Qualities of the Sangha, Ways and Benefits of Taking a Safe Direction

When we become mindful of the qualities of the Dharma, this will lead us to become likewise mindful of those who strive to realize it. The Rare Supreme Sangha Gem refers to all aryas, those who have realized voidness. Intent on reaching their goal of a purified state as either a shravaka arhat, a pratyekabuddha arhat or a Buddha, they need not necessarily be monks or nuns.

Those who strive for each of these goals are known respectively as shravakas, pratyekabuddhas and bodhisattvas. Each progresses to their goal by developing progressively the five pathway minds (lam-lnga, Skt. pañca-mārga, five paths) particular to their own class. These five are known as the: 

1. Building-up pathway mind (tshogs-lam, Skt. saṃbhara-mārga, path of accumulation)
2. Applying pathway mind (sbyor-lam, Skt. prayoga-mārga, path of preparation)
3. Seeing pathway mind (mthong-lam, Skt. darṡana-mārga, path of seeing)
4. Accustoming pathway mind (sgom-lam, Skt. bhāvanā-mārga, path of meditation)
5. Pathway mind needing no further training (mi-slob lam, Skt. aṡaikṣa-mārga, path of no more learning). 

Shravakas and pratyekabuddhas begin to have a building-up pathway mind when they have developed unlabored renunciation, the full determination to be rid of their problems that comes automatically without having to build it up in stages. Bodhisattvas start having their own such pathway mind when, in addition to unlabored renunciation, they develop unlabored bodhichitta. All three types of spiritual practitioners leave the ranks of ordinary persons and become aryas of their own class when, with a seeing pathway mind, they attain non-conceptual cognition of the voidness of truly established existence (bden-par grub-pa, Skt. satya-siddha, true existence), which means here the voidness of self-established existence (rang-bzhin-gyi grub-pa, Skt. svabhāva-siddha, inherent existence). 

This is the assertion according to the Prasangika Madhyamaka system. In A Filigree of Realizations, however, Maitreya presents this material according to Svatantrika Madhyamaka. In this latter system, the discriminating awareness of the shravakas, pratyekabuddhas and bodhisattvas are each progressively more refined. Furthermore, the classification of the emotional and cognitive obscurations is different, as is the presentation of which obscurations are got rid of with which pathway minds.

All three (shravakas, pratyekabuddhas and bodhisattvas) become arhats (dgra-bcom-pa, foe-destroyers) of their own class when they achieve a pathway mind needing no further training for their particular goal. In addition, all three train to reach their goal by progressing through the 37 factors leading to a purified state (of liberation or enlightenment).

Thirty-Seven Factors Leading to a Purified State

The 37 factors leading to a purified state (byang-chub yan-lag so-bdun) are divided into seven groups: 

• The four close placements of mindfulness (dran-pa nyer-bzhag bzhi, Skt. catvāri smṛty-upasthānāni)
• The four factors for (attaining) correct riddances (yang-dag spong-ba bzhi, Skt. catvāri-prahāṇāni, four perfect abandonments)
• The four legs for (attaining) extraphysical powers (rdzu-’phrul-gyi rkang-pa bzhi, Skt. catvāra-ṛddhipādā, four miracle legs)
• The five powers (dbang-po lnga, Skt. pañcendriyāṇi)
• The five forces (stobs-lnga, Skt. pañca-balāni)
• The seven (causal) factors for (attaining) a purified state (byang-chub yan-lag bdun, Skt. sapta-bodhyaṅgāni) 
• The eight branches of an arya pathway mind (’phags-lam yan-lag brgyad, Skt. āryāṣṭāṅgika-mārga, eightfold noble path). 

The first three groups are attained progressively with the various levels of a building-up pathway mind, the next two respectively with the heat (drod) and patience stages of an applying pathway mind, the sixth with a seeing, and the last with an accustoming pathway mind.

The four close placements of mindfulness, which are with both mindfulness and discriminating awareness, are on 

1. The body (lus, Skt. deha)
2. Feelings of levels of happiness (tshor-ba, Skt. vedanā)
3. Mind (sems, Skt. citta)
4. Phenomena (chos, Skt. dharma). 

These give insight respectively into the four noble truths: 

• true sufferings
• true causes of suffering
• true stoppings
• true pathway minds. 

The four factors for attaining correct riddances of negativities are exerting perseverance in: 

1. Generating constructive (virtuous) phenomena not generated before
2. Increasing those already generated
3. Halting the increase of destructive (nonvirtuous) phenomena already generated
4. Preventing the generation of those not yet generated. 

The four legs for attaining extraphysical powers are focusing with absorbed concentration on that for which one has: ;

1. Intention and 
2. Perseverance, 

and that which one has previously 

3. Pondered (sems-pa, thought about) and 
4. Scrutinized (dpyod-pa, analyzed). 

The five powers that bring the confidence to achieve the arya pathway minds are focusing on the four noble truths with: 

1. Belief in fact
2. Perseverance
3. Mindfulness
4. Absorbed concentration
5. Discriminating awareness. 

The five forces that completely overcome their opponents are focusing on the four noble truths with: 

1. Belief in fact, to overcome disrespect or lack of confident belief
2. Perseverance, to vanquish laziness
3. Mindfulness, to be rid of forgetfulness (brjed-pa)
4. Absorbed concentration, to counter mental wandering
5. Discriminating awareness, to overcome lack of discrimination. 

The seven causal factors for attaining a purified state are an arya’s seeking for an end to all suffering through focusing on the four noble truths with: 

1. Pure mindfulness
2. Pure sorting of phenomena (chos rab-tu rnam-par ’byed-pa)
3. Pure perseverance
4. Pure zest (dga’-ba, fresh joyous interest)
5. Pure sense of physical and mental fitness
6. Pure absorbed concentration
7. Pure even-mindedness (btang-snyoms, equanimity).

The eight branches of an arya pathway mind that bring about the most advanced attainments are focusing on the four noble truths with: 

1. A right view (yang-dag-pa’i lta-ba, Skt. samyag-dṛṣṭi) – in order to cut off all contact with disturbing emotions and attitudes
2. Right thought (yang-dag-pa’i rtog-pa, Skt. samyak-saṃkalpa) – the motivating thought to give a clear comprehension of reality to others
3. Right speech (yang-dag-pa’i ngag, Skt. samyag-vāk) – the pathway mind allowing for clear explanation about reality in order to bring others conviction in it
4. Right boundary of action (yang-dag-pa’i las-kyi mtha’, Skt. samyak-karmānta) – the pathway mind to behave without any destructive physical actions so as to convince others to be ethical
5. Right livelihood (yang-dag-pa’i ’tsho-ba, Skt. samyag-ājīva) – the pathway mind to maintain purity of physical and verbal conduct in obtaining the necessities of life so as to inspire others to follow this example
6. Right effort (yang-dag-pa’i rtsol-ba, Skt. samyag-vyāyāma) – to be rid of whatever is to be gotten rid of by an accustoming pathway mind (sgom-spang, abandonments of the path of meditation)
7. Right mindfulness (yang-dag-pa’i dran-pa, Skt. samyak-smṛti) – to oppose all flightiness of mind (rgod-pa, Skt. auddhatya, desirous excitement), dullness and forgetfulness (brjed-pa)
8. Right absorbed concentration (yang-dag-pa’i ting-nge-‘dzin, Skt. samyak-samādhi) – to counter the obscurations preventing the full attainments of the clairvoyant powers of advanced awareness and the extraphysical and extrasensory powers of emanation.

[As cited by Maitreya in “A Filigree of Realizations,” IV.5; Tsongkhapa in “A Golden Rosary of Excellent Explanation (of Maitreya’s ‘Filigree of Realizations’)” (Legs-bshad gser-phreng), 129-3-7 to 133-2-1; Asanga in “An Anthology of Special Topics of Knowledge” (Chos mngon-pa kun-las btus-pa, Skt. Abhidharma-samuccaya), 262-1-3 to 263-2-2; Vasubandhu in “A Treasure-House of Special Topics of Knowledge,” VI.67–70; and the First Dalai Lama (rGyal-ba dGe-’dun grub) in “Clarifying the Path” (mDzod-tik thar-lam gsal-byed), 341–342.]

