initiation_into_a_new_life.pdf

8/14/2019 Initiation_into_a_New_Life.pdf

1/21

A message from Urgyen Sangharakshita to all members of theTriratna Buddhist Order:

I am very pleased once again to introduce to you an article written by Subhuti, on the basis of conversations I have had with him. Each successive article has enabled me tocommunicate to you all my present thinking on an important topic that I believe hasmajor implications for the future of the Triratna Buddhist ommunity, and thereforeof Buddhism in the modern world. In this paper, too, Subhuti has very faithfullye!pressed my point of view on the subject of our "rdination eremony. I have

particularly appreciated the way he has conveyed the integrity of my teaching and thekey position that ordination has within it. It does all hang together, even if all theconnections are not always easy to discern.

I ask all "rder members to study this article very deeply. #nd I ask $rivate

$receptors, especially, to cooperate closely with the $ublic $receptors in putting itinto effect. This will demand a great deal of work on the part of all $receptors% first ofall, to make sure that they truly understand what is being presented, then to considercarefully how to apply it to their own disciples, and finally to put it fully into

practice. This really does mean a retraining , as Subhuti e!presses it, and I ask you allto take this very seriously.

#s this paper shows, ordination is the cru! of our whole system of spiritual life and practice. &rom the moment of a person's first contact with our movement, he or she

should be able to discover a comprehensive and balanced approach that is appropriateto them, which leads them at the appropriate time to enter the "rder. I ask all(harmacharis and (harmacharinis to look carefully at everything that is taught in theTriratna ommunity to make sure it does indeed contribute fully to this system of

practice ) and I am very pleased indeed that the International ouncil of the TriratnaBuddhist ommunity has initiated a movement*wide e!ercise of this kind.

#nd of course I urge you all to apply this system fully and deeply to yourselves% the+armic work of integration and developing positive emotion, and more especially the

e!plicitly (harmic work of spiritual receptivity, death, and rebirth. If each of us doeswork diligently on ourselves in this way, then everything else will follow.

Sd. Sangharakshita,

adhyamaloka,- th /ovember -011


2/21

INITIATION INTO A NEW LI E:The Ordination !eremony in Sangharakshita"s System of S#iritual $ra!ti!e

The ceremony by which one becomes a member of the Triratna Buddhist "rder is thecru! of 2rgyen Sangharakshita's entire teaching. In that ordination, with its two parts,

public and private, all the elements of his presentation of the (harma are distilled andritually enacted. The individual undergoing ordination is usually profoundly affected

by the symbolic resonance of all that happens and will sense the tying together ofmany threads of meaning and purpose. They will usually feel that their wholee!perience within the Triratna ommunity has been a training for this moment% andone who has been ordained will spend the rest of their life as Sangharakshita'sdisciple, working out the full implications of what was germinal in that ceremony.

"ver the more than forty years since the "rder was founded, the nature of the

ordination ceremony and the way in which it is understood has undergone a slowevolution as Sangharakshita's own particular presentation of the Buddha's teachinghas become clearer and more consistent. I recall more than forty years ago my firstvisit to the Three 3ewels entre in entral 4ondon, then the only '&5B"' centre.Entering shyly into the cramped and crowded reception room, I took refuge in theassiduous study of the noticeboard, on which was a document setting forth theordinations available in the 5estern Buddhist Sangha, as it was then still called.There were four in all% 2p6sika78ka 9'male7female lay*disciple':, aha*up6sika78ka9'senior lay*disciple':, Bodhisattva, and Bhik;u7efuge to theThree 3ewels. ?aving declared one's commitment and had that witnessed by one'steachers, one needs no more. "ne simply needs to work that out more and more fullyat every stage and in every aspect of one's life. #ll this Sangharakshita first madeclear in a talk, Going for Refuge , given in India in 1@A1, and later and more fully inThe History of My Going for Refuge , published in 1@AA, showing his gradualdevelopment of the meaning of =oing for >efuge and its relation to ordination. This1 #ll who received these 'higher' ordinations have since left the "rder.


3/21

he saw as embodied in the new Buddhist "rder he had founded ) then the 5esternBuddhist "rder7Trailokya Bauddha ahasangha, known today as the TriratnaBuddhist "rder. #ll four ordinations as set out in that notice I saw in 1@ @ are nowcondensed in one (harmachari7ni ordination, that ordination embodying a lifelongand effective commitment to a (harma 'career'.

This is the foundation of our present understanding of ordination in the TriratnaBuddhist "rder and therefore of the ceremony within which ordination is given.?owever, Sangharakshita considers that there is still some tidying up to be done, sothat the ceremony is made fully consistent with his presentation of the (harma andany ambiguities about its relation to other traditional rituals are removed. In a seriesof discussions I had with him over the last year or more, he e!plained how heunderstands the ceremony now and how he wants us to conduct it, and this is thesubject of my present paper. ?e has seen what I have written and affirms that it does

represent his thinking and his wishes, albeit in my words, not his. #lthough no majorchanges are called for in the theory and practice of the ordination ceremony, heconsiders that these subtle points are important and asks that they are fully digestedand gradually implemented, under the direction of the $ublic $receptors' ollege.

The Wider %onte&t

5e need to start our e!ploration by placing ordination in the broadest possibleconte!t, recapitulating in brief key elements of Sangharakshita's presentation of the(harma.

The (harma life is lived to attain bodhi , the liberation from all suffering firstachieved in our era by the Buddha Shakyamuni. It is carried out within the overallconte!t of prattya-samutpda , the flow of dependently arising events that makes upreality in its entirety. 4iberation is possible because there are currents within the flowthat lead in the direction of Enlightenment, regularities or laws that, taken advantageof, lead to the attainment of what the Buddha attained. The (harma life essentiallyconsists in active cooperation with those currents that lead to bodhi . The regularitiesor laws that make Buddhahood possible can be grouped into two kinds, under theheading of the +arma /iyama and the (harma /iyama.

5orking with +arma /iyama processes involves recognising oneself as a moralagent and intentionally cultivating ever more skilful actions of body, speech, andmind, so that progressively more satisfying, subtle, fle!ible, and open states ofconsciousness emerge as their fruit. Such states will be more and more free fromsubjective or self*oriented bias and colouring, and thus more in tune with the waythings are. This phase of the spiritual path culminates when one's karmic efforts haveconditioned the emergence of a consciousness that it is capable of absorbing fully the

true nature of reality.

