THE UNIQUE FEATURES OF NEWAR BUDDHISMavoid these things you will obtain heaven."^20 They then lay aside their monk's
robes and put on the new set of clothes given them by their mother's brother on
the day of the pravrajyii. Finally they are given a mantra of Heruka Cakrasarp-
vara.21
According to the tradition of the Newars, the bare do not cease to be bhi/cyus
by the above rite, but pass from the state of celibate bhi/cyus to that of house-
holder bhi/cyus, a fact underlined by the name bhiksu or siikyabhiksu used to
refer to them down the ages. Allen records of the ceremonies in Patan, that after
their completion, the boy is taken home, where he is introduced to some elemen-
tary Vajrayana rituals by the family Vajracarya priest, after which the priest
addresses him along the following lines: "You have gone through Sriivakayiina
and now come to Mahayana, the greatest of the Buddhist yiinas. You have
participated in some Vajrayana rituals and after going through some higher ordi-
nations you will know what Chakrasambar is.'m From the viewpoint of
Vajrayana Buddhism, the initiated passes through successively higher forms of
Buddhism. Starting as a totally uninitiated boy, he is first initiated as a house-
holder (upiisaka). Then he becomes a Hinayana monk through the pravrajyii.
With the "laying aside of the robes" he embraces the Mahayana state and, if he
is a Vajracarya, he will be further initiated into the mysteries of the Vajrayana -
the adamantine way: the highest and most powerful of the Buddhist ways of
attaining enlightment.
Entrance into the ranks of the Vajracaryas is limited by birth; only the sons of
Vajracaryas may be initiated. The Vajracarya initiation, known in Newari as the
iicii-luyegu (the 'making of an iiciirya') and in Sanskrit as the paiiciibhiseka (the
'five consecrations') is always given after the bare-chuyegu, in Kathmandu
usually the day after the "laying aside of the robes", and in Patan at a later date.
The initiation consists of five tantric consecrations: the kalasiibhiseka (water
flask consecration), mukutiibhiseka (crown consecration), vajriibhiseka (vajra,
or diamond, consecration), ghalJtiibhiseka (bell consecration), and guhyiibhiseka
(secret consecration). The kalasa, ritual crown, vajra and bell are the imple-
ments which the Vajracarya uses for his performance of the ritual. The secret
consecration was originally the consecration of the tantric yogin with his consort
and symbolizes the union of prajiiii and upiiya (wisdom and means), the female
and male principles of Vajrayana philosophy. At present the candidates are pre-
sented with a flower garland and shown a picture of Heruka Cakrasarpvara in
union with his consort Vajravarahl. Following these consecrations, the candid-
ates are given a different mantra of Heruka Cakrasarpvara from the one they
were given before. They are then enjoined to secrecy about the details of these
initiation rites. In practice the secrecy is taken to refer to the mantra itself; this is
always passed from guru to disciple and never divulged or written down even in
the ritual texts.
Having taken these consecrations, the Vajracarya is empowered to perform
the homa sacrifice, an essential part of all major rituals, and to confer consecra-
tions. He is further empowered to perform the secret tantric rites in the iigam of