Arya Shravakas

With a building-up pathway mind, shravakas achieve a stilled and settled state of mind (zhi-gnas, Skt. śamatha) joined with an exceptionally perceptive state of mind (lhag-mthong, Skt. vipaśyanā) by cultivating the close placement of mindfulness on their bodies, feelings (of levels of happiness), minds and other phenomena. As a result, they gain the various types of advanced awareness (clairvoyance) and the extraphysical powers to emanate themselves in various places to benefit others. 

With an applying pathway mind, shravakas make use of these skills to conceptually cognize the sixteen aspects of the four noble truths (’phags-pa bden-bzhi’i rnam-pa bcu-drug). 

[See: Explanation of the 16 Aspects of the 4 Noble Truths]

With a seeing pathway mind, shravakas attain straightforward and non-conceptual cognition of the voidness of truly established existence. During their total absorption (mnyam-bzhag, Skt. samāhita) on this voidness, all deceptive, dualistic appearances of truly established existence set like the sun in the west. In fact, no appearances arise to their mind at all. This total absorption acts as an opponent to remove whatever doctrinally based disturbing emotions and attitudes (nyon-mongs kun-brtags, Skt. parikalpita-kleśa) and doctrinally based grasping for truly established existence (bden-’dzin kun-btags, Skt. parikalpita-satya-grāha) they might have had concerning all three planes of existence (khams-gsum, Skt. tri-dhātu, three realms).

While their total absorption is acting as an opponent, it functions as an uninterrupted pathway mind (bar-chad med-lam, Skt. ānantaryamārga).  Once they have achieved a true stopping, namely a state of being truly parted forever from this portion of their emotional obscurations, their total absorption is a liberated pathway mind (rnam-grol lam, Skt. vimukti-mārga). When they arise from their total absorption, dualistic appearances of truly established existence arise again to their mind. Their subsequent attainment (rjes-thob, Skt. pṛṣṭhalabdha), however, is the realization that they are like illusions (sgyu-ma, Skt. māyā).

Although they will still experience automatically arising disturbing emotions and attitudes (nyon-mongs lhan-skyes, Skt. sahaja-kleśa) and automatically arising grasping for truly established existence (bden-’dzin lhan-skyes, Skt. sahaja-satya- grāha), they will no longer react to these deceptive appearances with doctrinally based disturbing emotions and attitudes or grasping. This is because they have ridden themselves of them forever, together with all karmic tendencies (sa-bon, Skt. bīja, seeds) for their future generation. Such shravakas are known as stream-enterers (rgyun-zhugs, Skt. strotāpatti). 

With an accustoming pathway mind, these arya shravakas (nyan-thos ’phags-pa) familiarize themselves with the voidness of truly established existence that they have already cognized non-conceptually. In stages, they come to rid themselves of even their automatically arising disturbing emotions and their automatically arising grasping for truly established existence, together with their karmic tendencies. When they are free from the six strongest out of nine degrees of these emotions and the grasping concerning the plane of sensory desires, they are known as once-returners (phyir-’ong, Skt. sakṛd-āgāmin). When they have eliminated the three subtler degrees, they are called non-returners (phyir mi-’ong, Skt. anāgāmin).

They become shravaka arhats when they remove, as well, all degrees of automatically arising disturbing emotions and automatically arising grasping for truly established existence concerning the two higher planes of samsaric existence, those of ethereal forms (form realm) and formless beings (formless realm). As such, they have eliminated all their emotional obscurations. They still can only perceive the deceptive dualistic appearances of truly established existence, but they do not react to them with any disturbing emotions and attitudes or with grasping, whether doctrinally based or automatically arising. 

This is only a rough presentation of stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners and arhats. This system is used only in reference to those who practice the Hinayana path as shravakas. It is not used with pratyekabuddhas or bodhisattvas.

The good qualities of shravaka arhats are extremely extensive:

• They can manifest one form into many and many into one 
• They can transform and emanate many objects through the power of their absorbed concentration on the elemental sources (khams) – the basic elements of earth, water, fire, and wind 
• They can fly through the air and extraphysically transport themselves to wherever their disciples may be, and so on

The methods at their disposal for helping others are beyond the realms of imagination.

A Kadampa geshe once said:

Because of the name “Hinayana” (Modest Vehicle), some people feel that arya shravakas are to be looked down upon. However, if I were to describe all their qualities, you would think that the Buddhas had nothing more.

To belittle such realized beings is to commit the great mistake of abandoning the Dharma. 

It is wrong, then, to think that shravakas totally lack compassion and do not work to benefit others. Love and compassion constitute essential features of all the Buddha’s teachings, both Hinayana and Mahayana. After all, mettā-bhāvanā (meditation on love) forms a central part of Theravada practice. Shakyamuni Buddha’s two main disciples, Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, were shravaka arhats and, after achieving liberation, they led many other disciples to liberation as well. 

Arya Pratyekabuddhas

Pratyekabuddhas have hundreds of thousands of more qualities than shravakas. This is because they have built up positive karmic force for over a hundred eons to achieve their goal. There are two types: 

• Pratyekabuddhas who live and attain liberation alone like the rhinoceros (bse-ru lta-bu’i rang-rgyal)
• Pratyekabuddhas who live in small groups (tshogs-bcas rang-rgyal). 

The latter live during the times of the Buddhas and were present, for instance, when the third round of Dharma transmission was set flowing by Buddha Shakyamuni. The former leave at the advent of such Complete Spiritual Leaders and live primarily during the long dark ages in between.

The motivating aim, spiritual paths and realizations of both types of pratyekabuddhas are much the same as those of the shravakas, although the terms “stream-enterer,” “once-returner,” and “non-returner” are not used with reference to them. Shravakas rely on spiritual masters throughout their spiritual training and, by teaching others, lead them to their own level of realization. Pratyekabuddhas, on the other hand, do not rely on a spiritual guide during the final stages before their realization. If they teach others, they do so only through gestures. If we think of how brave these beings are, especially those who are like the rhinoceros, to come during dark ages and help the misfortunate ones of those times who would only, at the most, be receptive to learning from gestures, we will see that they are indeed an inspiring source of direction.

Arya Bodhisattvas

The qualities of bodhisattvas far exceed those of the Hinayana shravakas and pratyekabuddhas. With bodhichitta, a heart totally dedicated to others and to achieving the highest purified state of complete enlightenment, they engage themselves completely in the service of others and build up positive karmic force over a period of three zillion eons in order to reach their goal of enlightenment. 

• One zillion (grangs-med, Skt. asaṃkhya), the highest finite but countless number, is ten raised to the sixtieth power.

Their first zillion eons is spent with building-up and applying pathway minds. These are the levels of mind that function with admiration for voidness based on firm conviction in it (mos-pas spyod-pa’i sa, mos-spyod, Skt. adhimukti-caryā-bhūmi), that is, they take voidness, an absence of truly established existence, as their object of experience (spyod-yul, Skt. gocara) only on the face of admiration for it, based on firm conviction (mos-pa’i ngor) in it. This is because at these stages they can only cognize voidness conceptually, but, regarding voidness with high esteem and firm conviction, they aim to gain non-conceptual cognition of it. 

Through the nine levels of the building-up pathway minds, they act with the discriminating awareness of this reality that arises from listening to and pondering a correct explanation of it. When they gain the discriminating awareness that arises from meditation (sgom-byung shes-rab, Skt. bhāvanāmayī-prajñā, wisdom of meditation) on discerning this absence, they achieve the applying pathway mind. Having gained an exceptionally perceptive state of mind, they can cognize voidness straightforwardly, but still conceptually, without relying directly on any lines of reasoning. 

In Gelug Prasangika, a valid cognition (tshad-ma, Skt. pramāṇā) is any non-fallacious awareness of something. There are two kinds:

• Inferential cognition
• Straightforward cognition. 