(harma /iyama processes are first felt as a pull to self*transcendence or a glimpse of


4/21

life beyond self*clinging ) a first hint of samyag-di or '$erfect Cision', which ofteninitiates the spiritual Duest. They begin to unfold in a decisive way at Stream*entry,when the sense of separate agency is seen as an illusory construct, however essentialit may be in the +armic phase of the $ath. There then emerges a spontaneous flow ofincreasingly non*egoistic volitions that unfailingly result in skilful activity. Before

Stream*Entry, one works with (harma /iyama processes by developing receptivityto the pull of that current within one's own consciousness, systematically cultivatingdevotion to whatever embodies that stream of non*egoistic willing, especially in theform of the Buddha and of his teaching. #bove all, one makes a continuous effort toundermine one's own ego*clinging by seeing through the illusions that sustain it.

Stages of %ommitment

The (harma life reDuires active cooperation with these +arma and (harma /iyama

conditioned processes that are ever present potentialities of reality. It reDuires aconscious and e!plicit reorientation of all aspects of life so as to build up thesuccessive conditions for these processes to unfold. This conscious and e!plicitreorientation attains its fullest and clearest e!pression in the act of =oing for >efugeto the Three 3ewels, in which one commits oneself to becoming like the Buddha bycooperating with the forces of +arma and (harma in inspired connection with the#rya*Sangha ) which itself is a >efuge because it consists of those in whom the(harma /iyama processes have become dominant% who have fully 'Entered theStream of the (harma'.

ommitment is gradual, engaging more and more of one's energies as one alignsoneself more and more fully with +arma and (harma processes. Sangharakshitadistinguishes five stages in this growing commitment% five levels of =oing for >efugeto the Three 3ewels. The %ultural level is not truly a commitment at all, becausethere is as yet no integrated moral individuality. It consists in a sense of allegiance toBuddhism and its values because it is part of one's culture and of the social group towhich one belongs by birth and education. Through this identification one will beinfluenced to act in a morally positive way and that may eventually lead to thedevelopment of genuine moral self*consciousness. $ro'isional =oing for >efugearises in moments of temporary inspiration or insight, perhaps some glimpse of$erfect Cision, but this does not have enough weight behind it to be sustained.

/onetheless, one will from time to time make some effort to work with the +armicand (harmic kinds of conditionality and that sooner or later may enable one tocommit oneself more effectively.

Effe!ti'e =oing for >efuge takes place on the basis of a compelling glimpse of whatlies beyond self*clinging and of a sufficient integration of one's energies to constitutea more or less consistent moral agency. "ne is then in a position to cultivate both

+arma and (harma /iyama processes in an effective and continuous way. ?owever, progress is entirely dependent on a constant application of willed effort. 5hen =oingfor >efuge is (eal , (harma /iyama processes are dominant, unfolding


5/21

spontaneously through the individual who cooperates fully with them, overcomingsuccessively more subtle depths of self*clinging. Absolute =oing for >efuge is the

point of Enlightenment itself, at which there is nothing but a flow of (harma /iyama processes * of pure non*egoistic volition.

In this schema, it is Effective =oing for >efuge that is critical. "ne might say that itis the real battle ground of spiritual life. Before this, at the $rovisional stage, nosystematic progress is made because there is no consistent and sustained commitmentand therefore no consistent and sustained effort to cultivate the necessary +armic and(harmic conditions upon which progress depends. #t the later stage of >eal =oingfor >efuge, progress is spontaneous and further effort can only speed up a processthat is already self*sustaining. To move from the $rovisional to the >eal stagereDuires the conscious commitment of Effective =oing for >efuge. It is this stage ofcommitment that is declared and witnessed at ordination, because it is the stage at

which one truly becomes committed to the spiritual path.Stages of s#iritual #ra!ti!e and #rogress

ommitment to working with +arma and (harma kinds of conditionality so as toachieve Enlightenment is e!pressed in the act of =oing for >efuge to the Three3ewels. But how is that commitment to be put into effect "f course, Sangharakshitadraws on the basic teachings of Buddhism to e!pound his theoretical and practical

perspective on spiritual life. ?owever, the basis of his central presentation can befound in a lecture given in 1@FA, 'The System of editation'. ?ere he distinguishedfour stages of deepening practice% Integration, $ositive Emotion, Spiritual (eath, andSpiritual >ebirth. These four stages were his own reworking of ahayana teaching,derived from Sarvastivadin sources, the '&ive hief $aths', to which he attached newlabels and a slightly different interpretation. #lthough in that lecture he cast them asstages of meditation , they are clearly to be applied more broadly as stages in spirituallife itself, to be worked at in all aspects of practice.

Each successive stage engages more deeply with the progressive trends inconditionality, activating the +arma /iyama processes first and then those of the(harma /iyama. Each can only develop to its highest degree once the precedingstage has been made firm ) this is a '$ath of >egular Steps'. The succeeding stagedoes not however leave the preceding behind but, so to speak, incorporates it andfurther fulfils it.

The Stage of Integration is concerned with cultivating a full e!perience of andresponsibility for oneself as a moral agent, capable of working with the forces of+arma to develop a progressively fitter consciousness, in accordance with +arma

/iyama processes. This is achieved especially through the practice of mindfulness,

beginning with mindfulness of the body and its activity ) and in meditation particularly by means of the indfulness of Breathing. ?owever, the social conte!t inwhich one lives, as well as one's work and way of life, certainly early in one's


6/21

spiritual efforts, all have a powerful, often decisive, effect on whether or not onedevelops integration, and thereby the succeeding stages.

The Stage of $ositi'e Emotion consists in the systematic cultivation of skilfulintentions and actions that bring the karmic fruit of a more finely tuned mind. This is

the ethical stage and is fostered by applying the $recepts to one's activity and bycultivating skilful intentions through meditations like the ettabhavana. In this stageone will be working more deeply at integration, working not only at whatSangharakshita calls 'horiGontal integration' but also at the vertical kind, wherein onedeliberately develops higher states of consciousness, such as the dhynas . These

purify and refine the mind by freeing it temporarily from the compelling fi!ity of thesense world, rendering it more and more fit to absorb the impact of reality.

