Dharma Wheel

In these ways, those who pay homage, circumambulate sacred sites, recite the six-syllable mantra, observe one-day precepts or promise to engage in specific virtuous actions and so on will generate great merit.

In the Theravadin tradition laypeople must take these precepts each time from a monk.

plwk wrote:

In the Theravadin tradition laypeople must take these precepts each time from a monk.

Some perspectives...
From my past experience, this is not entirely so. There are some variances.

3. or when they attend an Uposatha gathering in the Vihara, so they receive it collectively.

Whatever merit is created on the special Buddha days multiplies. The four special days of our unequaled founder Guru Shakyamuni Buddha are as follows: From the first day of the Tibetan first month until the fifteenth is the great special time of Buddha showing miracle power - such as subduing the Six Founder [mu.tegs.pa or “anti-Buddhists”] and showing miracles with the holy body in different ways on different days. Also, different devas, such as Indra and so forth, and human beings, such as King Sal.gyal, made offerings on these different days, and so forth.

In the Tibetan fourth month, the seventh day is the special day of birth [lit. “coming out”] and the fifteenth is that of conception. Around dawn on the fifteenth is the time of enlightenment. That day is also the special day of passing from sorrow.

In the Tibetan sixth month, the fourth day is the turning of the Dharma wheel. In the ninth month, on the fifteenth Buddha accepted to descend from Tushita, and the twenty-second is the actual descent.

It is mentioned in the Vinaya, in the Treasure Store of Quotation and Logic:

On these four great days, whatever great merit is accumulated increases ten million times. On the days of the solar and lunar eclipse the negative karma or merit again multiples: on the solar eclipse it becomes 100,000 times ten million (Buddha’s day is 10,000 so on special days this is further multiplied), on the lunar eclipse 70,000,000. During these great times and eclipse days whatever merit is accumulated becomes far greater.

If one accumulates merit by depending on these powerful objects, then it is so easy, and with small hardships one is able to collect great merit. This is the highest method.

Therefore, I want to ask people especially to take the eight Mahayana precepts, which is such an easy thing to do - just 24 hours and inconceivable merit with each precept. Then, to take the Bodhisattva vows, do the practice of rejoicefulness, bodhicitta meditation, prostration, Nyung-ne’s and other practices. Accumulate merit with the highest, most powerful objects - the Guru and the Buddhas - whatever one can do.

mudra wrote:Hi Kirtu,

I am not sure that is entirely true about taking it for the first time from monastics in the Mahayana, or in the Gelug tradition at least. It is more a question of receiving the vows from someone who has them.

It has always been explained to me that one must take them first from someone who actually has the vows and thereafter can take the vows by themselves in front of images of the Buddha, visualised etc. Before giving them to anyone for the first time or not, the preceptor him/herself must take vows - that's all.

zerwe wrote:

mudra wrote:Hi Kirtu,

I am not sure that is entirely true about taking it for the first time from monastics in the Mahayana, or in the Gelug tradition at least. It is more a question of receiving the vows from someone who has them.

It has always been explained to me that one must take them first from someone who actually has the vows and thereafter can take the vows by themselves in front of images of the Buddha, visualised etc. Before giving them to anyone for the first time or not, the preceptor him/herself must take vows - that's all.

I think you are correct on this. However, it is considered more powerful, and is strongly encouraged, to take vows/precepts of any type from a qualified Mahayana master or from someone who has kept pure vows.

Shaun

Keep the precepts of upavasatha and upasaka.

zerwe wrote:

mudra wrote:Hi Kirtu,

I am not sure that is entirely true about taking it for the first time from monastics in the Mahayana, or in the Gelug tradition at least. It is more a question of receiving the vows from someone who has them.

It has always been explained to me that one must take them first from someone who actually has the vows and thereafter can take the vows by themselves in front of images of the Buddha, visualised etc. Before giving them to anyone for the first time or not, the preceptor him/herself must take vows - that's all.

I think you are correct on this. However, it is considered more powerful, and is strongly encouraged, to take vows/precepts of any type from a qualified Mahayana master or from someone who has kept pure vows.

Shaun

narraboth wrote: Hi, I am a bit confused by the title.
I thought the reason why Tibetan people call it 'mahayana precepts' is to show that the vows belong to sutrayana?

I mean, besides if you can receive it by yourself after the first time, and you got to be vegetarian or not, there's no big difference between mahayana one's and Theravada ones?

And my Nyingma Khenpo also told me that you have to get it from a monk once.
I believe it can't normally be given by lay people because only those who have the vow can give other people same vow;

Nyunyel is more different than that, it's a bit more... kriyatantra I think. And traditionally it takes two days, the second day you can't eat, etc.

But I have received a wonderful text written by Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok (I think it's his own terma), which is a Kriyatantra Avalokesrivara sadhana, in the end it says: keep precepts until the next morning.... so actually it's quite like mahayana precepts. And Khenpo told me that I can do it at home since he already gave me LUNG. So it not even requires first time with a monk (of course I still got the teaching from a monk).

While the eight precepts are the same, there is a slight difference between taking the general eight precepts and the mahayana eight precepts, which is referred to as the Restoring and Purifying Ordination. The mahayana eight-precepts vow is taken by spiritual practitioners on the path of the Great Vehicle (mahayana). Taken in the context of the mahayana tradition, you are not only making a commitment to abide by the vow, but you are also making a completely enlightened commitment, meaning a bodhisattva commitment. This vow is aspiration bodhichitta, meaning generating the enlightened aspiration to benefit all sentient beings, and you must receive it from an authentic teacher within the lineage of the vow. Once you
have received it from an authentic teacher, you can take the vow by yourself from then on. Although the commitment of preserving the eight precepts is only for a period of twenty-four hours, the aspiration bodhichitta associated with it will remain until your enlightenment; that is, if you do not violate the aspiration bodhichitta.

The eight vows of an upaska taught in the vinaya can only be taken by a layperson. They cannot be taken by a monastic because a monastic already has more vows than that. It is said that for a monastic to take these vows would actually be diluting their ordination. The eight vows in the sojong, such as for a nyungne, can be taken by monastics, therefore they are different. The reason for this difference is that these vows are taken for one day or renewed each day, perennially, as a way of renewing and purifying your moral discipline, therefore regardless of what vows you already have, these can be taken. Their source is not the vinaya. Their source in in the Mahayana in general, and the kriya and charya tantras in particular.

qishenjing wrote:Hi all. Does anyone with experience have any insight on the sixth precept and how an athlete or someone who does manual labor for his or her occupation would be able to uphold this precept. Any information, reading material or opinions are appreciated.