Unlike the presentation given in Sautrantika (mDo-sde-pa), a valid cognition need not be fresh (gsar). Even its subsequent phases (skad-cig) are valid. An inferential cognition relies directly on a valid line of reasoning and is always conceptual, while a straightforward cognition arises without such reliance. Unlike bare cognition (mngon-sum, Skt. pratyakṣa, bare perception) in Sautrantika, then, straightforward cognition need not be non-conceptual. It can be aware of either a correct idea of something or of the thing itself as the object appearing to it. So long as it perceives its appearing object (snang-yul) non-fallaciously and straightforwardly without directly relying on the force of a line of reasoning for its arising, it is a valid straightforward perception. An example of a conceptual one would be later phases of awareness of an object that were initially generated by an inferential cognition, and that now perceive that object straightforwardly through the medium of an object category of it. A non-conceptual one perceives an object without such a medium.

Furthermore, also unlike in Sautrantika, straightforward cognition can have either an explicit apprehension (dngos-su rtogs-pa) or an implicit apprehension (shugs-la rtogs-pa) of either a nonstatic or a static phenomenon. Only an object appearing to the cognition can be explicitly apprehended. A conceptual straightforward cognition would have an explicit apprehension of its appearing object, for instance a static object category of a kind of object and an implicit one of the conceptualized object (zhen-yul, implied object), whether it be nonstatic or static. A non-conceptual one would have an explicit apprehension of either a nonstatic or a static phenomenon as its appearing object, and an implicit one that establishes the occurrence of the nonstatic phenomenon of this cognition itself. 

It should be noted that, through this mechanism of implicit non-conceptual straightforward cognition, Gelug Prasangika does away with the necessity for asserting a way of being aware called “reflexive awareness” (rang-rig, Skt. svasaṃvedana) and its bare cognition as a means for validly establishing the occurrence of a cognition of anything [as cited by Tsongkhapa in “Totally Clarifying the Intentions [of Chandrakirti’s ‘Engaging in the Middle Way’]” (dGongs-pa rab-gsal) (Sarnath ed.), 296–299; and Akya Yongdzin (A-kya Yongs-’dzin dByangs-can dga’-ba’i blo-gros) in “A Compendium of Ways of Knowing” (Blo-rigs-kyi sdom-tshig blang-dor gsal-ba’i me-long), passim].

After attaining a building-up pathway mind where they have built up the state of mind of shamatha joined with vipashyana, bodhisattvas advance through the stages of an applying pathway mind where they apply this achievement to the cognition of voidness. An applying pathway mind has four stages”

• Heat (drod)
• Peak (rtse-mo)
• Patience (bzod-pa)
• The supreme Dharma (chos-mchog). 

With the first stage of this mind, they have this conceptual awareness of the voidness of truly established existence while awake; with the second, even in dreams; with the third, they have no more fears about losing their identity; and with the fourth, they have this awareness specifically about the mind itself.

With the attainment of the third or patience stage of an applying pathway mind, both Hinayana practitioners and bodhisattvas achieve the attainment of never falling again to one of the three worse rebirth states. For bodhisattvas, however, by the time they achieve a building-up pathway mind, even if they do take one of the worse rebirths non-voluntarily but under the influence of their negative karmic forces, which would hardly ever happen, it would just be for a very brief time like the bouncing of a ball.

With the attainment of a seeing pathway mind, bodhisattvas achieve the ability to stop forever the possibility of reverting to a samsaric rebirth under the influence of their disturbing emotions and karma, whereas for practitioners with a modest vehicle of mind this attainment is achieved only upon becoming a liberated being. At this point, arya bodhisattvas have not yet achieved liberation because they have still not rid themselves of their automatically arising disturbing emotions and attitudes, only their doctrinally based ones. However, unlike Hinayana practitioners at the comparable level, their automatically arising disturbing emotions and attitudes will never again become manifest to cause them to revert to a samsaric rebirth. Of course, they will choose to take rebirth out of compassion to help others, but this is rebirth by the force of compassion, and not an uncontrollably recurring samsaric rebirth.

Furthermore, for this same attainment of non-reverting (phyir mi-ldog), the shortest amount of time required for shravakas to become arhats is three lifetimes, whereas for bodhisattvas it takes one zillion eons to develop a seeing pathway mind.

Although the bare cognition of voidness with both Hinayana and Mahayana pathway minds is the same, yet the fact that with the latter bodhisattvas attain the state of non-reverting, as well as the 12 sets of qualities each involving 100 things (see below), is due to the fact that the mind that realizes voidness has a greater strength. This is due to its being held with the force of bodhichitta and with the network of positive force built up over a zillion eons. Therefore, bodhisattvas are willing to postpone reaching the point of no longer having to be reborn in samsara like this, when they could achieve this in as little as three lifetimes with Hinayana minds, because in so doing they build up, through their store of positive force, causes, in the long term, for Rupakayas, which they would not be doing nearly to the same extent with Hinayana minds, and, in the short term, the causes for the 12 sets of qualities, both of which enable them to be of meaningful benefit to others [as cited by Tsongkhapa in “A Lamp for Illuminating ‘The Five Stages’” (Rim-lnga gsal-sgron), Tsongkhapa’s commentary to Nagarjuna’s “The Five Stages” (Rim-lnga, Skt. Pañcakrama) concerning the five-stage complete stage practice of the Guhyasamaja Tantra, 270.b1–3, 299.a2–5].

They become arya bodhisattvas (byang-sems ’phags-pa), a Rare Supreme Sangha Gem, when with a seeing pathway mind they gain non-conceptual cognition of voidness. As happens with arya shravakas and arya pratyekabuddhas, dualistic appearances disappear completely from the face of their total absorption on voidness, and they behold the sphere of reality (chos-dbyings, Skt. dharmadhātu) encompassing everything. The dualistic appearances of truly established existence return when they arise from their absorption, but with their subsequent attainment they see that they are like illusions and no longer react with doctrinally based disturbing emotions and attitudes or doctrinally based grasping for truly established existence. This acts as a great spur to their far-reaching attitude of generosity, and consequently their practice of giving becomes extremely broad. 

With seeing and accustoming pathway minds, these arya bodhisattvas progressively develop ten bhumi minds (sa-bcu, Skt. daśa-bhūmi, ten bodhisattva bhumis):

1. Extremely joyous (rab-dga’-ba, Skt. pramuditā)
2. Stainless (dri-med, Skt. vimalā)
3. Illuminating (’od-byed-pa, Skt. prabhākarī)
4. Sparkling light (’od ’phro-ba, Skt. arciṣmati)
5. Difficult to cleanse (sbyang dka’-ba, Skt. sudurjayā)
6. Forward facing (mngon-du phyogs-pa, Skt. abhimukhī)
7. Far gone (ring-du song-ba, Skt. dūraṃgamā)
8. Immovable (mi-g.yo-ba, Skt. acalā)
9. Most intelligent (legs-par blo-gros, Skt. sādhumatī)
10. Cloud of Dharma (chos-sprin, Skt. dharma-meghā). 

[See: The Five Paths: Advanced Presentation]

The first phase of the first-level bhumi mind occurs with a seeing pathway mind. Its second phase is an accustoming pathway mind, and this path has ten stages corresponding to these ten levels. With each level bhumi mind, the force of their non-conceptual cognition of voidness during total absorption and seeing dualistic appearances during periods of subsequent attainment to be like illusions progressively enhances, in turn, each of their ten far-reaching attitudes (pha-rol-tu phyin-pa bcu, Skt. daśa-pāramitā, ten perfections):

1. Generosity
2. Ethical self-discipline
3. Patience
4. Perseverance
5. Mental stability
6. Discriminating awareness
7. Skill in means
8. Aspirational prayer
9. Strengthening (stobs, Skt. bala, power)
10. Deep awareness.

