Editing Vajrayana (section)

=== Vows and behaviour ===
{{main|Samaya}}
Practitioners of Vajrayāna must abide by various tantric vows or pledges called ''[[samaya]]''. These are extensions of the rules of the [[Prātimokṣa]] and [[Bodhisattva vow]]s for the lower levels of tantra, and are taken during initiations into the empowerment for a particular [[Anuttarayoga Tantra|Unsurpassed Yoga Tantra]]. The special tantric vows vary depending on the specific mandala practice for which the initiation is received and on the level of initiation. [[Ngagpa]]s of the [[Nyingma]] school keep a special non-celibate ordination.

A tantric [[guru]], or teacher, is expected to keep his or her ''samaya'' vows in the same way as his students. Proper conduct is considered especially necessary for a qualified Vajrayana guru. For example, the ''Ornament for the Essence'' of Manjushrikirti states:

{{poem quote|Distance yourself from Vajra Masters who are not keeping the three vows
who keep on with a root downfall, who are miserly with the Dharma,
and who engage in actions that should be forsaken.
Those who worship them go to hell and so on as a result.{{sfn|Tsongkhapa|2005|p=46}} }}