GENTLY WI-ITSPERED
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principle of the hinayana doctrine lies in the abandonment of all harmful actions, and in the maintenance of meditative absorption. No doubt you have seen that many Tibetan lamas wear robes of maroon and saffron colors, which are similar to the robes that the Lord Buddha once wore. These robes are a sign of their having taken special ordinations. Householders, persons who have a responsibility to their families, will seek less restrictive ordination, which, in Tibetan, are referred to as genyen. Depending upon his or her circumstances and the desire to follow ordination, the householder's vows can number three, four, or five. The basic three vows forsake killing, stealing, and lying. Additionally, one can vow abstinence from intoxicating substances, and/ or abstinence from sexual activity. The novice monk and nun take vows that are thirty-six in number, which include the basic genyen vows. Beyond this level exists the ordinations of the fullyordained monk and nun, which number in the several hundreds. Both the novice and the full ordinations are based upon the hinayana approach of practice; a person demonstrates they are observing these ordinations by the wearing of robes. One's Dharma practice should be based in the hinayana (regardless of whether or not one wishes to take special vows to demonstrate one's practice of the hinayana vehicle), as this is the basis of all practice. It is perfectly alright if one chooses not to be ordained as a monk or nun, because one accomplishes this path not by wearing robes, but by completely abandoning the ten negative actions and by instilling virtuous, wholesome behavior through the practice of the ten virtuous actions of body, speech, and mind. One does this with an understanding of karmic consequences and by knowing why it is better to lead a life based on positive rather than negative action. One actively employs this vehicle as an outer discipline, which equates to having constructed the foundation for one's house. Or, in the case of the three story building, one has completed the lower story. However, even if one were to perfect this practice, the complete realization of buddhahood would still be very distant. One needs to construct the second story of our illustrative dwelling, which in this case is the path of the mahayana.