[See: The Ten Far-Reaching Attitudes in Theravada, Mahayana and Bon]

Moreover, with each of these levels of bhumi mind, arya bodhisattvas gain an increasing number of good qualities. These qualities are outlined by Chandrakirti in his Engaging in the Middle Way (dBu-ma-la ’jug-pa, Skt. Madhyamākavatāra).

[See: The Qualities of the Arya Sangha]

Arya shravakas and pratyekabuddhas truly stop forever their automatically arising disturbing emotions and automatically arising grasping for truly established existence, together with all karmic tendencies or traces of them, only when they become arhats with a pathway mind needing no further training in this direction. Having rid themselves of all emotional obscurations, they overcome all internal enemies. According to the Gelug Prasangika presentation, arya bodhisattvas reach liberation and become bodhisattva arhats with the attainment of an eighth-level bhumi mind. This is the result of their building up positive karmic force over a second zillion eons while training with first through seventh-level bhumi minds.

Even before they achieve eighth-, ninth- and tenth-level accustoming pathway minds – known as purified since they are free from all emotional obscurations – arya bodhisattvas, when achieving a seventh-level bhumi mind, already outshine shravaka arhats and pratyekabuddha arhats. This is because, at that point, they have the ability to alternate instantly between total absorption on voidness and the subsequent realization that, when dualistic appearances of truly established existence arise once again, these appearances are like an illusion [as cited by Chandrakirti in “Engaging in the Middle Way,” VI.224 and VII.1; and by Tsongkhapa in “Clarifying the Intentions” (dGongs-pa rab-gsal) (Sarnath ed.), 441–442].

While training with the three purified levels of accustoming pathway minds (dag-pa sa-gsum, three pure bhumis), these bodhisattvas build up even further positive karmic force over a third zillion eons. Thus, it is by the force of their bodhichitta that they can gradually, with these purified-level bhumi minds, overcome, rid themselves of and truly stop forever their cognitive obscurations.

Throughout their entire course of training as aryas, with first seeing and then accustoming pathway minds, they experienced deceptive, dualistic appearances setting from the face of their minds while totally absorbed on voidness. Nothing else appeared during these absorptions, but as soon as they arose, these appearances of truly established existence dawned once again. Although they realized that these deceptive appearances were like illusions, they could not focus simultaneously on both pure appearances and their lack of truly established existence. Furthermore, these appearances of truly established existence obscured their mind from being able to know omnisciently the actual appearance of everything.

Gradually, their ability increased to switch back and forth ever more quickly between absorption and subsequent attainment. Moreover, they stopped reacting to these deceptive appearances with first doctrinally based disturbing emotions and doctrinally based grasping for truly established existence, and then with those that automatically arise every moment. Finally, they reach the point at which the dualistic appearances of truly established existence set forever from their mind. Then, while totally absorbed on voidness, they can simultaneously be aware of the actual appearance of everything that exists. There is no further training left to be done. They have overcome all limitations and gained every possible good quality with the achievement of the omniscient awareness of a Buddha. Simultaneous with this, they achieve, as well, all the full qualities of a Buddha’s enlightening body, speech and influence, with the full ability to be of the most help to others [as cited by Chandrakirti in “Engaging in the Middle Way,” VIII 3].

This, then, is the safe direction shown by the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. When we are deeply aware of their many qualities, our taking of direction will be with open eyes and make much more sense.

The more we know about the Three Gems, the clearer we will be in our taking of safe direction from them. If we wish to feel secure about our not being reborn in any of the worse states of samsaric existence, we must not be hazy about what we are doing. We must go in the safe direction of the Three Rare and Supreme Gems realistically, with our feet on the ground. To be able to do this, we should be aware of the distinguishing differences (khyad-par, Skt. viśeṣa) among them from six points of view, otherwise we may confuse the three or feel that only one or two are enough.

1. Distinguishing differences that arise from their characteristic marks (mtshan-nyid, Skt. lakṣaṇa)
2. Distinguishing differences in their enlightening influence
3. Distinguishing differences in how we have firm conviction in each of them
4. Distinguishing differences in how we practice to actualize our goals in terms of each of the three
5. Distinguishing differences in how we are continually mindful of each
6. Distinguishing differences in the way we increase our positive karmic force in terms of each.

[1] There are specific differences that arise from their characteristic marks. The defining feature of the Buddhas is that they have manifested the highest purified state, enlightenment. They have purified themselves of all obscurations and thus grown to the point at which they can see the actual reality of all things, both their superficial and deepest truths, simultaneously. Having gained all realizations, they have become omniscient. The characteristic mark of the Dharma is that it is the fruit of the Buddhas’ having graciously come to this transitory world. It is what they have taught at varying occasions in order to meet the needs of so many different beings. The salient feature of the Sangha is that, through their actualizing the Dharma and giving practical guideline instructions so that we can do the same, they prove the validity and usefulness of everything the Buddhas have indicated.

[2] There are likewise distinguishing differences in their enlightening influence. That of the Buddhas functions to transmit the Dharma most effectively to us. Everything such a being thinks, says or does teaches us the way. The Dharma itself has the enlightening influence of being aimed at eliminating our disturbing emotions and our suffering. No matter which measures we adopt, they work in this direction. Seeing the inspiring example set by the Sangha has the enlightening influence of giving us the encouragement and energy to go ahead joyfully with our positive practices. Seeing them gaining actual results from their practice of the Dharma is a great boost to help us engage ourselves in similar practice. Furthermore, when we know that we are not alone, but that many others are following this constructive path, we will not become discouraged and will try even harder. 

[3] The distinguishing differences in how we have firm conviction in each of them can be understood in terms of the example of how we would regard the boatman, the boat and the companions who went with us if we were rescued by a dinghy from a disaster at sea. We show our appreciation (gus-pa, Skt. ādara), respect (dad-pa, Skt. śraddhā, faith) and firm conviction (mos-pa, Skt. adhimokṣa) in the Buddhas, as we would to the boatman who had saved us, by making them offerings, acting with grateful reverence and being of service (rim-gro, sri-zhu, Skt. upasthāna). We show our high regard for the Dharma by actually adopting the preventive measures and making them a manifest reality on our mental continuums, just as we would actually board the rescue ship. We demonstrate our deep respect for the Sangha by joining them in their endeavors to make the Dharma a living force, just as we would join the fellow passengers in the dinghy to travel to safety. 

[4] There are also special differences in how we practice to actualize our goals in terms of each of the three. The Buddhas are the models for what we would like to become. Therefore, we make offerings and venerate them in order to build up a network of positive force that will result in our attainment of enlightenment. Since the Dharma is what we must try to integrate into our lives, we put it into personal practice by building up beneficial habits of body, speech and mind and by working to achieve the pathway minds and true stoppings of the aryas. In terms of the Sangha, we strive to overcome all internal enemies and become liberated from troubles by practicing in harmony with others and sharing, as a group, the teachings and our material belongings.

[5] The differences in how we are continually mindful of each derive from our awareness of their specific qualities. The Buddhas are completely free from any poisonous attitudes of attachment, hostility or closed-mindedness. Being omniscient and brimming with loving-kindness, they know and teach others the pathways of mind that lead to a purified state of liberation or enlightenment. The Dharma has beneficial results at the beginning, middle and completion of its practice. The Sangha, being on the right path and always impartial, is a proper object of respect and provides true companions on the way to liberation.

[6] Finally, there is also a difference in the way we increase our positive karmic force in terms of each. The Buddhas and the Sangha are persons, while the Dharma is not. Moreover, we usually think of the Buddhas as represented by Buddha Shakyamuni and of the Sangha as being a group of at least four fully ordained monks or nuns. Therefore, we build up a positive karmic force in terms of the Buddha and the Sangha by making offerings, showing respect and so forth to either one individual in the former case or to a group in the latter. In terms of the Dharma, we build up a positive karmic force by developing its measures on our mental continuums.