In these two stages, one works more and more broadly and deeply with the +armic

trend in reality, creating the basis for recognising the truth of things and allowing(harma /iyama processes to guide one's life. Integration and $ositive Emotion are,one might say, ploughing, fertilising, and watering the soil so that sowing may take

place and the crop may grow.

The ne!t stage, that of S#iritual )eath , is directly concerned with the cultivation ofthose (harmic processes ) the actual sowing of seeds. Its focus is on seeing throughour misunderstandings about the nature of reality itself, especially about who andwhat we ourselves are. Spiritual (eath means seeing through our habitual delusions,our automatic misreadings of our e!perience% seeing the impermanent as enduringHseeing the insubstantial as having essenceH blindly believing that what in truth canonly bring suffering if we cling to it is a source of real and abiding happinessH andfinding attractive and desirable what is from the highest perspective repellent ) beingcaught up with the viparysas , the 'topsy*turvy' views. These views prevent us fromseeing the reality of our situation% that everything is, in fact, impermanent andinsubstantial, and that true happiness cannot lie in any particular arrangement ofconditioned phenomena ) recognising the la a!as . 5hilst we are misreading realityand acting, communicating, and thinking on the basis of that misreading, theconditions do not e!ist for the (harma /iyama processes to unfold. #s soon as wecease to be caught up in those delusions to any e!tent, then the Stream of the (harma

begins to flow.

#bove all, Spiritual (eath means dying, in the sense of loosening our illusions aboutourselves and giving up our self*oriented clinging ) recognising that such clinging is

psychologically counter*productive, ethically compromised, and, most fundamentally,e!istentially deluded. This stage is primarily practised through reflection on the truenature of reality, especially by considering the la a!as , and through selfless activitythat breaks down the fi!ity of self*attachment.

"nce clinging to the illusion of a separate and enduring self lessens, then the non*egoistic motivations of the (harma /iyama begin arising and it is the function of the


7/21

Stage of S#iritual (ebirth to allow and encourage these to flourish. "ne does this by imaginatively connecting more and more deeply with (harma /iyama processes,especially as embodied by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, learning to rely upon the

promptings of the (harma as a living reality rather than on one's own narrow self*interest.

In the ahayana e!position of the &ive hief $aths, the fifth and final $ath is spokenof variously as the stage of ' No *ore Learning+Effort+$ra!ti!e ' or of ' S#ontaneous%om#assionate A!ti'ity '. In his 'System of editation', Sangharakshita offers nocorresponding stage, however he does speak of the meditation practice of 3ust Sitting,which clearly relates on lower levels to this highest stage. In his system, 3ust Sittingis a balance to each of the practices connected with each of the four stages. Such

practices involve conscious, active effort, but that must be balanced by the cultivationof a receptive attitude, and this is the function of 3ust Sitting. It is nonetheless

possible to see 3ust Sitting, at its highest pitch, as implying a culmination ofSangharakshita's system too, representing the '&ifth $ath', that followed by theBuddhas themselves ) although it is, of course, a '$athless $ath'.

In the schema of the &ive hief $aths, this final step is described in negative terms asthe stage of '/o ore 4earning, Effort or $ractice'. "ne who =oes for >efugeEffectively must make a continuous karmic effort otherwise they will fall back fromany progress they have made, perhaps even losing connection with the $athaltogether. # Stream Entrant, however, does not strictly speaking need to make aneffort, because the force of their insight into the nature of things will itself ine!orablycarry them to Enlightenment, traditionally within seven lifetimes. ?owever, if they docontinue to make an active karmic effort to act beneficially, cultivate skilful mentalstates, and deepen understanding they may traverse the remaining steps of the pathmore or less Duickly, even within one lifetime. But once the stage of /o ore$ractice is reached at Buddhahood itself karmic effort is unnecessary, because fromnow on the Stream of the (harma will unfold unfettered by any karmic residues.

It is not merely that karmic effort is not necessary at this stage, it is impossible, because the conditions that create +arma are no longer present% there is no sense ofself*agency ) one might say that the Duestion of effort or of non*effort no longerarises. There is now no sense of a separate, permanent self at all, only pure unfolding

processes on the level of the (harma /iyama. Thus this stage is also spoken of in positive terms as the stage of Spontaneous ompassionate #ctivity. There is volition but that willing contains not the slightest trace of self*clinging. It arises naturally as acreative response to the needs of the situation. This is bodhi"itta , not in the sense of aconsciousness that is motivated by bodhi , but here a consciousness that is bodhi#

5e can now begin to see how ordination fits into the overall schema. 5hen one =oes

for >efuge to the Three 3ewels Effectively one is committing oneself to gainingEnlightenment by working with +arma and (harma /iyama processes ) and it isimportant to stress that it is a commitment to working with both sets of processes.


8/21

This is what distinguishes =oing for >efuge to the Three 3ewels from goodness andhumanity in general ) highly desirable and worthy as these undoubtedly are. #llethically good people work with the forces of +arma, whether from habit,upbringing, or conscious moral conviction. The best in religion or in psychotherapy isconcerned with helping people to become skilful moral agents. 5hen culture is

healthy and education systems are functioning well, they strengthen a sense of moralresponsibility, especially by enlarging human sympathy. # good and just society isone that functions in accordance with the moral principles embodied in +arma.

#ll of this is very important and needs to be strongly supported and applauded.$eople in general need to be encouraged to develop a sense of themselves as moralagents within a universe where actions have proportional conseDuences for agent andothers. $eople need to know that their own happiness and satisfaction lies in actingskilfully. They need, in other words, to be encouraged to practice the stages of

Integration and of $ositive Emotion. But this will not amount to =oing for >efuge tothe Three 3ewels ) or at best reflects ultural =oing for >efuge% influenced by butnot committed to the (harma.

$rovisional =oing for >efuge to the Three 3ewels arises when there is at least aglimpse of (harma /iyama processes ) one sees for a while that there is a currentwithin reality that will carry one beyond self*clinging towards Enlightenment. 5henone is "onvin"ed that there is such a current and has the psychological integrity to

place one's energies more and more fully at its service, then one will =o for >efuge tothe Three 3ewels and that commitment will be effective, insofar as one will steadilymove forward on the path. "ne will still need to complete the process of integrationand will need to continue developing positive emotion ) or, perhaps better, skilfulmental states. ?owever, what distinctively marks this as Effective =oing for >efugeto the Three 3ewels is one's commitment to and active work on the stages of Spiritual(eath and >ebirth.

