bar sdom

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བར་སྡོམ
mid-vow. DKC

suppression of the breath [JV]

1) vow w limited time span, limited vow; 2) joining verses [IW]

1) vow with limited time span, limited vow; 2) joining verses [rtsom pa'i sde tshan class re re'i bar du sbyor ba'i joining? sdom tshig verses eg 'gzhung de'i bar sdom tshigs bcad gnyis pa'] [IW]

vow with limited time span, limited vow [RY]

Discussion

A mid-vow is halfway between a vow and a non-vow. It is a commitment or promise to do something that does not rise to the level of either a vow or a non-vow. It can be either virtuous or non-virtuous. Virtuous examples include vowing not to eat until you prostrate to the Buddha or committing to donating food for a month or half a month. Non-virtuous examples include vowing to kill someone or to steal something.

The translations "vow with limited time span" and "limited vow" are somewhat misleading. First of all, the mid-vow is not a vow because it not any one of the three vows, and because it can be either virtuous or non-virtuous. The latter reason pervades because vows are always virtuous. Secondly, the vows that have limited time spans--the fasting or brnyen gnas vows--are not mid-vows because they are vows of individual liberation. DKC