In order to break through confusion, one needs to accumulate sufficient merit, requiring strict observance of precepts. There are Small-vehicle, Great-vehicle and Vajra-vehicle precepts. The observance of Small- vehicle precepts relates to the avoidance of misdeeds; that of the Great-vehicle relates to the practice of virtuous deeds; that of the Vajra-vehicle relates to non- duality and the equality of evilness and goodness, holiness and ordinariness. It is a view of great purity and equality, rendering everything pure and bright.

In Vajrayana, the practitioner needs to hold a view of great purity without considering anything to be either evil or virtuous - even if a thought relating to the impurity of the Saha World enters, a thought relating to cyclic existence, their samaya vows are contaminated. Rarely can people observe this samaya; those able to achieve this are extraordinary people. 

The precepts of the Small-vehicle, Great-vehicle and Vajra-vehicle are different. The Small-vehicle relates to individual liberation; the Great-vehicle relates to Bodhicitta; the Vajra-vehicle relates to samaya. When talking about the observance of these precepts, Jetsun Atisa said that he would not transgress those of the Small-vehicle even for one moment, but that he couldn’t be sure with regards to the Great-vehicle ones. This is because while the Small- vehicle precepts relate to the avoidance of misbehaviour, the Great-vehicle precepts relate to never abandoning any sentient being.

The Jetsun also said that he would transgress the samaya vows every now and then when discriminating thoughts arose. What can we do and how can we repent of our negative karma? We can recite the hundred-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva. According to the Buddha’s teachings, by reciting the hundred- syllable mantra twenty-one times a day, one can purify all their negative karma generated from the transgression of all precepts during that day.