ACI Course 7 — The Vows of the Bodhisattva · Class 4 · 根本堕 1–9

Reading Four: The Root Vows, Part One

The following selection is taken from the String of Shining Jewels, by Geshe Tsewang Samdrup (c. 1835).

Next we describe ways for those who have received the bodhisattva vows to keep them, and prevent their decline. You must first submit yourself, in the proper way, to a holy spiritual guide, one who is learned in the scriptures of the bodhisattva way, and in the commentaries which explain the true intent of these scriptures. Then you must educate yourself in all the various bodhisattva precepts. You should especially learn the eighteen root downfalls, the forty-six secondary offenses, and so on.

We begin then with the eighteen root downfalls:

(1) The root downfall of praising yourself, and criticizing others.

You commit this when, out of attachment to gain or honor, you praise yourself, and criticize others who in actuality possess good qualities. This can be divided into two separate root downfalls, those of praising oneself and of criticizing others.

(2) The root downfall of failing to give Dharma or material assistance

You commit this in a situation where you should be giving the Dharma that you know, or the material things that you own, to those who are suffering, to those who have no protector. Instead though you fail to give them these things, due to feelings of possessiveness. This can be divided into the two root downfalls of failing to give the Dharma and of failing to give material assistance.

(3) The root downfall of failing to accept someone's apology, and striking another

You commit this when someone comes to you in the appropriate manner and explains themselves in some way, such as asking your forgiveness or the like. Instead though you remain angry and commit various kinds of harm towards them physically or verbally. This can be divided into the two root downfalls of striking another and of not accepting a person's explanation of themselves.

(4) The root downfall of giving up the greater way, and teaching false dharma

You commit this when you give up the scriptures of the bodhisattva way, saying: "These were not spoken by the Buddha." Then you take pleasure in some false dharma yourself, and teach it to others as well. This can be divided into the two root downfalls of giving up the greater way and of teaching false dharma.

(5) The root downfall of stealing what belongs to the Jewels

You commit this in the following way. There is some material wealth or object which has been dedicated to the Three Jewels. Although you have no right to do so, you intentionally take the thing for yourself. You do so either by yourself or by having someone else do it for you, and by any of the various ways: thieving in stealth, robbing by force, or taking away through some clever means. The downfall is complete when you obtain the thing. This can be divided into three different root downfalls, one each for stealing what belongs to each one of the three different Jewels.

(6) The root downfall of giving up the highest Dharma

You commit this when you discount the scriptural collections of the three ways, which present each and every aspect of the path, by saying "This is not the word of the Buddha." This can be divided into three different root downfalls, one each for giving up the respective scriptural collections of each of the three ways.

(7) The root downfall of taking away the golden robes, and the rest, and removing someone from the status of an ordained person

You commit this when you take an ordained person, whether they be one who is maintaining their morality or not, and take away their golden robes, or beat them, or incarcerate them; or else remove them from the status of being ordained. This can be divided into the two root downfalls of taking away a person's golden robes or the rest, and of removing a person from the status of an ordained person.

(8) The root downfall of committing an immediate misdeed

You commit this when you commit any one or combination of the following: killing your father, killing your mother, killing an enemy destroyer, creating a schism in the Sangha, or drawing blood from One Thus Gone with evil intent. This can be divided into five separate root downfalls, corresponding to each of the five immediate misdeeds.

(9) The root downfall of holding wrong views

You commit this when you hold to ideas such as "There is no relation between the deeds we commit and the consequences we experience," or "There are no past or future lives," or anything of the like.