When we take safe direction from the Buddhas, we accept them as the ideal teachers to show us the way out of our suffering and limitations. We accept the Dharma itself as the actual safe direction to take. The Dharma is what actually will liberate us from our fears because each realization of good qualities and riddance of shortcomings that we gain on our mental continuums gives us a greater degree of self-confidence and freedom. When we take safe direction from the Sangha, we accept them as the ideal friends to help us realize our positive direction in life.

Our way of accepting safe direction from the Three Rare and Supreme Gems in order to free ourselves from the fears of falling to one of the worse rebirth states is similar to how we would act in order to overcome a sickness and gain good health. We would accept a fully qualified doctor as the one to direct our treatment, the excellent medicine they prescribed as the actual cure and qualified nurses as the ones to help us with our recovery.

It is important not to waver indecisively about the direction we take in life. If we are traveling to a destination, we must be sure of the road. Once we are on it, we must be free of any doubts that maybe another route would have been better or perhaps we should have gone to some other place. Likewise, our taking of direction will be extremely strong and stable if we appreciate the differences between the Three Rare Supreme Gems and other spiritual teachers, systems and communities.

This does not mean that we look at other traditions only to criticize, or that we foster a sectarian attitude that Buddhism is the exclusive path that everyone must follow. As His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama always says:

We should rejoice that there are so many religions and philosophical systems in the world. Since people are different and have varying needs, it is excellent that they have the choice of following whatever path suits them the best. As all religions teach methods for becoming a better person, there is no call ever to criticize other traditions.

Granted that this is so, we must still be certain that we have chosen the direction that suits us the best and is the safest one to adopt.

Once, there was a mother who had two sons. One day she overheard them having a heated argument. “What is the use of bickering,” she said. “If you are hungry, eat, if you are thirsty, drink. We have plenty of anything anyone could need.” The boys told her, “We are not arguing over trivial matters. We are trying to establish which religion is the best.” The mother replied, “Still, there is no point in quarrelling. Go to Mount Kailash and ask Lord Shiva the Powerful who is the best.”

The two lads set off and, by the time they reached their destination, had resolved many of their doubts over this burning issue. As they approached Shiva’s cave, they met some divine young maidens (lha-mo, Skt. devī, goddesses) gathering flowers to offer to their lord. However, when they entered the cave, they beheld Shiva himself and his wife offering flower garlands to a group of the Buddha’s liberated monks whom they had invited. Shiva explained to the two pilgrims that by following his methods, they could achieve all the splendors they could wish for this life. However, only by adopting the Buddha Dharma could they benefit all of their future ones.

The boys returned home fully convinced. The younger of the two decided to build in Bodh Gaya a stupa to honor the Buddha. When it was completed, he commissioned a master artisan to fashion a life-sized statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. The craftsman required that the door to the inner chamber remain closed for three weeks, and that he not be disturbed while he did his work. The boys’ aged mother, however, was on her deathbed. She was the last person left who had actually met the Buddha, and she insisted that the door be opened one day early so that she might behold the statue before she died. As there was no way to refuse her dying wish, the son obeyed and interrupted the master. Consequently, the work could not be completed. This is why there is one finger missing from this most famous statue. The mother said that except for the fact that it does not talk and is not radiant, it is an exact replica of the Buddha. 

The elder son was Udbhatasiddhisvamin (mTho-brtsun grub-rje, Mudgaragomin) who, after his meeting with Shiva, took safe direction from the Three Rare Supreme Gems and became a great Mahayana master himself. Appreciating fully the differences between the Buddha and other spiritual teachers, he said in his Praises to the Especially Exalted One (Khyad-par ’phags-pa’i bstod-pa, Skt. Viśeṣastava), 1:

Having given up my other teachers, I took safe direction from you, Vanquishing Master Surpassing All. If you ask why, it is because you possess not a fault and have (only) good qualities.

The Buddha has completely eliminated from himself all poisonous attitudes and shows others the way to follow his example. Some spiritual figures smite others and devastate cities out of vengeance and wrath, whereas the Buddha attacks and destroys only anger. Others are affected by jealousy and desire for a wife or for praise, sacrifices and offerings, while the Buddha has no such needs.

Furthermore, such a Buddha has demonstrated for us preventive measures that can bring about a blissful resultant state not through following methods of cruel self-torture or inflicting harm on others, but through adopting pathways of mind which themselves fill us with joy. These measures can break the continuity of samsara, bring about a total purification from all disturbing emotions and will never deceive or let down those wishing liberation. They are singly wholesome and positive and can cleanse everyone from any stain or fault.

The teachings are all based on reality, on the facts of life. They have the four hallmarks of the Dharma: 

• All affected phenomena are nonstatic.
• All tainted phenomena (zag-bcas, Skt. sāsrava, contaminated phenomena) are problematic. “Tainted” means arising dependently on disturbing emotions and attitudes and karmic urges as their causes and conditions.
• All phenomena are devoid and lack truly established identities.
• Nirvana is a pacification of suffering and something constructive. 

Since all the teachings are backed by logic, blind faith (rmongs-dad) is never required. Everyone is encouraged to examine and analyze as much as possible before accepting anything the Buddha has taught. 

As Tsongkhapa has said in Praise of Dependent Arising (rTen-brel bstod-pa), 40, 39:

My delight ever increases in this system (of yours), which defeats every kind of challenging opponent, is devoid of contradictions from top to bottom, and bestows the two aims of the nine kinds of beings.

The nine kinds of beings are derived from the fact that beings from each of the three planes may be reborn into each of them. For example, those from the plane of sensory desires may be reborn into either the planes of sensory desires, of ethereal forms, or of formless beings.

How wondrous! Because your teachings bring about a pacification (of suffering) to all those in whose ears it passes, who could not respect upholding your teachings?

The Sangha can be relied upon for helping accomplish any constructive task. It is impartial, compassionate toward others and intent on not causing harm, but only benefiting the world. Its foundation is laid on discriminating awareness and wisdom, never on anything irrational. 

In short, as Udbhatasiddhisvamin has said in his Praises to the Especially Exalted One, 7:

The more I reflect in detail on the systems and texts of others, the extremists, the more my mind develops deep belief and faith in you, my guiding light.

For most of us, it is difficult to have faith in the Buddha’s teachings or in the laws of behavioral cause and effect. Therefore, we should not take for granted that because of our superficial practice we really do have a confident and trusting belief in the Dharma. If we have faith in the teachings, then even if we do not seem to be practicing well, we will naturally experience gradual progress. However, if we lack deep faith and conviction in what we are doing, yet put on a great show of pompous practice, we will have very little inner growth. We must examine how much we entrust ourselves to the teachings at moments of crisis in our life. What are the first words that come to our lips when we hear bad news, stub our toe or have an accident?

The measure of the extent to which we have taken a safe direction in life is how strongly we are moved to do so by the two causes for such action. Not only must we have reflected deeply on our imminent death and probable lower rebirth so that we feel a great dread for what might happen, we must be especially confident in the fact that the Three Rare and Supreme Gems can provide us with a safe direction out of this predicament. This confident belief comes from knowing their good qualities, the distinguishing features of each of them, how they differ from other possible sources of direction and also from how we accept them. Therefore, we should listen to and ponder as much as we can the descriptions of the Three Gems. We must build up the strong habit of turning to them for safe direction so that it becomes a reflexive action and automatically arises at moments of crisis. In short, the more we know about the Three Gems, the more stable we will be in our taking from them a positive direction in life.

The benefits of having taken safe direction are: 

1. We embark on being a Buddhist and the path to enlightenment 
2. We establish a foundation for all vows
3. We can deplete the obscurations that have come from our karma
4. We can easily build up extensive positive karmic force
5. We will not be overwhelmed with harm from either humans or quasi-humans
6. We will not fall to one of the worse rebirth states
7. We will accomplish all the general goals we have wished to attain
8. We will quickly realize our fullest potential. 

In Tsongkhapa’s Grand Presentation of the Graded Stages of the Path (Lam-rim chen-mo), the benefits of having taken safe direction are discussed in the section concerning the actions for training from taking safe direction (skyabs-’gro bslabs-bya, Skt. śaraṇa-gamana-śikṣā, refuge commitments), under the topic of taking direction at least three times each day and three times each night while being mindful of the benefits of so doing. The outline order followed here is as that in Pabongka, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand.

