Pratimoksha vows

From Hinduismpedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Ceg.jpg



The vows of pratimoksha (Skt. pratimokṣa-saṃvara; Wyl. so thar gyi sdom pa) or vows of ‘individual liberation’ (Skt. pratimokṣa; Wyl. so sor thar pa) mainly Template:Wiki disciplining one’s physical Template:Wiki and not harming others.

Pratimoksha discipline is called the foundation of Buddhism because for ordinary people physical discipline is the beginning of spiritual training and the basis of spiritual progress.

The aspiration of the pure pratimoksha discipline is the achievement of liberation for oneself, as it belongs to the shravaka training.

However, since Tibetan Buddhists are automatically followers of the Mahayana, they Template:Wiki taking the pratimoksha vows with the attitude of bodhichitta.


Seven Types of Pratimoksha Vows[edit | edit source]

These are the vows of:


  1. a fully ordained monk (Skt. bhikṣu; Tib. Template:BigTibetan) or
  2. a fully ordained nun (Skt. bhikṣuṇī; Tib. Template:BigTibetan);
  3. a novice monk (Skt. śrāmanera; Tib. Template:BigTibetan) or
  4. a novice nun (Skt. śrāmanerikā; Tib. Template:BigTibetan);
  5. a female novice in training for full ordination (Skt. śikṣamāṇā; Tib. Template:BigTibetan) and
  6. a male lay practitioner (Skt. upāsaka; Tib. Template:BigTibetan) or
  7. a female lay practitioner (Skt. upāsikā; Tib. Template:BigTibetan).


There are sometimes said to be eight types of pratimoksha vows.

The eighth category is that of the one day lay vows (Skt. ashtangopavasa shiksha; Tib. Template:BigTibetan nyen né).


Further Reading[edit | edit source]

Template:Nolinking


Template:RigpaWiki