#ll this is crucial to the ordination ceremony itself. Its essence is the act of =oing for>efuge to the Three 3ewels through the recitation of the >efuge formula and thewitnessing of that act by one's $receptor, thus ritually embodying one's spiritualcommitment. But what is distinctive about this commitment is its implicit taking upof the practice of Spiritual (eath and Spiritual >ebirth in an effective way. 5e willsee later how Sangharakshita wishes to see this e!plicitly embodied in the ceremonythrough certain refinements to the way the ritual is understood and carried out. Butfirst we must e!plore one more key perspective to prepare us for a full e!position ofthe ceremony as Sangharakshita now sees it. 5e must look at the horiGontaldimension of Sangharakshita's System of Spiritual 4ife, because that too must beincorporated into the understanding and practice of ordination.

The System of S#iritual Life

So far we have looked at ordination in the conte!t of the system of hierarchical


9/21

stages, first e!pounded as 'The System of editation', but here understood asincluding all aspects of spiritual practice, both in meditation and outside it.Sangharakshita sees the elements of the system not only arranged hierarchically andseDuentially, but also as present eDually and simultaneously ) not only vertically buthoriGontally. They can be seen as the principal elements of the (harma life at all

stages, from the stage of Integration through to that of Spiritual >ebirth * in the practice of a beginner as well as in the activity of a Buddha. Indeed, if they are not practised at lower levels it is impossible to engage with them with full success athigher. "ne must therefore at every step in =oing for >efuge to the Three 3ewels *whether $rovisional, Effective, or >eal * be practising integration, positive emotion,spiritual death, and spiritual rebirth. To these must be added a fifth element, thecorrelate on the horiGontal a!is of the final stage of the vertical. The vertical Stage of

/o ore Effort or Spontaneous ompassionate #ctivity corresponds to thehoriGontal aspect of Spiritual >eceptivity, as Sangharakshita discusses it in the

conte!t of 3ust Sitting.

, $o More %ffort&'pontaneous (ompassionate )"tivity

'piritual Rebirth'piritual *eath

+ositive %motion ,ntegration

-. ,ntegration +ositive %motion 'piritual Re"eptivity 'piritual *eath 'piritual Rebirth

Fig. 1: The System of Spiritual Life, Vertical , and Horizontal -.

"ur practice at every level and in all activities of our lives must include each of thesefive% integration, positive emotion, spiritual receptivity, spiritual death, and spiritualrebirth. Inevitably the character of practice of each aspect will be different at eachlevel% the higher levels will carry them deeper * one might even say that one only

truly begins to practise them when =oing for >efuge is >eal and the (harma /iyamaconditionality has become dominant.

Each of these horiGontal aspects achieves a new dimension of significance atordination and a deeper commitment to their practice is implicit in the ceremony )and this needs to be made e!plicit in preparation for ordination and, once ordinationhas taken place, should be a major element in the connection between $receptor andthe one they have ordained. 5e need then to see briefly what each of these aspectsmeans and how it relates to Effective =oing for >efuge and the ordination itself.

,ntegration as an aspect of spiritual life is primarily a matter of mindfulness andrecollection ) of deepening e!ploration of the four dimensions of awareness,


10/21

described in Sangharakshita's presentation of samyag-di % mindfulness of self9body, feelings, thoughts:, of others, of nature, and of reality. Initially, integration is

predominantly a psychological and ethical matter% fully acknowledging one's owninner processes and outer action and taking responsibility for the effect one has onone's own mind and on the world around. #t this stage one is primarily concerned

with recognising and working with the +armic kind of conditionality on the basis of agrowing sense of oneself as a responsible moral agent.

"nce one =oes for >efuge Effectively one will be practising mindfulness moredeeply, striving to remain consistently aware of the true nature of whatever one'sattention is directed to% seeing it as impermanent, insubstantial, and incapable of

providing permanent satisfaction. "ne needs especially to recognise that whateverarises is, '/ot me, not mine, not my self'. This of course should not be an alienatedawareness ) a dissociation from one's self*e!perience for unwholesome reasons% one's

awareness should have become sufficiently integrated before one ventures too far intothis kind of reflection. This represents developing integration at the level of Spiritual(eath.

Integration is practised at the level of Spiritual >ebirth by remaining consistentlyaware of the larger conte!t of the (harma, both as transcending self*clinging and as aforce or current moving through reality towards Buddhahood. If one is =oing for>efuge Effectively, the Buddha, (harma, and Sangha will never be too far away fromone's awareness and will be increasingly integrated into it.

If one has not been practising Integration in its earlier, psychological and ethical, phases, one will not be able to develop it in the later stages of Spiritual (eath and>ebirth. #n effective presentation of the (harma will introduce beginners to thetheory and practice of integration and, from then on, it should be possible for eachindividual to deepen their e!perience of it in accordance with their own needs,interests, and opportunities under the guidance of +alyana itras and other teachers.# key factor in success at this stage will be putting oneself in circumstances thatsupport one's efforts, especially in terms of one's social environment, and engaging inactivity that is in tune with one's aspirations.

The aspect of +ositive %motion consists in the cultivation of skilful mental states andthe actions that flow on from them. In the early stages it is practised by learning aboutthe principles of ethics, summed up in the &ive $recepts, and discovering how toapply them in practice. This reDuires one also to be fostering the wholesome mentalstates that underlie skilful action, especially maitr and the other brahma-vihras , aswell as faith in and devotion to the Three 3ewels. The development of spiritualfriendship and participation in Sangha are key aspects of this stage, especiallythrough involving oneself, as much as possible, in the institutions and activities of the

Spiritual ommunity.

"nce the individual =oes for >efuge Effectively, $ositive Emotion takes on a new


11/21

dimension. M aitr becomes a matter of striving for self*transcendence, first seeingone's own self as eDual with others and then subordinating self to maitr as atranspersonal force. "ne begins, in other words, to cultivate bodhi"itta . The practicalconseDuence is that one increasingly feels oneself to be serving something thatinfinitely transcends oneself, often as embodied in work to spread the (harma ) for

many "rder members this takes the form of work for the collective project that is theTriratna ommunity. "ne will cultivate a sense of a duty to the (harma, which will be felt as more compelling than one's own personal likes and dislikes.

