Yoga of Conduct

The Yoga of Conduct

from the Four Yogas of the Khandro Nyingtik

Homage to glorious Samantabhadra!

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.

1. Essence

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 tantra says:

The essence of conduct is to experience equal taste And to practise the path of the self-liberation of whatever arises spontaneously.

2. Modes

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. The Tantra of the Clear Realization of Dharmic Activities says:

Copying texts, making offerings, charity,
Study, reading, memorizing,
Explaining, reciting aloud,
Contemplating and meditating—
These ten are entrance ways to Dharma;
They are the path the guides have taken.

As this suggests, beginners practice the ten dharmic activities.

Then there is the training in separating the domains of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa (khordé rushen). The Union of the Sun and Moon says, "Conduct of body, speech and mind separating the domains of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa…" As this suggests, we train in separating the domains of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa.

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 (karmamudrā), while the non-desirous takes a consort of meditative experience. The same text says, "Consort-based conduct for making a path of yogic discipline…"

3. Definition

Conduct means engaging with—without suppressing—whatever perceptions might arise.

4. Subdivisions

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 tantra says, "Conduct is sevenfold in number."

5. Methods of Practice

On the subject of how to apply these types of conduct in practice, The Union of the Sun and Moon says:

With bee-like conduct,[1]
Savour the taste of all dharmas.
With deer-like conduct,
Avoid the what contributes to delusion.
With mute-like conduct,
Abstain from deluded speech.
With swallow-like conduct,
Eliminate doubt about secret methods.[2]
With madman-like conduct,
Avoid remaining consistent.
With lion-like conduct,
Let go of fear and visit charnel grounds.
With conduct like that of dogs and pigs,
Abandon concepts of cleanliness and filth.

6. Name

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…"

This reveals the regular yogic practice of conduct.

Samaya. Gya. Gya. Gya.

| Translated by Adam Pearcey with the generous support of the Tsadra Foundation, 2025.

Bibliography

Tibetan Editions

"thun bzhi’i rnal 'byor las/ spyod pa’i rnal 'byor" In snying thig ya bzhi. 13 vols. Delhi: Sherab Gyaltsen Lama, 1975. Vol. 10: 523–526 (2 folios)

Version: 1.0-20250211