[1] No matter what type of positive or constructive actions we might undertake, if we do not fully entrust ourselves and turn to the safe direction of the Three Rare and Supreme Gems, the karmic force we build up will not be directed toward the goals they indicate. Merely to repeat 100,000 times, “I take safe direction from the Three Gems,” without this reflecting a deep change in our basic outlook on life, will not bring us any closer to Buddhahood. The same is true if we engage like this in the advanced tantra practices. Our taking of direction must be sincere and from the depth of our hearts.

[2] In taking a safe direction in life, we become firm in our wish to find liberation, a definite release from all our problems. Such resoluteness acts as a stable foundation for taking on and safeguarding any of the three sets of vows: the pratimoksha, bodhisattva and tantric vows. This is because living our life according to these ethical codes will bring about such a release. Furthermore, if we have a clear direction in life and are sure of what we are doing in taking this direction, we will never retreat from these ethical guidelines. After all, they are not a punishment like a jail sentence. They simply indicate the way to lead a life free of troubles and complications, one that will go in the direction of gaining release. This is why every ceremony for accepting a set of vows begins with the taking of safe direction.

[3] No matter how destructive we have been in the past or how thick our obscurations are that have come from our impulsive behavior and propensities (bag-chags, Skt. vāsanā, karmic latencies), we can lessen and deplete them by our taking of safe direction. With a complete change of outlook and direction in life, we will build up new constructive habits that can override all our previous negative tendencies. A classic example is King Ajatashatru. After assassinating his father King Bimbisara, an arya who had reached the stage of a non-returner, he took safe direction from Buddha Shakyamuni. By following the Dharma, he became an arhat during his lifetime.

[4] Since Buddha, Dharma and Sangha have an unimaginable number of good qualities, the positive karmic force built up from taking safe direction from them is likewise inconceivably extensive. 

As Aryashura has said in his Brief Composition on the Far-Reaching Attitudes (Phar-phyin bsdus-pa, Skt. Pāramitā-samāsa) (Peking vol. 103, 11-5-1):

If the positive karmic force (built up) from taking safe direction were to have a form, even the three planes of existence would be too small a vessel to contain it. How could you measure out the great ocean, the repository of all waters, with a half-pint bottle!

[5] Taking a safe direction in life, we become aware of true suffering, its causes, stoppings and the pathway minds that can bring them about. If we go in this direction, we cannot be overwhelmed with harm from anybody. Even saying that we are headed in the safe direction indicated by the Three Rare and Supreme Gems sets up a protected space within which we will feel secure. With such a firm mind, we cannot be affected by black magic spells, for instance, or by fears of ghosts or other malevolent forces.

In ancient India, there was a kingdom in which prisoners were made to spend the night alone in a fearsome cremation grounds. Anyone who was given this sentence usually did not survive the night since the grounds were a notorious haunt of flesh-eating ghosts. People were so terrified of this punishment that even at its suggestion they would nearly die of fright. Once, however, a man who was sentenced to the cremation grounds took with him a piece of cloth from a monk’s robe. Covering his head with the cloth, he spent the night repeating, “I take safe direction from the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.” In this way, he remained calm and confident of being safe and so passed the night unharmed by any evil spirits.

Once, there was a monk who had received a bolt of new cloth and a thief who wanted to steal it. One night, the robber came to the monk’s window and demanded the cloth. The monk agreed to hand it over, but only if the bandit requested him respectfully by clasping his hands together and extending them through the window. When the thief did so, the monk quickly tied his hands to a post and ran outside. Taking a stick and repeating the names of the three sources of safe direction, he beat the robber three times, one whack for each source. He then untied the startled man and gave him the cloth.

The thief ran away and took shelter under a bridge which, unbeknownst to him, was a major thoroughfare for ghosts. Thinking about the thrashing he had received, he said: “It’s a good thing there are only three sources of direction. If there were any more, I would surely have been beaten to death.” While reminiscing in this fashion, he kept repeating out loud the names of the Three Rare and Supreme Gems. That night, because of the power of his recitation, no ghosts could harm him either.

[6] Taking safe direction from the depth of our hearts builds up such extensive positive karmic force that if we sincerely do so, especially at the time of our deaths, we can be assured that we will not fall to one of the worse rebirth states in our immediately proceeding life. Once, there was an offspring of the divine (lha’i bu, Skt. deva-putra, son of the gods), Sthiramati (Blo-gros brtan-pa) by name, who received signs that he would be reborn very shortly as a pig. Absolutely terrified, he went to Indra, the king of the gods, and asked for protection and safe direction to take in order to prevent this horrible downfall. Indra had to confess there was nothing he could do, but he advised the trembling devotee before him to seek the aid of the Buddha. Sthiramati did so and received instructions on how to take safe direction from the Three Rare and Supreme Gems. With his mind at ease, he did so and calmly passed away.

Concerned about the fate of this divine being, Indra searched with his clairvoyant powers of advanced awareness to find where he was reborn. Unable to locate him, he asked the Buddha, who revealed that this sincere practitioner had taken rebirth in a divine realm even higher than that of this king of the divine. Because Indra’s powers of advanced awareness were limited to being able to see only those rebirth states that were on the same level or lower than his own, he had been unable to find his former subject.

To ensure against a downfall at the time of our deaths, we are so worried about reaching proficiency in the advanced techniques of the generation (bskyed-rim, Skt. utpatti-krama) and complete stages (rdzogs-rim, Skt. niṣpanna-krama) of the anuttarayoga tantra practices that we forget about or belittle the power of sincerely taking safe direction. However, if our minds are confidently facing the positive direction of the Three Gems as we take our final breath, there is no way our mental continuums will suddenly change directions and immediately generate a worse state of rebirth. 

In the King of Absorbed Concentrations Sutra (Ting-nge-’dzin rgyal-po’i mdo, Skt. Samādhirāja Sūtra), IV.20–21, the Buddha has said:

With belief (in the facts of) the (qualities of their) enlightening body, enlightening speech and omniscient deep awareness, you should always speak in praise of the Buddhas. Someone who does this and builds it up as a beneficial habit of the mind will thereby come to see, day and night, the guiding lights for this perishable world. When such a person becomes sick and distressed and then has the terrible feeling of being about to die, his mindfulness of the Buddhas will not fade away. (His mind) will not be stolen by his feeling of anguish.

Tsongkhapa has expressed a similar experience in Praise of Dependent Arising, 42-45: 

What poor fortune not to have heard that Dharma (directly) from you, to whose mind I am drawn, like a fish to a hook, by seeing your good qualities.

By the strength of that sadness, my mind shall never give up (its regard for you), like the mind of a mother continually following after her dear child.

And so, for this, when I think of your statements, I think of (you,) that Teacher, radiant with the glory of the physical signs and exemplary features, surrounded completely by an aura of light,

And, in that manner, proclaiming these (teachings) with your Brahma-like voice. The mere arising in my mind of the image of your physical form, O Sage, is a medicine like moonlight for the torment of my fever.

[7] By taking safe direction, we will be able to accomplish easily all our provisional and ultimate goals. If, before undertaking any constructive task, we make offerings to the Three Rare and Supreme Gems, take safe direction and make sincere requests, we will be filled with the confidence to realize our goal. We will see everything clearly within the context of achieving a purified state of liberation or enlightenment.

[8] In this way we will quickly realize our fullest potential. We take the essence of a precious human life with all its respites and enrichments by adopting a safe, positive direction. This leads us naturally to follow in the footsteps of the Buddhas and the aryas by practicing the Dharma as they have done. This leads to our continuing to enjoy precious human rebirths in the future so that we can gradually progress to the state of Buddhahood. Keeping all these benefits in mind, we sincerely take safe direction from the depth of our hearts.

