Samaya

Samaya (Skt.; Tib. དམ་ཚིག་, damtsik; Wyl. dam tshig) — the vajrayana commitments taken when receiving empowerment.

Categories and Subdivisions

• In the Dzogchen tradition there are twenty-seven root samayas of the body, speech and mind and twenty-five branch samayas.

Alternative Translations

• word of honour (Light of Berotsana)

Teachings on Samaya Given to the Rigpa Sangha

• Sogyal Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 29 July 1994
• Khenpo Namdrol, Lerab Ling, 20 July 1995
• Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 26 August 1997 (Q&A session, includes teaching on breakages of samaya)
• Trulshik Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 7 December 2005
• Sogyal Rinpoche, Dzogchen Beara, 10 July 2010
• Sogyal Rinpoche, San Diego, 16 November 2011

Further Reading

• Tulku Thondup, Enlightened Journey: Buddhist Practice as Daily Life (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), 'The Empowerments and Precepts of Esoteric Training', pages 106-133.