'piritual Re"eptivity is perhaps the aspect among these five that reDuires moste!position, since it has not been e!plicitly e!plored before in these terms. Itessentially consists in an openness to the progressive trend in conditionality, whetherarising in oneself or in the world around. "ne who is spiritually receptive responds toethical virtue, to purer and more refined mental states, and to insights and e!periences

that come from beyond self*clinging. 5hatever individuals, symbols, images, orteachings embody or e!emplify the progressive trend will evoke an answeringappreciation, devotion, and emulation ) something within oneself will resonate withthe ideals encountered without.

Similarly, when impulses and e!periences emerge within one that are the fruits of progressive conditionality, one will value and cherish them, without attachment. &orinstance, skilful actions will give one a sense of satisfaction and self*confidence andone may notice a certain smoothing of one's way in life. This karmic pu!ya or 'merit'is to be accepted for what it is and noted as a spur to further ethical efforts. Similarly,when one e!periences any degree of dhyna or other sampatti or positive e!periencein meditation, one recognises it as a fruit of one's efforts and as a confirmation of the

progressive trend in conditionality. &inally, e!periences of genuine self*transcendence, the fruit of (harma /iyama processes, will be embracedwholeheartedly and one will give oneself up to that progressive current more andmore fully.

?ere what we need to work on is our "apa"ity to respond. Spiritual receptivity needsto be consciously developed because we are often unaware that we even have anatural capacity for responsiveness to what is truly valuable as an innate possibility ofour being. 2sually it is our instincts and emotions, our likes and dislikes, albeitsometimes tempered by reason, that seem the only motivating force within us, but wehave another and more integral faculty that responds to .ualities rather than to theDuantities that are the coinage of ordinary life. 5e e!perience this faculty at work inour communication and friendships, in our response to beauty in nature or art, and inthe effect that noble or inspiring e!ample has upon us. #s I have discussed in my

paper, Re-imagining the /uddha , this faculty for responding to value, whether interms of Beauty, Truth, or =oodness, can been identified as 'Imagination' or the

'Imaginal &aculty'. It is this faculty that one is learning to identify and bring into playwhen working on spiritual receptivity.


12/21

In his talk on The 'ystem of Meditation , Sangharakshita speaks of the meditation practice known as '3ust Sitting' as a balance to each of the practices that typify eachstage of the system.

)nd in all of these other meditations "ons"ious effort is re.uired# /ut0 one mustbe "areful that this "ons"ious effort does not be"ome too 1illed0 even too 1ill-

full0 and in order to "ountera"t this tenden"y0 in order to guard against this possibility0 1e "an pra"ti"e 2ust 'itting#?e speaks of conscious effort being counterbalanced by 'passivity, receptivity'. 3ustSitting is allowing a space to open up in which all effort is suspended and from whichcan emerge something new and even unforeseen, for the progressive trend inconditionality always gives rise to something more and higher than that from which it

proceeds and is, in that sense, necessarily une!pected. Sitting silently withoute!pectation, simply watching what is happening and accepting it without eithergrasping or rejection, this is the essence of the practice and it is the basic e!ercise in

spiritual receptivity. It may be done in the conte!t of formal meditation or it may be practised when sitting rela!ing in an armchair, doing nothing. Sangharakshita evenspeaks of the value of boredom, since simply accepting one's lack of engagement andwaiting, is the basis for deeper processes to unfold.

By the time someone is ordained, this natural capacity for responding to the progressive trend in conditionality should be a consistent element of their e!perience,identified as the vehicle of spiritual life. It should be given plenty of importanceamidst daily activity and indeed should have become the principal guiding factor,

present in all the other aspects of the system of practice, each of which, in its ownsphere, also cultivates spiritual receptivity.

'piritual *eath as a stage in the hierarchical schema marks the point of transitionfrom Effective to >eal =oing for >efuge, because it is on the basis of seeing throughthe illusion of a permanent and independent self that one enters the Stream of the(harma, as (harma /iyama processes become the dominant motivating powerwithin one. ?owever, one cannot generally make that transition unless one has done agreat deal of work on this dimension of spiritual practice from the very outset.

&rom first engaging with the (harma one needs to be learning its perspective on thenature of reality, especially in terms of prattya-samutpda in its reactive and creativemodes, together with how it is played out in terms of each of the &ive /iyamas, andof the Three la a!as . But one also needs to be reflecting on how these apply to one'sown life. In many cases this will be a spontaneous and natural engagement withissues that deeply affect one's very e!istence, but it will also be beneficial, graduallyand carefully, to introduce more systematic reflection on such themes. # very good

place to start is the Buddha's own teaching of the 'five facts everyone should oftenreflect upon', as recorded in the 2pajjhatthana Sutta in #nguttara /ikaya, C. F%

3hether one is a 1oman or a man0 lay or monasti"0 there are five fa"ts one should often refle"t on4


13/21

5# 6, am sub7e"t to ageing4 , 1ill gro1 old#68# 6, am sub7e"t to illness4 , 1ill get si" #69# 6, am sub7e"t to death0 , 1ill die#6 :# 6, must be parted from 1hatever , love and is dear to me#6 ;# 6, am the o1ner of my a"tions < arma=0 heir to my a"tions0 a"tions are the

1omb from 1hi"h , have sprung0 a"tions are my "ompanions0 and a"tions aremy prote"tion# 3hatever , do0 for good or for evil0 of that , 1ill be heir6#

$ractising in this way one will be increasingly convinced that one must commitoneself to the (harma and it will be easier to recognise what ordination means )Effective =oing for >efuge ) and one will deeply feel that one must be ordained inorder to make further progress.

#t ordination, one is fully committing oneself to working with +arma and (harma

/iyama processes. #ll one's practice should include an aspect of Spiritual (eath."ne's daily meditation practice, to which one should be committed as a principalfocus of one's endeavours, should especially include a strong dose of Spiritual (eath.The ontemplation of the Si! Elements, >ecollection of the /idana hain, and>eflection on the Si! Bardos are all practices recommended by Sangharakshita todeepen the e!perience of Spiritual (eath and these, especially the former, should beengaged with from time to time on more intensive retreats. ?owever, in principle, any

practice can have this dimension and it is the duty of the $rivate $receptor to workout with the person being ordained how specifically they are going to incorporate it intheir regular meditation ) as well as in other areas of life.

