The Cult of Tara

WORSHIP 29
If the disciple does not purify himself in this process of the path
common to both types of Vehicle as we have described, he cannot
disentangle himself from this life, so that his desire to practice
the Law is unsteady. Since he awakens no unfeigned faith, he
cannot abandon his mind in the place of refuge. Since he gains
no firm certainty about karma and its effects, he is nothing but a
vulgar Buddhist who neither takes nor keeps his vows. Since he
awakens no disgust at this world, his prayer for liberation is
meaningless talk. Since he awakens no genuine intentional
thought of enlightenment whose roots are friendliness and compassion,
he is a follower of the Great Vehicle in name only. Since
he lacks a fervent desire to study the conduct of a Bodhisattva,
he does not awaken any real tranquility. Since there comes to him
no understanding of Calm or Insight, he is confused at the subtleties
of deep contemplation, and he awakens no certainty in the
view that there is no ' self.'
But if the disciple wishes to avoid these things, he first purifies
himself in the path which is common to both types of Great
Vehicle. This practice is by the great Atlsa, whose precepts mix
together three streams of traditional lineage—that given to Asahga
by the holy Maitreya, that given to Nagarjuna by the holy
Mafijughosa, and that of Santideva—and who maintained that
this must be performed whether one is setting out through the
gate of the Vehicle of the Mantra or the Vehicle of the Perfections.
THE RITUALIZATION OF MORAL ATTITUDES
Any society that regards magic as a real and potent force would certainly
desire its magicians to possess the attitudes of renunciation and
benevolence outlined above. Tibetan culture has erected a system
wherein the very exercises that allow the acquisition of magical
powers guarantee their proper use; and it is interesting to note how
these basic attitudes are perpetuated and constantly reiterated in
the contemplative rituals themselves. Not only do many rituals
begin, for example, with a contemplation and recitation of Vajrasattva
to purify the practitioner, but also every ritual must contain
what are called the "three holy things": the "holy awakening of the
thought of enlightenment during the preparations," the "holy nonobjectifiable
[i.e., the contemplation of Emptiness] during the main
part of the ritual," and the "holy dedication of merit at the ritual's
conclusion." The first of these three is often considered the "intentional"
thought of enlightenment (equivalent to the formula
T will save all beings . . ."), as opposed to the second, which is the
actual" thought of enlightenment (equivalent to the formula "I