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THE THREE ROOTS

The Three Roots (Tibetan: tsa sum) of theTibetan Buddhisttradition are thelama(Sanskrit:

guru),yidam(Sanskrit: ishtadevata) and protector, which may be a khandroma(Sanskrit:dakini)or chokyong(Sanskrit:dharmapala). The Three Roots are the second of three Tibetan Buddhist

refugeformulations, the Outer,Innerand Secretforms of the Three Jewels. The 'Outer' form isthe 'Triple Gem', (Sanskrit:triratna), the 'Inner' is the Three Roots and the 'Secret' form is the'Three Bodies' ortrikayaof aBuddha.These alternative refuge formulations are employed by

those undertakingDeity Yogaand othertantricpractices within theTibetan BuddhistVajrayana

tradition as a means of recognizing the universality ofBuddha Nature.The Three Roots are

commonly mentioned in theNyingmaandKagyuliterature of Tibetan Buddhism. Unlike mostaspects of Tibetan Buddhism, which originated in India, the Three Roots may be an original

Tibetan formulation from the time ofPadmasambhava.[1]

The functions of the Three Roots are:

the Lama is the 'root of blessing' or 'root of grace'. the Yidam is the 'root of methods' or 'root of accomplishments' the Khandroma or Chokyong is the 'root of protection' or 'root of activity'[2]

In theYangzabcompilation ofDzogchentexts the 'Yangzab Three Roots' is the primaryDeity

Yogapractice. The Three Roots in this cycle are:Guru Rinpoche(the guru),Hayagriva(theyidam), andVajravarahi(the dakini). Thisempowermentis required for the practitioner to study

the YangzabTreasureteaching cycle. The three roots are symbolized in theGankyil.

Contents

[hide]

1 Correspondences 2 The individual 'roots'

o 2.1 Lamao 2.2 Yidamo 2.3 Protector

3 References 4 External links

[edit] Correspondences

Dilgo Khyentse,head of theNyingmaschool ofTibetan Buddhismuntil his death in 1991,

explainedThe Twilight Languagecorrespondences andpolyvalentmeaning of the Outer,Inner

and Secretaspects of the Three Jewels:

The outer three jewels are the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The Three jewels have an inner

aspect, known as the Three Roots: theGuru(or Teacher), who is the root of blessings; the

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Yidam,who is the root of accomplishment; and theDakini,who is the root of enlightened

activity. Although the names are different, these three do not in any way differ from the Three

Jewels. The Guru is theBudha[sic], the Yidam is theDharma,and the Dakinis and Protectorsare theSangha.And on the innermost level, theDharmakayais the Buddha, theSambhogakaya

is the Dharma, and theNirmanakayais the Sangha.[3]

Tibetan BuddhistRefuge Formulations

Outeror 'Three Jewels' Buddha Dharma Sangha

Inneror 'Three Roots' Lama(Guru) Yidam(Ista-devata) Khandroma(Dakini)

ultimateor 'Trikaya' Dharmakaya Sambhogakaya Nirmanakaya

Three Vajras Mind Speech Body

seed syllable blue hum red ah white om

The Three Roots formulation also fits into the framework of theThree Vajrasof aBuddhawherethey are seen as equating to the following forms: the protector is the Body, the Yidam is the

Speech and the Guru is the Mind. According to theHandbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols:

"The trinity of body, speech, and mind are known as the three gates, three receptacles or three

vajras, and correspond to the western religious concept of righteous thought (mind), word(speech), and deed (body). The three vajras also correspond to the three kayas, with the aspect of

body located at the crown (nirmanakaya), the aspect of speech at the throat (sambhogakaya), and

the aspect of mind at the heart (dharmakaya)."[5]

Pabongka Rinpocheidentifies theseed syllablescorresponding to theThree Vajrasas: a white

om(enlightened body), a red ah(enlightened speech) and a blue hum(enlightened mind).[6]

[edit] The individual 'roots'

[edit]Lama

In theTheravadaBuddhist tradition, the teacher is a valued and honoured mentor worthy of great

respect and a source of inspiration on the path toEnlightenment.[7]

In theTibetan tradition,

however, the teacher is viewed as the very root of spiritual realization and the basis of the entirepath.

[8]Without the teacher, it is asserted, there can be no experience or insight. The guru is seen

asBuddha.In Tibetan texts, emphasis is placed upon praising the virtues of the guru.Tantricteachings include generating visualisations of the guru and making offerings praising the guru.

