ABSTRACT
We can see from this synopsis of the six lower vehicles that the observance of vows and commitments is intimately connected with the view and meditation upheld at each stage of development. The Śrāvakayāna which emphasizes the selflessness of the individual requires vows of arduous renunciation. The Pratyekabuddhayāna with its subtler appreciation of dependent origination can sustain the same vows with less effort. The Bodhisattvayāna with its base in compassion and discriminative awareness requires commitments of total sacrifice for the sake of others. The Kriyātantra requires the yogin to adopt an attitude of purity vis-à-vis the meditational deity, and Yogatantra requires the yogin to reject those views which distance him from union with the meditational deity, and at the same time maintain purity by avoiding contact with violators of the commitments.
