{"id":12557,"date":"1990-08-09T15:52:39","date_gmt":"1990-08-09T13:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/?p=12557"},"modified":"2026-04-30T20:53:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T18:53:56","slug":"the-yoga-of-conduct","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/?p=12557","title":{"rendered":"The Yoga of Conduct"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Pema Ledrel Tsal<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

The Yoga of Conduct<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

from the Four Yogas of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em>Khandro Nyingtik<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Homage to glorious\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em>Samantabhadra<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/em>!<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There are six aspects to how a child of noble family approaches the yoga of conduct: (1) the essence of conduct, (2) the mode of conduct, (3) the definition [of conduct], (4) its subdivisions, (5) the method of practice, and (6) the name for such conduct.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Essence<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

The essence of conduct is to treat joy and sorrow as equal in taste and enhance the view and meditation. No matter what suffering of body, speech or mind might arise, we integrate it into the path through the self-liberation of whatever arises spontaneously, not rejecting anything but applying recognition in the immediacy of desire. A\u00a0tantra<\/u>\u00a0says:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The essence of conduct is to experience equal taste <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And to practise the path of the self-liberation of whatever arises spontaneously.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. Modes<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

There are three stages to the modes of conduct. For beginners, the conduct through which one turns away from the ordinary is to train in the ten types of dharmic activity.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Tantra of the Clear Realization of Dharmic Activities<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0says:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Copying texts, making offerings, charity,
\nStudy, reading, memorizing,
\nExplaining, reciting aloud,
\nContemplating and meditating\u2014
\nThese ten are entrance ways to Dharma;
\nThey are the path the guides have taken.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

As this suggests, beginners practice the ten dharmic activities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then there is the training in separating the domains of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>sa\u1e43s\u0101ra<\/u><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>nirv\u0101\u1e47a<\/u><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(<\/span><\/span>khord\u00e9 rushen<\/span><\/span><\/em>).\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Union of the Sun and Moon<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0says, “Conduct of body, speech and mind separating the domains of sa\u1e43s\u0101ra and nirv\u0101\u1e47a\u2026” As this suggests, we train in separating the domains of sa\u1e43s\u0101ra and nirv\u0101\u1e47a.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then there is the training in adopting the path of yogic conduct. This is undertaken by someone with recognition in order to bring about further enhancement. It involves travelling to charnel grounds or empty valleys and behaving like a wounded deer or a beggar. As a companion, the desirous practitioner takes a physical consort (<\/span><\/span>karmamudr\u0101<\/span><\/span><\/em>), while the non-desirous takes a consort of meditative experience. The same text says, “Consort-based conduct for making a path of yogic discipline\u2026”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Definition<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Conduct means engaging with\u2014without suppressing\u2014whatever perceptions might arise.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4. Subdivisions<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

There are seven types of conduct: (1) bee-like conduct, (2) swallow-like conduct, (3) deer-like conduct, (4) mute-like conduct, (5) madman-like conduct, (6) dog or pig-like conduct, and (7) lion-like conduct. A\u00a0tantra<\/u>\u00a0says, “Conduct is sevenfold in number.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

5. Methods of Practice<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

On the subject of how to apply these types of conduct in practice,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Union of the Sun and Moon<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0says:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a> With bee-like conduct,<\/span><\/span>[1]<\/span><\/span><\/a>
\nSavour the taste of all dharmas.
\nWith deer-like conduct,
\nAvoid the what contributes to delusion.
\nWith mute-like conduct,
\nAbstain from deluded speech.
\nWith swallow-like conduct,
\nEliminate doubt about secret methods.<\/span><\/span>[2]<\/span><\/span><\/a>
\nWith madman-like conduct,
\nAvoid remaining consistent.
\nWith lion-like conduct,
\nLet go of fear and visit charnel grounds.
\nWith conduct like that of dogs and pigs,
\nAbandon concepts of cleanliness and filth.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

6. Name<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

When applying a name to this type of conduct, we can call it the transformative conduct of yogic discipline. A tantra says, “Transformative yogic conduct\u2026”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This reveals the regular yogic practice of conduct.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Samaya<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/em>. Gya. Gya. Gya.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

| Translated by\u00a0Adam Pearcey<\/a>\u00a0with the generous support of the Tsadra Foundation, 2025.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Bibliography<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Tibetan Editions<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n

“thun bzhi\u2019i rnal ‘byor las\/ spyod pa\u2019i rnal ‘byor” In\u00a0<\/span><\/span>snying thig ya bzhi<\/span><\/span><\/em>. 13 vols. Delhi: Sherab Gyaltsen Lama, 1975. Vol. 10: 523\u2013526 (2 folios)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Version: 1.0-20250211<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
    \n
  1. \n

    <\/a> A note in the text says that this refers to study, contemplation and meditation.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0↩<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    <\/a> A note says that this means applying the instructions without doubting their efficacy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Yoga of Conduct from the Four Yogas of the\u00a0Khandro Nyingtik Homage to glorious\u00a0Samantabhadra! There are six aspects to how a child of noble family approaches the yoga of conduct: (1) the essence of conduct, (2) the mode of conduct, (3) the definition [of conduct], (4) its subdivisions, (5) the method of practice, and (6) Continue reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[23,85],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12557"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12557"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12757,"href":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12557\/revisions\/12757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sangye.it\/altro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}