Worldly Vehicles
There are two kinds of worldly or mundane vehicles which, according to their result, are considered to be unmistaken or mistaken.
The first is the “vehicle followed by human and celestial beings” (lha mi thegs pa).
It allows rebirth in the highest forms of existence within samsara but cannot deliver from samsara altogether.
A brief summary of its view, meditation, action, and fruit follows:
View: The practitioner acknowledges the suffering of the lower realms of samsara and recognizes the laws of karma, of cause and effect (that negative acts will inevitably bring suffering and positive acts happiness), and the existence of past and future rebirths.
In this respect the practitioner’s understanding is considered to be correct. The aim, however, is limited to avoiding rebirth in the lower realms and gaining rebirth as a human being or as one of the three kinds of celestial beings.
Meditation: Striving to reach this goal, one practices the four contemplations (bsam gtan) and merges with the four formless states.
Action: To achieve this, the ten non-virtuous actions;
(killing,
stealing, and
sexual misconduct;
telling lies,
slandering,
gossiping, and
speaking harsh words;
envy,
ill will, and
erroneous views) are avoided.
Their opposites are actively practiced: the ten virtuous acts, while cultivating loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity (known as the four boundless thoughts).
Fruit: According to the strength of the meditation and the extent of her virtuous deeds, the practitioner will take rebirth in any of the higher realms of samsara from the human realm up to the realm of formless gods.
Some followers of the second kind of worldly vehicles, the mistaken ones, thoroughly lack understanding and ignore the karmic laws of cause and effect.
The nihilists have the wrong understanding in their assumption that there are no past and future lives. They are principally concerned with seeking power and pleasure in this present life.
The eternalists also have mistaken views such as thinking that there is a permanent, independent, all-powerful creator, himself without cause,
who decides the fate of beings and who produces impermanent phenomena despite being permanent himself. In short, the followers of these vehicles lack the views and means effective for achieving liberation.
