A clear differentiation of the three codes

Abstract

Tibetan Buddhists often describe their religion, and the path of practice it teaches, in terms of "three vows" (sdom gsum)-namely, the three codes of discipline associated with the monastic traditions of the Vinaya, the progressive path of the bodhisattva, and the esoteric precepts of the tantras. Mastery of the three codes implies broad and deep scriptural learning as well as scrupulous attention to every detail of one's personal conduct and deportment. For such mastery to be recognized means the achievement of an authoritative status within the religious community. Hence, in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the three codes were subject to intensive scrutiny and became a focal point of sustained commentary and debate. Among the many works of Tibetan masters devoted to the three codes, none has en joyed more notoriety than A Clear Differentiation of the Three Codes (sDom pa gsum gyi rab tu dbye ba) by the celebrated author Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltshen (or Sapan, n82-125I), presented here in a Western translation for the first time. Not so much a text on the content of the codes themselves as an examination of the many particular questions that relate to the codes-questions that Sapan saw as subject to misunderstanding on the part of his Tibetan contemporaries- The Three Codes has a strongly polemical character. Thus it is easy to see why some readers found the work objectionable in places, others praised it, and all became fascinated by it. Few indigenous Tibetan writings have inspired so abundant and diverse a body of later commentary, commentary that rivals even that on the great Indian Buddhist treatises in its extent. Whatever one may conclude about the correctness of Sakya Pandita's opinions on any given topic, there can be no doubt that by raising so many questions so trenchantly, Sapan roused Tibetan Buddhists from doctrinal complacency and contributed mightily to the formation of the remarkable intellectual culture that has long distinguished the Buddhist monastic colleges of Tibet. It is for this reason that Sakya Pandita is remembered as the first of the three great thinkers renowned in Central Tibet as emanations of Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. The two who followed him-the great Dzokchen master Longchen R.abjampa (r3o8-r364) and the peerless scholar and adept Je Tsongkhapa (I357-I4I9)-were themselves indebted to Sakya Pandita in myriad ways. The translation offered here is the work of the American scholar Jared Rhoton (1941-1993), whose premature passing deprived us of one of our finest interpreters of Tibetan Buddhist learning. From his earliest contacts with Tibetan Buddhism and throughout his studies of Tibetan and Sanskrit in India, beginning in the mid-196os, Jared-or Sonam, as he was known to those of us who had the good fortune to meet him in India-was inspired by the Maii.jusri tradition stemming from Sakya Pandita. Through his learning and discernment, his wit and humility, Sonam indeed came to exemplify that tradition in an American iteration. Dr. Rhoton was an excellent and prolific translator of Indian and Tibetan Buddhist texts; neverthdess, his humility and sense of perfection dictated that his published works were few. A Clear Differentiation of the Three Codes is the most substantial of his writings to appear to date. Its publication is a result of the devoted efforts of his friends, who recognized the great value of his legacy. The vision of Mike Roche in creating the Sa pan Fund, the editorial expertise of Victoria Scott, and the Tibetological contribution of Dr. David Jackson have been fundamental in bringing this manuscript into print. Their fine and thoughtful work is a fitting tribute to an admired scholar, and to the bodhisattva who graced him.