Question: What is ‘oral transmission’? What is the importance of this? What is the difference between receiving an oral transmission and just reading a Buddhist text by myself?
by Khenpo Tashi
Read the previous article here about the qualities of the Doors of Body, Speech and Mind.
Oral transmission is called ‘loong’ in Tibetan. It is passed to the next person through the voice, by speaking. It is a verbal lineage, from the Buddha himself up to now.
Even in the Sutra tradition, we need this oral transmission. Not totally required like in the Tantric tradition, but it is much better to find and have it.
Originator of the Teachings
When we speak about oral transmission (or oral lineage), we must talk about the source, the originator. The Sutras are really Buddha’s words. When Buddha Shakyamuni, as a Nirmanakaya*, gave out the teachings, people heard his voice, his words. This was directly from him.
When Buddha gave these teachings, his disciples received them. From Buddha to them, they received the ‘voice’ from the Buddha. They already made a connection with Buddha, through this ‘voice’ lineage. This teaching that they received, they can teach out, to others.
When the giver gives out to others, but the receiver only reads the teachings, because they also wrote the teachings down in the past, right? If this receiver only reads some written words and not receive the oral lineage, the voice, from the real Buddha, there is something missing.
But then, this person asks from the previous person, “Please read to me what the Buddha’s real words are.” Then, he listens. Then, that is reading out. This is oral transmission.
Buddha’s Words Contain Heavy Truths
With regard to the Sutra tradition, even if there is no oral transmission, the reader is still allowed to read the Sutras. Because the contents of the Sutras are not secret. The Buddha’s Sutra teachings are so profound and high, but they are generally not considered secret.
But, why we receive the loong, is because Buddha’s words are infused with soooo much blessings. His words are so significant. His words contain so much truth, so heavy a truth, so very blessed, very powerful one. It contains total, full, complete 100% truth. This is how we consider the Buddha’s words.
The person receiving, let us call him the second person, he hears the sounds, which are really, unmistakenly, words containing so much potential, influence, power; words whose most basic quality is about the most basic truths (of reality).
So, this is the beginning of lineage – which is receiving something very power-infused from another.
Lineage Preserves the Buddha’s Speech
Then, the third person, he didn’t have the chance to meet the Buddha. No chance to receive the Buddha’s actual words, not like the second person, right? So, the next best thing that contains the Buddha’s potential for this third person, is the oral lineage, the line of the Buddha’s words, from the second person.
If the third person did not get the words of the Buddha from the second person, where is the blessing? Where does the power, the strength, influence of the Buddha’s words remain? It stays in the second person, isn’t it?
This is what we consider the unfailing, the unbroken lineage of the Buddha’s words from Buddha Shakyamuni’s speech itself.
When we read the Sutras, and we were able to to receive this oral lineage in the past, then, the benefit, power, potential of our reading is greater. When we are reading this time, it becomes heavy with meaning, as if we are hearing the very profound teachings from the Buddha himself.
Through the energy of this oral lineage that one receives, when one reads the written words, one’s own defilements are purified and one earns merit. This is not the same when one goes to the library and reads a book or a newspaper. This reading has no blessing, no power to purify negative Karma or earn merit. Just ordinary words only.
The Quality of the Source
Remember that the Buddha’s words are the highest in terms of truth. Why? Because the source (of the words), the Buddha, has completely removed every single one of his defilements. Also, Buddha’s qualities are perfected to the fullest, like a continuously overflowing glass. That is why we call “completely perfect Buddha”, isn’t it?
That is why, someone can extract a lineage of the Buddha’s speech, directly from him, due to such great potential of the source.
The Quality of the Next Holders
For example, the oral lineage is passed on into the future and someone with a very wrong view receives the lineage. Through the combination of negative Karma and conditions, for instance, such a person ‘with mistaken view’ (Tib: log ta) appears.
This person has the oral lineage, but it breaks at him. It is like gold. Initially, the gold is pure, but when it is mixed with iron and stones, the pure gold is contaminated. Then, this gold is no longer pure, right? Similarly, oral lineage itself will not be contaminated exactly, but its potential will decrease when such a situation happens.
If 30 successive people are well-practiced, having perfected the listening, contemplating and meditating stages, having practiced the Dharma perfectly, with their confidence, faith and devotion completely intact, then the oral lineage across these 30 persons is intact.
Then, for the 31st person, he receives the original lineage. Initially, he has a pure mind. But, after sometime, this 31st person’s mind changes, such as, not believing in the Law of Karma. What happens is that the blessing or power of the oral lineage and the virtues of his mindstream, these stop. This happens through the strength of his disbelief in the Law of Karma.
This is the same principle for the oral lineage of the Sutras, the lineage of Tantric empowerments (Tib: wang), the lineage of extensive instructions (men ngag).
Qualified Writers of the Dharma
This is the reason why if we look at traditional Buddhism, it is quite strict on who can write a commentary on the Buddha’s words. Or who can be considered as an authorized teacher of the Buddhadharma.
For instance, Mipham Rinpoche’s Beacon of Certainty. That is his words, his voice. So, we have to receive the loong or the oral lineage from him for this writing.
As for who we are qualified to write about the Dharma, there are 3 types of criteria. The Three Criteria to be qualified to write Dharma Commentaries (Tib: ten choe tsam pei gyu sum). That is another topic.
In Summary
There is lineage in Buddhism because of the power of the speech and the power of the source – Buddha Shakyamuni. His speech contains power or potential due to the heavy truths that it contains.
Also, the Buddha, he can be an originator because he is completely unstained of defilements and obscurations. Also, he is overflowing with extraordinary good qualities. Thus, the teaching coming from him can also bring the receiver to that same state of the Buddha.
So, receiving these words, through oral lineage, whether in the Sutra or Tantra tradition, is a method to preserve the power of the Buddha’s speech, to communicate the truth of reality, of suffering and of Liberation from suffering, for example.
As for the succeeding holders, there are certain qualities that they must have to be a holder of the Buddha’s words. For instance, they must be well-practiced in the Dharma. By being pure vessels, the power of the Buddha’s words with them remain intact for the benefit of the next generations.
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*Nirmanakaya – a Buddha’s physical form, such as being a human being