When we formally orient our lives with the safe and positive direction of refuge, we commit ourselves to two sets of actions for training (skyabs-’gro bslabs-bya), which are helpful for maintaining this direction:

• Training specified in The All-Inclusive Text (bsdu-ba-las ’byung-ba’i bslabs-bya)
• Training specified from quintessence teachings (man-ngag-las ’byung-ba’i bslabs-bya).

The former derives from The All-Inclusive Text for Ascertainments (gTan-la dbab-pa bsdu-ba, Skt. Viniṥcaya-saṁgraha), one of the five texts of Stages of Yoga Conduct (rNal-’byor spyod-pa’i sa, Skt. Yogācāra-bhūmi) by the Indian master Asanga.

The second comprises two sets:

• Individual trainings for each of the Three Gems (so-so’i bslab-bya)
• Trainings shared in common for all Three Gems (thun-mong-ba’i bslab-bya).

These three groups of actions to train in are not vows. If we transgress any of them, we merely weaken our safe direction in life. We do not lose that direction unless we formally give it up.

Training Specified in The All-Inclusive Text

In order to make progress in our chosen direction, we train ourselves first with two sets of four actions each. These translate our taking of safe direction into practical everyday action. 

The first set encompasses one action that is parallel to taking safe direction from the Buddhas, two from the Dharma and one from the Sangha. The second set of four relates to the Triple Gem as a whole.

The Buddhas are the teachers of the pathways of mind leading to the purified states of liberation and enlightenment. In analogy to taking safe direction from them, we actually (1) establish a healthy relationship with a fully qualified spiritual mentor. If we have not yet found a personal teacher to direct our practice, this commitment is to find one.

As there is both scriptural and realized Dharma, we actually (2) listen to and study the Buddhist teachings and (3) consider them in terms of their being aimed at turning us away from our disturbing emotions and attitudes. We then take them to mind for that very purpose.

In taking safe direction from them, we look up to the Arya Sangha as the companions with whom to obtain liberation, a definite release from all our troubles. Therefore, in order to achieve liberation, we actually (4) train ourselves in accordance with the examples they set. 

To do so does not mean necessarily becoming a monastic but rather making sincere efforts to realize straightforwardly and non-conceptually the four noble truths. These are that life is difficult; our difficulties come from a cause, namely confusion about reality; we can end our problems; and to do so we need the understanding of voidness as a pathway mind.

[See: The Sixteen Aspects of the Four Noble Truths]

Parallel to taking safe direction in the Triple Gem as a whole, we try (5) not to be rough and arrogant, with our senses running off wildly after any enticing object we happen to encounter and our minds and mouths criticizing harshly everything that meets our haughty disapproval. Rather, we try to be friendly and warm toward everyone and attend primarily to the business of taming our minds so as to achieve purified states. 

We (6) adopt purely, as much as we can, the ethical codes and vows prescribed by the Buddha. These are the foundation for all spiritual training. Rather than on obedience to a set of divinely ordained laws, following the Buddhist ethic means to refrain from certain modes of conduct because they are destructive and hamper our abilities to benefit ourselves or others and to embrace other modes because they are constructive and help us to grow.

We try our best (7) to have compassion and be kind toward all limited beings. This is the main action for training that the Buddhas have all emphasized. Even if our spiritual goals are restricted to gaining liberation from our personal problems, this is never at the expense of others.

Moreover, in order to enhance our taking of direction, we (8) make special offerings to the Three Rare Supreme Gems on Buddhist holy days, such as the anniversaries of Buddha Shakyamuni’s birth, manifestation of enlightenment, his setting flow rounds of transmission of the Dharma and his passing away into the final release of parinirvana.

Individual Trainings for Each of the Three Gems

The guidelines for individual trainings for each of the Three Gems concern three actions to shun (dgag-pa’i bslab-bya) and three actions to practice (sgrub-pa’i bslab-bya). The actions avoided lead to a contrary direction in life, while those adopted foster mindfulness of the goal.

The three actions to shun are:

[1] Because we take safe direction from the Buddhas, we do not entrust ourselves for direction from worldly gods and so forth. To turn to such limited beings indicates a fundamental lack of conviction in the abilities and skills of the Three Gems to provide us with the best solution for any problem or predicament we may encounter. Propitiating minor deities or spirits or following their methods after having taken safe direction from the Three Gems would be like commissioning a professional for a certain work and then asking an amateur to do it instead. Although we stop turning to any limited beings or measures for our ultimate and deepest source of safe direction, this does not mean that we cannot seek their help on a superficial level for accomplishing constructive and positive tasks. We entrust ourselves totally to the Three Gems, yet it would be unreasonable not to turn to a doctor when sick or a philanthropist when in need of financial aid.

[2] Because we take safe direction from the Dharma, we avoid causing harm or mischief to humans or animals by beating, torturing, teasing, overburdening them and so forth. One of the main guidelines Buddha taught is to help others as much as possible, and if we cannot be of help, at least not to cause any harm.

[3] Because we take safe direction from the Sangha, we do not associate closely with those who hold an extremist outlook. When we ourselves are not yet stable, we can easily be dismayed from our positive direction if we keep the constant company of those who are disrespectful of or act counter to our beliefs. It is better to keep a friendly distance from those who will only exert a negative influence on us.

The three actions to practice once we have taken safe direction from Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are that we show the same regard as we would for the actual Three Gems for any representation of them: 

[4] We show sincere respect for any statue or tangka of the Buddhas no matter how poor the material, craftsmanship or artistic shape, from a broken fragment of a clay statue (tsa-tsa, Skt. saccha) of Buddha Shakyamuni on upwards. Regardless of its quality, we never criticize such a work, although we may comment on the artist’s skill. Religious statues and tangkas are not in and of themselves objects of worship. However, since they represent the source of our safe direction, we will enhance our taking of their direction by being respectful toward them. 

As Nagarjuna has said in A Letter to a Friend, 2:

...the wise venerate a statue of the Blissfully Gone, even out of wood, regardless of how it’s been made. 

One day, a disciple of Atisha brought in a statue of Manjushri and, giving it to his master for close inspection, asked if it was good or bad. Atisha took it respectfully with both hands, touched it reverently to the crown of his head and said: “There is no good or bad Manjushri. The artwork, on the other hand, is rather mediocre.”

Out of respect for what they represent, we never place statues or tangkas of Buddhas on the bare floor or an uncovered table, shelf or chair without at least a clean cloth underneath. Nor do we set them in a disrespectful place such as the toilet or bathroom. Just as we would look for a nice place to sit for ourselves and would be offended if someone made us sit in their bathroom, we arrange our religious artwork only in pleasant places. We do not leave such objects as collateral for loans, nor sell them for profit. In short, even if a child draws a picture of Buddha Shakyamuni, we treat it respectfully. 

[5] We show respect to any written word of the Dharma, from a single letter on upwards. We wrap our texts in cloth so they will not become soiled and place them, as we do our statues and tangkas, only in clean places high in our room, never on the bare floor and so forth as above. We do not put them on the mantle above our fireplace, nor anywhere else that they could become damaged by smoke or sparks. We also do not step directly over or on a spiritual text or the robes of a monk or a nun, let alone sit or stand on a book or store them under our bed.

When discarding written matter, it is best either to place it in a high, clean place or burn it while imagining first that the deep awareness aspect of the words departs and returns to the realm of pure omniscience. If we cannot do either of these, we at least do not mix our written or printed matter with our other rubbish but wrap it separately. We try to follow these various procedures with anything written, no matter what the content or form, since the written word is the vehicle for conveying the Dharma.

We do not use saliva on our fingers to turn pages. If we must wet our fingers, we use a bowl of clean water. Once Atisha met a practitioner who had been marking his texts with paper pasted on with saliva. Begging him not to do that, he said: “If someone spat on a piece of paper and put it on your face, you wouldn’t like it, would you? So don’t do that to your precious books!”