'piritual Rebirth is the counterpart of Spiritual (eath ) with the latter one dies to theillusory self and with the former one is reborn to the emerging flow of (harma

/iyama processes, leading ultimately to Buddhahood. #t ordination one begins tocultivate this stage very directly ) and, of course, effectively, insofar as it becomes aliving part of one's daily meditation and other practice. ?owever, one cannot do sowithout considerable preparation and once more this aspect too should be representedat the earliest stage of involvement with the (harma.

onnection with something that transcends our normal e!perience of ourselves isespecially important because of the nihilistic emphasis of so much modern culture,from the perspective of which the idea of spiritual death can only seem likeannihilation. If we do not have such a connection, our spiritual efforts are, at best, butthe refinement of our own self*clinging. Jet such a connection should not be

presented in a way that suggests some eternal god or other abiding essence. 5e needa connection with something that is numinous without being seen as 'noumenal' )mysterious, awe*inspiring, and supremely desirable, but not an unchangingmetaphysical e!istent. The Buddha himself, together with the ideal Buddhas and

Bodhisattvas that represent his Enlightened e!perience, is the commonest and, formany, the most effective embodiment of what lies beyond our self*basedunderstanding. 5e can understand him insofar as he was human and historical, and


14/21


15/21

Teachers, +alyana itras, and friends will be encouraging them to see how each is best developed in the light of individual character, interest, and aptitude.

"nce an individual asks for ordination, they enter the ordination training, under theguidance of $ublic $receptors and the relevant ordination team. This training focuses

on educating them in the essence of the (harma as presented by Sangharakshita andin the principles and practice of the Triratna Buddhist "rder. #t the same time, theordination team, together with their teachers, +alyana itras, and friends, will helpthem work with the five aspects of the system of training in a way that is appropriateto them. 5hen those "rder members who know them best consider that they are=oing for >efuge Effectively, they will recommend their ordination to the $ublic$receptors, who then make the final decision. By the time someone is accepted forordination, they will have formed a special connection with one of their +alyana

itras, who will play a leading part in the final stages of their preparation, especially

as regards the five aspects, and who will act as their $rivate $receptor.10 $re#aration for the %eremony: "nce someone has been accepted for ordination,a new phase begins. In the months and weeks before the ceremony, the $rivate$receptor will be discussing more closely than ever with the candidate the way inwhich he or she is practising each of the five aspects of the system of spiritualtraining, helping them to clarify their understanding and apply themselves moreeffectively. The effect of the relationship should be to give practice in all areas of lifea sharper focus and a finer cutting*edge. There should gradually emerge a broadagreement between them about how the itra will be practising once they areordained.

"f course, this should come about through sensitive dialogue in which special care istaken not to cramp or confine, taking fully into account the realities of personalityand circumstance. Such an agreement should have plenty of room for growth as theindividual discovers more about themselves and as practice unfolds andcircumstances change. The two will continue in close dialogue about all this for thefirst few years of ordination, five years being the rough and ready guideline for thenissya - period, during which the new "rder member remains spiritually 'supported'

by their $receptors. (uring this time at least, all substantial changes to the pattern of practice should be made only after consultation with the $rivate $receptor.

# major topic of discussion during this preparatory period will be how the itra is to practise Spiritual (eath and >ebirth effectively, since ordination represents decisiveengagement with these stages of spiritual life. Besides the application of these aspectsto the details of daily life, the $receptor and candidate will be trying to see how they

- $issya , 'reliance' or 'support'. In the monastic tradition, the newly ordained monk remains economically andspiritually dependent on their Teacher for five years, unless nissya is formally renounced, as Sangharakshita wasasked to do at his >rma!era ordination. 5ithin the TB", there is an understanding that for the first five years afterordination, a new (harmachari7ni should keep in regular and close contact with their $rivate $receptor, consultingthem on all major decisions before they take them and especially keeping in touch concerning the progress ofspiritual practice, obtaining their $receptor's consent before making significant changes to the pattern.


16/21

can be practised in daily meditation. 5hat emerges from these discussions will bethe practice that the $receptor will ritually introduce to the ordinand during theceremony, and that, by undergoing the ritual, they will implicitly undertake to doevery day. That meditation practice will contain a strong and e!plicit engagementwith spiritual death and rebirth.

It is not especially important that it is something altogether new or that it isencountered for the first time in the $rivate "rdination. It may be that these

preparatory discussions simply confirm or sharpen a practice that is already beingdone on a daily basis, perhaps giving it a new focus. In some cases, however, theordinand may encounter their practice for the first time during the ceremony itself,although its basis will already have been fully discussed beforehand. 5hat isimportant is that daily meditation after ordination is firmly connected to theordination ceremony and contains an e!plicit element of Spiritual (eath and >ebirth *

and that it is maintained on a daily basis.20 S#iritual (e!e#ti'ity: The $rivate "rdination eremony usually takes placewithin the conte!t of a retreat, whether short or long, which creates the right moodand atmosphere, often in a highly effective way. #t some point in the retreat the itrawho is to ordained finds him or herself alone in the "rdination shrine*room with their$rivate $receptor.

The ceremony opens with the making by the ordinand of the three traditionalofferings of flower, candle, and incense, setting the mood of receptivity andreverence. The verses of purification that follow further deepen this attitude%

/o1ing before the /uddha0 , purify my body0(hanting the sa"red mantras0 , purify my spee"h0 9 'ilently meditating0 , purify my mind#

True receptivity reDuires purity of body, speech, and mind, for negative karmicresidues close one off from the progressive trend in reality.

