The Tree of Enlightenment

initiation. ese methods or keys are (i) the vision with which
he is supplied in the context of the initiation, when he sees for
the first time, in symbolic form, the sacred and purified universe;
and (ii) the mantra appropriate to the tutelary deity that he is
given in the course of the initiation.
By means of this vision and this mantra, the disciple can recreate
the sacred vision, reintroduce himself to the sacred experience,
and re-identify himself with the sacred universe. is will
occur subsequent to the initiation, in the practice of the meditation
appropriate to the particular tutelary deity whose initiation
the disciple has received. In the context of this meditation,
he will use the keys received during the initiation – the vision
and the mantra – to recreate, reintroduce, and re-identify himself
with the sacred experience on his own. He will then no longer
need the support, the external environment, of the initiation.
Rather, he will be able to recreate, reintroduce, and re-identify
himself with the pure experience represented by the initiation
by means of the elements he received there. is is the primary
role and function of the Vajrayana initiation.
Like other initiations, the Vajrayana initiation brings with it
certain commitments that must be respected and preserved by
the disciple. Prosaic cases, such as licensing to drive motor vehicles
or to practice medicine, also bring with them a commitment
to respect certain codes or rules of action and intention. Similarly,
in the Buddhist tradition as a whole, rites such as taking refuge
and ordination into the monastic order bring with them certain
commitments the disciple is expected to fulfill.
In very general terms, there are three sets of commitments
in the Buddhist tradition – those appropriate for individual lib-
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