Samaya

In Vajrayana Buddhism, samaya or in Tibetan damtshig (bo|t=དམ་ཚིག|w=dam tshig|), is the "sacred bond" formed between the vajra guru and disciple that protects both the disciple and integrity of the teachings. In one of the most widely followed teachings on samaya, Sakya Pandita, a preeminent 12th century Tibetan Buddhism scholar, outlined fourteen primary points of observance to consider in keeping one's samaya vow "pure." Other outlines however contain three, twenty-eight, or other denominations of points of observance. These may be further divided into "root" and "branch" samayas. [Padmasambhava (1998) pp. 45-51]

According Keown, "et.al.", "Samaya" may be defined as:
*A particular system of teaching or doctrines;Keown, et al. (2003) P.247]
*The conduct required of a tantric practitioner, often as a set of vows or commitments;
*The realization ("abhisamaya") of Buddhahood;
*In Tantric Buddhism, union with the Three Vajras, the body, speech and mind of the Buddha.

Jamgon Kongtrul comments on the "Lamrim Yeshe Ningpo" that samaya is established by taking empowerment and samaya is the manner in which practitioners "preserve the life-force of that empowerment within your being". [Padmasambhava (1998) p.45]

Root and Branch

Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche defines root samayas as any which if violated would remove all the benefit from practicing. He defines branch samayas as any which if violated would diminish or impair the benefit of practice. He states that the most egregious root samaya to violate is the commitment to one's guru. [Karthar (2005) p. 259]

In the Nyingma lineage, the three root samayas are categorized as body, speech, and mind. Each requires refraining from non-virtue as well as maintaining sacred view. Maintaining sacred view generally means to view all beings and all phenomenon as primordially pure (Tib: kadak). The samaya of body is to refrain from non-virtue with respect to body, and also to always offer yourself to your guru and to your vajra sangha. The samaya of speech is to avoid non-virtuous speech, and also to never forget one's commitment to practicing mantra. The samaya of mind is to refrain from divulging the secrets and to always maintain the view that one's mind is dharmakaya. [Padmasambhava (1998) pp.48-49]

Repairing Damaged Samaya

According to Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, there are four increasing stages in which one's samaya may be damaged: "infraction, breach, violation, and complete break". Once damaged, samaya may be repaired. But if it is left without repair for more than three years, it is not repairable. [Urgyen (2006) p.97]

Samaya is easily damaged. Patrul Rinpoche said it is very hard to maintain samaya and used a famous metaphor that maintaining samaya is like keeping a mirror or tile clean that is lifted up into a sand storm; dust settles on it as soon as it is clean and we must continuously clean it. To repair samaya, a practitioner may restore mindfulness and awareness of sacred view; confess the violation to another practitioner that holds samaya; [Fischer (2005) p.30] ; recite the one hundred syllable mantra; [Urgyen (2006) p.97] or use other methods determined by their guru.

References

* Fischer, Norman; Henry, Patrick; Benedict; and Barry, Patrick (2005) "Benedict's Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of Saint Benedict" ISBN 0-82648-607-X
* Karthar, Khenpo (2005) "Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma" ISBN 0-97410-920-7
* Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). "A Dictionary of Buddhism". Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-860560-9
* Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche. [http://www.dhagpo-kagyu.org/anglais/science-esprit/fondements/general/samaya.htm On the meaning of Samaya] . Retrieved Dec. 1, 2006.
* Padmasambhava and Kongtrul, Jamgon (1998) "Light of Wisdom: A Collection of Padmasambhava's Advice to the Dakini Yeshe" ISBN 9-62734-133-9 pp. 45-51
* Urgyen, Tulku with Marcia Binder Schmidt and Erik Pema Kunsang (2006) "Repeating the Words of the Buddha" ISBN 9627341592