There then follows the reDuest% )ham /hante&)yye tisaranena saha dharma"hari-samvara-silamdhammam ya"ami# )nugaham atva silam detha me /hante&)yye#KI wish to take the Three >efuges together with the (harmachari7niordination vows, kindly give them to me, Bhante7#yye.L M

aking the reDuest itself signifies receptivity, especially in the sense of acceptance ofdiscipleship, both in relation to the $receptor and to his or her $receptors, going backto the founder of the "rder, 2rgyen Sangharakshita, and ultimately to the Buddhahimself. The formula is a traditional $ali one, again emphasising the ordinand's place

N 'The Sacred antras' here are, in the first place, those of the various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. ?owever,Sangharakshita also considers that the term could be applied to the recitation of the Three >efuges and the like thatserve the same function of connecting one with the Buddha and his Enlightenment.

M >ecently Duestions have been raised about using the terms 'Bhante' and '#yye' 9the honorific address of a lay personor junior monastic to a more senior monk OBhanteP or nun O#yyeP:, with their definite connotations in $ali traditionof the monastic*lay system. Some thought is being given to a change, with Sangharakshita's blessings.


17/21

as the recipient of a tradition. The brief e!change that follows%$receptor%?amaham vadami tam vadetha#@>epeat whatever I say.L

)ma0 /hante&)yye#KJes, Bhante7#yye.L

&urther reinforces the mood of receptivity, as does the continuing relative position of$receptor to ordinand throughout the ceremony, the one very definitely leading andthe other following% one giving, one receiving.

30 4oing for (efuge: The recitation by the ordinand of the triple formula of =oingfor >efuge is the true heart of the ceremony. In a sense everything else could bedispensed with, since this in itself signifies the decisive transition from a =oing for>efuge that is $rovisional to one that is Effective * and seeking to become >eal. Thisis the point, ritually speaking, at which the will of the individual is effectively aligned

with the progressive trend within reality.=oing for >efuge has been fully e!plored elsewhere so it reDuires no furthere!amination here ) lack of words, however, in no way represents lack of significance.

50 Undertaking the Ten Ordination 6o7s: The Ten $recepts ) in the ceremonytermed vows to emphasise the weightiness of undertaking them at this point ) are thee!tension of =oing for >efuge to the Three 3ewels into every area of life. They are, itmight be said, what =oing for >efuge to the Three 3ewels implies.

The $recepts themselves are another way of viewing the totality of the (harma life.They thus correspond to the five aspects of the system of practice% integration,

positive emotion, spiritual receptivity, spiritual death, and spiritual rebirth. In takingon the $recepts one is implicitly taking on the pattern of practice.

80 Witnessing and %onfirming: The $receptor witnesses the taking of the >efuges by leading their recitation. ?e or she checks, ' Tisaranagamanam sampunnamA6 * '#rethe Three >efuges complete ' Then, after similarly leading the recitation of the Ten$recepts, the $receptor confirms that both >efuges and $recepts have indeed been

properly taken%Tisaranena saha dharma"hari-samvara-silam dhammam

sadhu am sura hitam atva appamadena sampadetha#'?aving well observed the (harmachari7ni ordination vows, withmindfulness strive.'

This too is well*worn ground% the witnessing by the $receptor of the ordinand =oingfor >efuge is what makes it possible. #gain, lack of e!planation here should not betaken as minimising the importance of this aspect of the ceremony.

90 %ommitment to a meditation #ra!ti!e: #t this point in the ceremony, almostinvariably till now a mantra has been 'given', whereby the ordinand has beensymbolically introduced to the practice of a particular Buddha or Bodhisattva. 5hilst


18/21

it may still be the case that many will take on such a practice, it will not always, perhaps even mainly, be so. 5hat is to be 'given' is a practice that is appropriate to theindividual, emerging in relation to their own spiritual e!perience, and e!plicitlyworked out in terms of Spiritual (eath and >ebirth ) for it is these aspects of spirituallife and practice that Effective =oing for >efuge distinctively engages with.

5e have already seen that training in the Triratna ommunity, starting at the momentof first contact, should offer the individual the tools and guidance they need todevelop in accordance with their own nature and necessitates each of the five aspectsof spiritual practice% integration, positive emotion, spiritual receptivity, spiritualdeath, and spiritual rebirth. In the months and weeks before ordination they will have

been working with their $rivate $receptor to focus their practice under each of theseheadings, both in meditation and out of it. By the time of the ceremony itself, it will

be clear what their daily meditation practice will be, at least in outline, and how that

is to be related to Spiritual (eath and >ebirth ) whether or not the final pieces have been put together before the ceremony or not. This should be a form of practice thatthey realistically can maintain in the circumstances of their life and that is closelyconnected to the direction of their own e!perience and aspiration.

Some people will, in the course of their training and preparation, have developed astrong connection with the Buddha or with one of the archetypal Buddhas andBodhisattvas that embody the Dualities of bodhi ) that embody the progressive trendin conditionality beyond all self*clinging or, to put it another way, the processes ofthe (harma /iyama, functioning completely freely and spontaneously. If such anatural and mature attraction does genuinely e!ist then it may be appropriate for theordinand to take up regular contemplation of that figure. ?owever, if the figure is notthe Buddha of history himself, it should be clear that whoever is being meditatedupon is an aspect or embodiment of the Buddha's own e!perience. It should be deeplyunderstood and felt that what is being contemplated is not really different from theBuddha Shakyamuni.

It should also be clear that contemplation does not necessarily mean visualising in thesense of seeing something with one's mind's eye ) although for many it may. Theaccent should be on e!periencing the presence of the Buddha or Bodhisattva, throughwhatever imaginative medium, and entering into a communication in which devotionand gratitude flow upwards and blessings and teachings flow down. This could bedone using one of the sdhana te!ts authorised by Sangharakshita, or by means oftraditional buddhnusmi practices, or could emerge more directly from themeditator's own e!perience. The $receptor and ordinand need to work this out

between them and keep it under discussion. In many cases, the $receptor may suggestthat the ordinand speaks to another "rder member who has relevant e!perience ofthat way of meditating.

The contemplation of a Buddha or Bodhisattva is, very clearly, a practice of spiritualrebirth, which itself implies spiritual death. ?owever that latter dimension needs to be


19/21

more e!plicitly drawn out and reflected on within the conte!t of the practice, whetherthrough a stress on the >Bnya nature of the imagined presence or any other applicationof the la a!as to the e!perience. This too the $receptor will need to bring into focus.

