What is the Moral Code or Discipline in Buddhism? The types of Moral Codes and what they entail. We make different commitments which are called vows. The first level is called the Pratimoksha Vow. This...
We make different commitments which are called vows. The first level is called the Pratimoksha Vow. This is a general vow for everyone. This basically means causing no harm: Giving up lying, cheating, stealing, sexual misconduct. Pratimoksha is actually a Sanskrit word that means personal liberation. So, when we take Pratimoksha Vows, we are trying to keep them with the intention of liberating ourselves from suffering, pain, from confusion.
Then there are Bodhisattva Vows. Those Bodhisattva Vows, we can take those too. The goal is to achieve the highest level of being: that of Buddha. It's a big step in not only helping yourself, but others as well. The Bodhisattva will undergo any type of suffering to help another being, whether it is a small animal or a person. Along with Buddha, Jesus Christ is also an example of a Bodhisattva. By entering the Bodhisattva way, the mind must become enlightened. And so the training begins by working on the Six Perfections. These are Generosity, Ethics, Patience, Effort, Concentration, and Wisdom.
There are also Tantric Vows, Refuge vows, and Ordination vows. Tantric practice is a highly advanced form of psycho-physical exercises, in order to achieve transformation of one's body and mind quickly into the perfected state of Buddha. These methods need to be taught by a qualified teacher. When you take a Refuge Vow you commit yourself to one master, the Buddha. It is the difference between Buddhists and non-Buddhists. You practice Dharma (listening and studying teacher's words to overcome your own delusions). When a person takes the Ordination Vows, they wear robes. They dedicate their life to Buddhism. It's like going from general program classes to foundation program, so just wanting more and more understanding, deeper understanding.
Ordination means living in the spiritual path to help others. If a woman wants to become ordained, she can become a Buddhist Nun. When a man gets ordained, he is called a Buddhist Monk. Depending on the monastery the person is sent there for varying lengths of time, before they are ordained.
In the ordination process, a person needs time to practice Dharma, by keeping distant from the objects of delusion. Practice is needed until the mind is stabilized in the realization of the three principal paths, if possible even up till one is an Aryan being (liberated). This is why monasteries and nunneries are needed. This is why monasteries have discipline. They discipline the mind. There you see the importance of morality.
You need a lot of meditation, a lot of time to study and meditate. The most important thing is to not distract the mind. The more negative Karma you can create, the more obstacles to realizations you make. And that means it takes longer and is more difficult to become free.
When you live in pure ordination, you engage much less in negative Karma. The idea is to have fewer external activities, work, fewer distractions, and therefore much more time for meditation, study. There are a lot of advantages to living the ordained life. There is a lot of time to meditate, study, and develop the mind.