The guru becomes known as the vajra(literally "diamond") guru, the one who is the source ofinitiation into the tantric deity. The disciple is asked to enter into a series of vows and

commitments that ensure the maintenance of the spiritual link with the understanding that to

break this link is a serious downfall.[citation needed]

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InVajrayana(tantricBuddhism) as the guru is perceived as the wayitself. The guru is not an

individual who initiates a person, but the person's own Buddha-nature reflected in the personality

of the guru. In return, the disciple is expected to shows great devotion to the guru, who theyregard as aBodhisattva.A guru is one who has not only mastered the words of the tradition, but

who has an intense personal relationship with the student; thus, devotion is the proper attitude

toward the guru.

[9]

TheDalai Lama,speaking of the importance of the guru, said: "Rely on the teachings to evaluate

a guru: Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism."He also observed that the term'living Buddha' is a translation of the Chinese words huo fuo.

[10]

Theguru,who inTibetan Buddhismis generally thelama,is considered to be the most importantof the 'Three Roots' since the guru embodiesenlightenedmind and without their personal

guidance, the student cannot progress. "The living teacher proclaims to the student through his or

her very existence that awakening is not only possible but immediate for every living being".[11]

ThroughGuru yogapractices, theVajrayanastudent becomes familiar with therefuge treeand

lineagewithin which the guru is teaching. The 'root guru', or tsawe lama, with whom the studenthas a personal relationship, is visualised at the root of the tree, channeling the blessings of all the

branches of the refuge tree to the student. The blessings are accessed through the practitioner'sdevotion.

[edit]Yidam

The second root is the meditational deity oryidam.Theiconographyof the yidam may be

'peaceful', 'wrathful' (Tibetan tro wa) or 'neither peaceful or wrathful'(Tibetan:shi ma tro),

depending on the practitioner's own nature.[12]

The yidam represents awakening, so itsappearance reflects whatever is required by the practitioner to awaken. The guru guides the

student to the yidam appropriate for them, then gives theminitiationinto themandalaof theyidam.In essence, the mind of the guru and the yidam are one. The yidam is considered to be the

root of success in the practice.

[edit]Protector

The third root is the protector, the root of action or the enlightened activity of realized beings. In

the case of theNyingmaschool ofTibetan Buddhismthe protector is thedakiniin the other,

'Sarma', schools the protectors may be adakini,adharmapalaor other Buddhist enlightenedbeings. In theNyingma,thedakiniis guardian of the secret oral, or 'whispered ear' tradition and

so always serves as the third root. In the other Tibetan Buddhist schools, the 'Sarma'schools,

there are many different forms of protector. The protector in these schools may be adakiniorany of a variety of oath-bound spirits, subdued bytantricyogioryogini.

Judith Simmer-Brownpoints out that:

The dakini, in various guises, serves as each of the Three Roots, and may be a human guru, a

vajramaster who transmits theVajrayanateachings to her disciples and joins them insamayacommitments. The wisdom dakini may be ayidam,a meditational deity; femaledeity yogassuch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattvahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattvahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattvahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-isbn0-8264-1113-4-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-isbn0-8264-1113-4-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-isbn0-8264-1113-4-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalai_Lamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalai_Lamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalai_Lamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-urlThe_Teacher_-_The_Guru-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-urlThe_Teacher_-_The_Guru-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-urlThe_Teacher_-_The_Guru-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refuge_treehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refuge_treehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refuge_treehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lineage_%28Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lineage_%28Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Roots&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Roots&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Roots&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_%28Tibetan_Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_%28Tibetan_Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_%28Tibetan_Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Roots&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Roots&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Roots&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmapalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmapalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmapalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarma_%28Tibetan_Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarma_%28Tibetan_Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarma_%28Tibetan_Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoginihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoginihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoginihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Simmer-Brownhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Simmer-Brownhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deity_yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deity_yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deity_yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deity_yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Simmer-Brownhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoginihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarma_%28Tibetan_Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmapalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakinihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Roots&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_%28Tibetan_Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yidamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Roots&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lineage_%28Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refuge_treehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-urlThe_Teacher_-_The_Guru-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalai_Lamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Roots#cite_note-isbn0-8264-1113-4-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattvahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayana

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asVajrayoginiare common inTibetan Buddhism.Or, the dakini may be a protector; the wisdom

dakinis have special power and responsibility to protect the integrity of oral transmissions[

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