In this kind of practice a mantra may or may not be used * the mantra being, of

course, the sound eDuivalent of the presence of the Buddha or Bodhisattva. Themantra may or may not be a traditional one ) it should be a set of sounds thatgenuinely and deeply invoke the relevant Dualities of Enlightenment for thatindividual. #ll this needs to be worked out between the $receptor and ordinand

before the ceremony.

Some people do not easily relate to a figure , yet do have a genuine sense of atranscendent Duality, whether it be complete purity, wisdom, compassion, or simplytotal freedom from the le>as or from the unwholesome roots. So long as that sense is

clearly related to the Buddha, through whom we have access to those Dualities, thesetoo can be valid means of contemplation, implying both spiritual death and rebirth.Indeed, for some, a very simple contemplation of the ending of greed, hatred, anddelusion may be enough.

#ll the practices commonly used within the Triratna ommunity are capable ofe!ploration in terms of spiritual death and rebirth. indfulness of Breathing can becarried out by means of the 1 stages of the )np!asati 'utta , thus drawing out theelement of spiritual death. #nd the practice can be closely related to the Buddha,since he himself taught it ) and it leads to the e!perience of bodhi that he realised.Similarly, the ettabhavana involves giving up self*clinging, especially in the'eDualisation' part of the fifth stage, and the final e!pansion of etta evokes the non*egoistic volition that arises when the Stream of the (harma is entered. E!plicitreflection on these elements will draw out spiritual death and rebirth. The same

principles can be applied to other practices.

#ll of this will have been worked out before the ceremony so that $rivate $receptorcan finally decide what practice to give the ordinand. In the ceremony itself at this

point, the $receptor will lead a brief epitomised version of the practice, drawing outvery e!plicitly the elements of spiritual death and rebirth. The ordinand simplysilently follows the instructions, doing their best to put them into practice there andthen. There is no need for the ordinand to repeat the mantra aloud after the $receptor,since this is not itself an initiation. By virtue of undergoing this part of the ceremonythe ordinand commits themselves to practising this meditation every day fromthenceforth.

The practice taken on at this point in the ceremony has in the past usually beenreferred to thereafter as that person's 'visualisation practice' or their sdhana . Since

many do not 'see' anything at all, even if they do undertake the contemplation of aBuddha or Bodhisattva, 'visualisation' is plainly often not the appropriate term.'dhana has usually been understood within the Triratna ommunity in rather


20/21

narrow and specific terms as referring to the kind of Buddha or Bodhisattvacontemplation that has till now been undertaken at ordination. The Sanskrit wordhowever has, among its meanings, a broader application to any form of effectivespiritual practice 9'leads straight to the goal':. 5e can thus e!tend our own usage ofthis term to include whatever practice is committed to at ordination for daily

meditation, whether or not it involves the form of a Buddha or Bodhisattva.

0 Initiation: Effective =oing for >efuge to the Three 3ewels as marked in the ritualof "rdination is the first step in a new life. "ne is effectively 'born again' as one whohas shifted the emphasis of their life from the saCsri" round to the progressive trendin reality, however far there may yet be to travel. This is not merely an inner change,

but a change in public identity ) which is of course more fully recognised in the$ublic "rdination eremony. This is truly a new beginning ) entry into 'the family ofthe Buddha'. The whole ceremony then is an initiation ) one might say, the initiation,

there being no need for more since everything is implicit in it."ne has =one for >efuge and that has been witnessed by someone who recogniseswhat one is doing because they have done it themselves. That =oing for >efuge has

been worked out in the detail of life in terms of the $recepts, with their implication ofthe entire pattern of practice, and in terms of the specific daily meditation practice towhich one is committing oneself. This is the basis for one's new life. The initiatorycharacter of the ceremony is symbolised specifically by the giving of a new name thate!presses one's new identity. The new name itself will have a definite (harmameaning ) and it does not matter whether or not it relates to one's own character% it isnot a 'personal' name, but one that signifies one's entry into a life that leads beyondthe merely personal.

The unity of the "rder lies in all its members having undergone and remained faithfulto this initiation, understood in the particular way that our teacher, 2rgyenSangharakshita has taught us, as set out here.

;0 Blessings: The ceremony concludes with the chanting of the $ali blessings%

/havatu sabbamangalam ra hantu sabbadevata'abbabuddhanu bhavena sada sotthi bhavantu te

/havatu sabbamangalam ra hantu sabbadevata'abbadhammanu bhavena sada sotthi bhavantu te

/havatu sabbamangalam ra hantu sabbadevata'abbasanghanu bhavena sada sotthi bhavantu te

In chanting these the $receptor e!presses his or her strong approbation of what hashappened and desire for the future well*being of the ordinand ) and this is a finalacknowledgement of the effectiveness of their new disciple's =oing for >efuge to the


21/21

Three 3ewels. It is also a reminder of the karmic conseDuences of the highly skilfulact of committing oneself in this way% as one spiritually dies more and moregenuinely, so the beneficial forces of the universe will support and protect one,

because one is aligning oneself with the progressive trend in reality.

*aking the !hange

#lthough all that has been discussed above amounts to no more than a clarification ofwhat has gone before, it should nonetheless make a major difference. To a greater orlesser e!tent, depending on individuals and circumstances, there should be a shift,gradual and subtle, in the way ordinations are understood and carried out and the way$receptors work with those they ordain, along the lines indicated in this paper. The

process of absorbing what this means must start with the $receptors, both $ublic and$rivate. In effect all will have to retrain in what it means to be a $receptor, in as much

as far more will now be e!pected of them. any will have to learn how to workmuch more closely with those they ordain, both before and after the ceremony. Theywill need to help them understand more clearly how to apply the principles of the(harma to their e!perience and to work more effectively with the processes that areunfolding within them.

If we can put what Sangharakshita is suggesting into practice more fully, new "rdermembers will get much more support and training than they have done in the past andthat will surely make the "rder much stronger. $erhaps even more significantly,senior "rder members who act as $receptors will themselves need to train more fullyand deeply so that they can face the spiritual challenge that is implied. They too willhave to die spiritually far more deeply and really, so that they may e!periencethemselves reborn in that stream of non*egoistic willing that is the bodhi"itta )ultimately the only reliable basis for carrying out the responsibilities of a $receptor.

(harmachari Subhuti,aes =wyn,

5ales.

-Mth /ovember -011

initiation_into_a_new_life.pdf

Documents