learning. Next is the result that will arise. The result is the attainment of the three kayas, which are pure by nature. Phagmodrupa says there are three ways of explaining the twenty verses. The way of the new Buddhist Schools, the way is the Old school (the Nyingma). And he says there is the Kadampa way of explaining it. Normally the Kadampa is considered one of the new schools. The new schools divide the text into three sections: homage, meaning and conclusion. The Kadampa

divides it into how you receive the bodhisattva vow, the contents of the vow, and the conclusion. The Nyingma divides the text into seven parts: the stages of receiving vow, benefit of receiving, summary of the trainings, specific teachings on the defeats, method of restoring the vow when broken, the transgressions with defilement, and the infractions that do not entail defilements. Interestingly Phagmodrupa explains the text in terms of the Nyingma style. So now we go to the actual content The preliminaries of the stages of receiving the vows are explained in the first verse. A statue of a buddha should be established in a space and the space should be beautified by ornaments. Offerings should be given to the master who is conferring the vow. A buddha is one who has perfected primordial wisdom and purified all the defilements. He has expanded primordial wisdom like the petals of a lotus in bloom. The children refers to the bodhisattvas, who are like the sons of a universal king who possess all the major and minor marks and will succeed him. Paying homage with reference refers to those who would receive the vow, who should prostrate with body speech and mind. You should offer what you can when receiving this vow. It should be received from a teacher with the four qualities of being skilled in the ceremony, of living by the vow, of having confidence that they are capable of bestowing it, and having compassion. Not only should we receive the vow, but the related trainings. The code of the bodhisattvas is the way the bodhisattvas of the past,present and future will train. Thus it is called

the treasury of all merit. If such a teacher cannot be found one should receive the vow from someone who maintains their vows and can clarify doubts Otherwise, take the vow in front of representations of the Three Jewels. This is also to protect you from the fault of denigrating the person who you received the vow from later. The second part discusses the virtue of receiving the vow.. It says in the sutras that signs will arise in other worlds when you take the bodhisattva vow. One should think, "I will be a Buddha not long after and until then I will receive the support of all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas and they will cherish me like I was their only child. They will bless me with their virtuous thoughts." The commentary then explains how the bodhisattva path is superior to the shravaka path. But one should not disregard the shravaka path It is the foundation of renunciation and ethical discipline. Bodhicitta cannot exist without renunciation. The summary of the trainings begins with the fourth verse. It says one trains for others as well as oneself. Phagmodrupa says a bodhisattva should do what is not beneficial right now, but will become beneficial in the future. The dharma tells you what you don't want to hear, otherwise there is no point. One should not do what is beneficial now but is harmful in the future. We should do what is beneficial for others even if it harms oneself. The courage to bear suffering is one of the most important things to develop on the bodhisattva path. The most difficult decisions to make are not those that will make things better right away. It's those that

will make things better eventually. Next the defeats are discussed. This a technical term associated with the monastic vows and refers to the violations which require expulsion from the monastic order. There are root downfalls and branch transgressions, which impair the vow if not confessed. The defeats here differ from the monastic defeats in that monastic vows cannot be retaken in this lifetime, but defeats of the bodhisattva vow can be repaired by retaking the vow. The downfalls cannot be committed heedlessly, out of neglect. You must shamelessly abandon the aspiration and rejoice in that. Or the vow can be damaged if you actively reject the vow. The downfalls are explained in verses six and seven. The first is praising oneself or disparaging others out of attachment or anger. The second is not donating wealth or dharma out of stinginess or jealousy. The third is not listening to another's apology, but striking out of anger. It also includes striking an animal. It doesn't matter if the apology is insincere. The fourth downfall is slandering the Mahayana and making up a counterfeit teaching. If these actions are done without strong negative emotions they become middling downfalls. The next part is the method of restoring the vow. If a defilement is middling it should be confessed in the presence of three persons holding the vow who can comprehend what you are doing., saying "I [name] have committed from the basis that has been described a misdeed type of fault that constitutes a contradiction of the vinaya of the bodhisattvas. I

confess it to you openly and free of deceit. Confessing openly I can now reside in happiness, not confessing candidly I cannot reside in happiness." Then they say "do you see these as faults?" and you answer, "I do see." Then they ask "will you keep the vow hereafter?" Then you reply three times the following, "I do assent to them with all humility according to the dharma and vinaya." What about small defilements? If it is a small defilement, the text says it can be confessed to one person. There are two more categories, the branch infractions with and infractions without defilements. These are best conferred in front of other but can also be confessed in one's own mind. Branch Infractions can be made through negligence, and these are without defilements. The four root downfalls are considered severe if the conduct is done repeatedly, with no shame, enjoying the activity, and seeing oneself of good qualities for performing the action. If is done with only one of the four it is a middling infraction.