Geshe Chengawa (dGe-bshes sPyan-snga-ba Tshul-khrims ’bar) would rise from his seat whenever a scriptural text was brought into his room. He would press his palms together and then take the text in both hands and touch it to the crown of his head out of deep respect. Thus, even if we find a piece of newspaper on the ground, we pick it up, brush it off and put it where people will not step on it. If we think this is absurd, consider how we would not hesitate to pick up a piece of paper money lying in the mud or even in a sewer. In fact, we would get down on all fours and even find a long stick if we could not reach it with our hands.

Disrespect for books and the written word is the strongest cause for expanding our ignorance. As Geshe Sharawa (dGe-bshes Sha-ra-ba) has said:

Regardless of how much we may joke about the Dharma, disrespect for the teachings and for the one who imparts them is the true cause for dulling our discriminating awareness. As our present foggy-mindedness (rmugs-pa, Skt. styāna) is more than enough, we do not need to build up causes for (acquiring) any more. If we were to be more foggy-minded than we are now, how could we even be fit (to eat or drink, let alone use our hands)?

It is no excuse for being disrespectful of books to say, “I wasn’t brought up this way.” If we cannot outgrow our bad habits, how can we ever realize our fullest potential? If we do not believe in the Dharma, then it is a completely different matter and it is not necessary to follow the above actions for training. The Buddha has given guidelines for those who are confident in his advice and wish to follow it. It was never the Buddha’s intention that all beings in the universe must adopt only his guidelines and no one else’s. However, if we have taken safe direction from the Three Rare and Supreme Gems, we should be confident that these actions for training will bring us progress along the path to the purified states of liberation and enlightenment.

[6] We show respect for all persons with Buddhist monastic vows and even a mere red or yellow patch from a monk’s or nun’s robes. Whenever Dromtonpa saw such a piece of cloth on the ground where people could step on it, he would pick it up, dust it off and put it in some high, clean place. Regarding this custom, he once said: “It is impossible that someone who has worn this cloth does not have at least one good quality.”

We treat with respect anyone representing the Sangha, from someone holding ordination in name alone and upwards. In the Sutra on the Ten Circles of Kshitigarbha (’Dus-pa chen-po-las sa’i snying-po’i ’khor-lo bcu-pa’i mdo, Skt. Daśacakra Kṣitigarbha-nāma Mahāyāna Sūtra), the Buddha has said:

Although a magnolia flower may have wilted, (yet because it has been used as an offering in a puja) it is better than any other flower. Although a monk may have let his ethical self-discipline degenerate and even have committed destructive actions, he is still far better than all those holding an extremist outlook.

Anyone who respects someone else benefits from this attitude himself. The person they respect is not benefited by it and therefore should not be fooled into thinking they are so great. The more respectful we are of the Three Rare and Supreme Gems, the more we will travel in their safe direction and the more respected we ourselves will be by others.

Trainings Shared in Common for All Three Gems

There are six further actions for training that relate to the Three Gems as a whole:

[1] Continually mindful of their qualities, the differences amongst them, and between them and other possible directions, we repeatedly take safe direction from the Three Rare and Supreme Gems. 

[2] Continually mindful of their great kindness, we make them offerings, especially of the first portion of whatever we eat or drink. As we never forget to take a meal, we have a good opportunity to make offerings several times each day without need for any special preparation. The taking of safe direction and practicing the Dharma is not something limited to merely when we are sitting solemnly in a meditative posture. We apply our trainings to all aspects of our life. If a farmer had excellent fields but made no use of them, everyone would think it was a great waste. Likewise, since we are all opportunists, we should take advantage of any situation in which we can plant seeds of positive karmic force by making offerings.

Any of the following stanzas are appropriate to repeat in offering the first portion before each meal or before drinking our morning tea or any fresh brewing of tea, coffee or other beverage.

I make you this offering, Foremost One from the Shakya (Clan): your body is born with a host of splendid, constructive and excellent (signs); your speech grants the wishes of limitless wandering beings; your mind sees all knowables just as they are.

May everyone in samsara, with its uncontrollably recurring problems, including myself, never be parted in all our lives from the Three Rare and Supreme Gems. By continually making offerings to the Three Supreme Gems, may we always receive from them waves of inspiring strength.

I make you this offering, O (my root guru) complete amalgam of every source of safe direction. Like the precious Buddhas, you are my peerless teacher; like the precious Dharma, my peerless protector; like the precious Sangha, you are my peerless guide.

May all limited beings who offer with faith to all the Triumphant Ones, as well as to their spiritual children, rapturous food, well-prepared as a banquet, always be able to fulfill all their needs with the unending food of absorbed concentrations.

I now take this food, without greed or repulsion, not merely for health, not for pleasure or comfort, but simply as a medicine to strengthen my body to reach enlightenment for the benefit of all. 

Nagarjuna has said in A Letter to a Friend, 38:

Rely on food in the proper (measure), like a medicine, without greed or repulsion, not out of vanity, and not because of showing off, and not because of obsession with health, but merely for the sake of maintaining the body.

[3] Continually mindful of the compassion of the Triple Gem, we encourage others also to take safe direction from them. This does not mean that we obnoxiously try to convert people or haughtily belittle others’ beliefs and praise our own. Neither we nor the other person are benefited by such actions. Rather, we always keep in mind that the Buddha’s main point is wishing everyone to be free from problems and suffering. Mindful of how we have felt, then out of compassion, when we meet someone who is receptive and ripe, we explain to them the reasons, benefits and so forth for our own taking of safe direction. In this way we encourage others, through our own example, also to take this safe direction based on their development of conviction based on reason.

[4] Continually mindful of the benefits of taking safe direction, we do so at least three times each day and three times each night. Such action will build up a strong beneficial habit of mind. 

[5] Whatever actions we do, we carry them out while “placing the burden of our worries in the hands of the Three Rare and Supreme Gems” (dkon-mchog gsum-la blo-bkal-ba). As Radrengwa (Byang-sems Rva-sgreng-ba) has said:

Do not place great hopes in people; rather make your requests to the divine (Three Gems).

We can never count on ordinary people: we cannot take refuge in our friends. Only Buddha, Dharma and the Arya Sangha will not let us down. Therefore, whatever we do, we turn to these three for safe direction, make them requests for guiding inspiration and then, without any worries, carry out our business as best as we can by following their enlightening example. 

[6] Finally, we never forsake our three sources of safe direction even at the cost of our life or even only as a joke. Without them, we would be completely lost and wander forever in samsara with its uncontrollably recurring problems.

The way we build up the beneficial habit of mind of always taking safe direction is through a three-round process (skyabs-’gro dmigs-skor gsum). 

• We begin by imagining we have already been born in the first of the hot joyless realms, and we think how unbearable the suffering is that we are experiencing there. When we feel some relief that in fact we have not been born there in this life, we proceed to the second step. 
• Now we imagine that even though we have not been born in such a joyless realm at the moment, we have built up an enormous negative karmic force to be reborn there soon. Imagining we are just about to die and have no ability to prevent our fall, we generate a strong fear and dread at the thought that we are certainly going to be reborn as a trapped being in a joyless realm and undergo incredible tortures. 
• The third round is then to think of the sources of safe direction that can protect us from such a horrible fate and how, since they have innumerable good qualities, it is totally fitting for us to turn to them for safe direction. 

We repeat this sequence with the other hot and cold joyless realms, as well as with the realms of the clutching ghosts and creeping creatures so that our taking of safe direction will come from its proper two causes: dread and belief in fact based on reason.

In summary, Tsongkhapa has said in his Abbreviated Points of the Graded Path (Lam-rim bsdus-don), 11:

After death, there is no assurance of avoiding being born in the worse rebirth states; yet it is certain that the Three Rare Supreme Gems provide safe direction away from dread (of this fate). Because of that, let me be extremely steadfast in taking their safe direction in life and not let their points for training decline. That indeed will depend on having well considered the noble and dark (pathways of) karmic cause and effect and then practicing properly what’s to be adopted and what’s to be abandoned.

The ennobling, impeccable Lama has practiced like that. Let me, too, who strives for liberation, cultivate myself in the same way.