三昧耶戒(The Samaya Precept)

真圆阿阇黎

密法修行在接受其他大小乘戒律的基础上，还有一无上戒律。即三昧耶戒。
在密法修行加行完毕准备接受灌顶之前，必须受三昧耶戒，否则入坛灌顶绝无可能。

三昧耶samaya梵文本意有二①时间，这里的时间非指现在过去未来，而是如来说法瞬间(非过去非现在非未来，亦过去亦现在亦未来)；②佛与众生本来平等无二。在密法中则有四意①平等，②本誓，③除障，④警觉。一旦发心修行者必信，自性与佛、众生平等无二，无论修行遭遇如何障难而誓愿不舍正法。因三昧耶戒故，警觉定中诸佛菩萨，得到加持从而障难除却，修行顺遂，悉地易成。这里平等初意为菩提心平等。誓愿，即发起救度有情大慈悲喜舍心，诸佛世尊，乘此誓愿无住而住济度有情出离生死苦海至无余涅槃。警觉，乃行者以三密方便，警觉定中本尊，影向加持，本尊出定不违本誓加持行者速成悉地。除障，乃降服一切烦恼，转无明烦恼为无上菩提。

三昧耶戒是密法修行者根本戒律，违反此戒律所修犹如沙中起塔，石山播种，终不能有成。

三昧耶戒换言之就是五弘誓，即众生无边誓愿度，福德无边誓愿集，法门无边誓愿学，如来无边誓愿事，菩提无上誓愿证。由于密法乃师资相传，一切法门皆由师所传出，故三昧耶戒的核心落实到师徒关系就是尊师如佛，如果背师欺祖即是越三昧耶。

越三昧耶又名越法罪，指轻视三昧耶境界或者违越三昧耶戒。在密法修行者而言，越三昧耶是第一重罪。三昧耶乃自誓的意思，顾名思义越三昧耶就是违反自己的誓愿。轻视或者违越三昧耶的情形如：对未灌顶者讲说入坛灌顶事宜，对没有资格(缺乏慧根无大度量)者擅自予以灌顶，未经阿奢黎许可辄修密法或者阅读密教典籍或者持真言，没有经过悉昙传授而私学悉昙等等，如此之类皆违反密法祖制，无论如何修也不可能成就。

如果修行者于法、于众生生持不平等见解，就限制了平等誓愿，会被世间名利驱使，成就势必不能。违反三昧耶戒害己害人，“菩萨如护命，誓不犯此罪”。《大日经.密印品》云“若异于此者，同谤佛菩萨；违越三昧耶，决定堕恶趣。”《摄真实经》更云“越三昧耶重于五逆罪，堕落无间地狱，永无出离期”。

所以在《大藏经》密教部经典前总书有未经上师许可欲读密典须诵大轮金刚陀罗尼二十一遍，旨在提醒佛子慎莫越三昧耶！

The Samaya Precept

By Acarya Zhenyuan

Translated by Yuanhui

In Esoteric Buddhist practicing, there is a supreme dharma—samaya, besides all the precepts in Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism.

When an Esoteric Buddhist has finished the four diligent exercises, he must vow not to breach samaya before Abhiseka, or he will never enter into the madala.

In Sanskrit, samaya has two meanings: a, time, here time does not indicate the past, present and the future, but the moment that Buddha unveils the Truth; b, equality of Buddha and all beings. In Esoteric Buddhism, samaya has four meanings:
  a.      equality;
  b.      original vow;
  c.      removing the blocks;
  d.      alert.

Once an Esoteric Buddhist has an unyielding faith that his true nature is equal with Buddha and all sentient beings, he should not abandon Buddha’s right teachings no matter how hard the environment is. Because of samaya, he can alert Buddha and Bodhisattvas who’re in samadhi, thus removing the obstacles easily with their help until he reaches unconditioned nirvana. Alert, means the practioner alerts the sainted in samadhi with the three yogas of body, speech and mind, then he’ll be empowered by the sainted and achieve siddhi quickly. Removing the blocks is to control and turn poisons into supreme bodhi.

Samaya is the root precept for an Esoteric Buddhist; breaching samaya is like building stupa on sands and seeding on a tor, one will toil in vain.

Samaya can be understood as the five vows, that is, "vow to help innumerous beings attain nirvana, accumulate boundless blessing and wisdom, learn infinite Buddhist teachings, serve myriad Buddhas, and complete supreme bodhi." Since Esoteric Buddhism is passed on between an Acarya and his disciples, all dharma doors are opened by the Acarya; the core of samaya in mentoring is to serve the Acarya as Buddha. If a disciple deceives the Acarya behind his back, he has breached samaya.

Breaching samaya, also know as breaching dharma, indicates disregarding or breaching samaya, which is the most serious sin for an Esoteric Buddhist. Samaya is one’s vow; therefore breaching samaya is the same with breaking one’s own vow. The details are as follows:

Tell the practices in mandala to a person without Abhiseka;

Give Abhiseka to an unqualified person who is narrow-minded or lacks wisdom;

Practice Esoteric Buddhism, recite dharanis, learn Sanskrit or read esoteric sutras without an Acarya’s permission.

All these actions are against the conventions of Esoteric Buddhism. He may try everything but will achieve nothing.

If an Esoteric Buddhist holds an unequal view towards dharma and the sentient beings,then he breaks his vow of equality. He cannot achieve siddhi enslaved by secular fame and wealth.Breaching samaya will hurt oneself and others; therefore,“a bodhisattva pledges not to breach samaya in the way one cherishes his own life. Esoteric Mudra,the Maha Vairocana Sutra says “speeches against the sutra are the same with slandering Buddha and Bodhisattvas; breaching samaya will undoubtedly fall into evil destinies.”The Sutra Containing the Truth also says,“Breaching samaya is more serious than the five unforgivable sins, and will fall into the unintermittent hells without expiration.”

Therefore on the preface of all esoteric sutras in Tripitaka, there is always a warning: one must recite the Great Wheel Vajra Dharani twenty-one times, thus alerts Buddhists not to breach samaya.