The Vinaya and Vigilance...

[Shi Da Dao]

Much of what passes as routine interaction within normal human communication is not permissible within any of the different versions of the Vinaya Discipline. The Theravada believe that once the six-sense organs are purified that they must be deliberately kept that way through the practitioners living in a monastic community far away from the world of human affairs! This is because the Theravada School believes that the purified six-senses can be re-contaminated should the practitioner re-enter the world of the laity. Should a lay practitioner achieve full enlightenment - the are advised to ordain straightaway or face physical death due to severe karmic contradictions! The Mahayana viewpoint is different in that once the six-senses are purified through genuine self-effort - these sense-organs remain forever 'pure' despite the physical circumstances of the practitioner - and cannot be 'regressed' by simply changing environments. Indeed, the followers of the Mahayana Vinaya Discipline are expected (as Bodhisattvas) to enter every type of bad, corrupt and terrible situations as a means to 'rescue' those beings 'trapped' in these hellish circumstances! Whilst frequenting these hellish realms - the sense-organs of the Mahayana practitioner remain entirely 'free' of harm or taint. This is the principle that underlies the thinking behind the Vajrayana (Tantra) School. This post-enlightenment flexibility is discussed at length by Soto Zen Master Dogen in his magnus opus entitled the 'Shobogenzo'. However, those who are committed to following the Vinaya Discipline must remain committed to its strict discipline - even if 'skill in means' and the need for 'expedient' action requires that Buddhist monastics freely interact with the laity for various reasons - most follow every rule without hesitation or failure. Indeed, although the Theravada Forest Tradition (in Thailand) is very strict - it is also the case that the Vinaya Discipline as followed within Chinese Buddhism can be followed according to requirements - such as living in strict isolation in a cave or upon a mountain side. A proper adherence to the Vinaya Discipline - as it can prepare a practitioner for the psychological and physical transition associated with 'death' - can quite often result in Mahayana practitioners 'withdrawing' entirely from interacting with the laity. This is why we must always be grateful to those who give freely of the fruits of their self-cultivation - until it is 'time to leave'...