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Refuge

Outer Refuge: Three Jewels

• Arrive at the aspiration “May I never be separated from Three Jewels, the source of refuge. There is nothing else I surrender to or rely upon. In this life, the next, and the bardo, I rely on the Three Jewels”.
• How to take refuge? Prayer is support. Relying on the buddha from depth of our heart is taking refuge. In a rainstorm, it is not enough to say ‘shelter’. We must take shelter.
• Whenever you see a representative of the Three Jewels, immediately arise the mind of refuge “I go for refuge”. Again and again, cultivate devotion. Again and again, go for refuge.
• Take refuge from the depths of your heart. After refuge your mind must not remain unmoved. There must be some change.
• ‘To take refuge’ means to rely on the Buddha. It is the beginning of the breaking of the habit of ‘I’.
• With regards to refuge, we also rely on the Teachings. This is path. Those who practice the Teachings is the 3rd Jewel we rely on.
• Take refuge until enlightenment is reached. Depend on Three Jewels for all future lives. This leaves imprint to practice life after life.
• Refuge practice is not finished until buddhahood.
• Develop the power of relying. When sitting, relying on buddha for support. [Skillful Means]
• How to take refuge in dharma? Study, contemplate and meditate.
• How to take refuge in Sangha? Request them to bring auspicious conditions on the path. Ask them to be friends. We cannot reach anywhere without them.
• Take refuge like you are a seed in mud and you want to become a flower.
• It is the mindstream that takes refuge. This body will be lost.
• Ultimate refuge is True Nature of mind. This is very profound.
• Go for refuge with sadness and sorrow for those beings who are lost in this vicious cycle, who due to their ignorance cannot find a way out. With faith and devotion, invoke the compassion of Three Jewels. Ask for blessings.
• A true practitioner takes refuge for others. Take refuge for all sentient beings.
• Bodhicitta is what we take refuge in.
• Permeate the directions with prayers of love and compassion for all sentient beings.
• If you want to become a doctor, first you have to go to school. If you want to benefit beings, first you have to take refuge. Step by step.
• Take refuge in buddha as the teacher, dharma as path, and sangha as companions.
• Seek protection from rebirth in samsara. This [refuge] involves a mind of renunciation.

• Take refuge in all Buddhas of the past, present, future combined into one.

• Don’t hold on to “I”. Completely surrender to the Three Jewels.
• In our daily life, when we meet fear, remember the Three Jewels. This is practice. This is phowa.
• Don’t use refuge for small purpose. Take refuge with compassion.
• We rely on Buddha after death. This is part of refuge.
• We lack the ability to provide our own refuge.
• Crying is not a source of refuge.
• By taking refuge, we receive Pratimoksha vows.
• Refuge promise is “I will not harm”.

• Each refuge recitation is a prostration because we approach with a mind of faith and devotion - faith that Three Jewels have acheived their purpose and devotion that they are here to help us.
• Each refuge recitation is an offering of bodhicitta because we include all sentient beings in our recitation. See that they really need refuge.
• Each refuge recitation is a confession. We have harmed sentient beings. We have committed negative deeds. That is why we need refuge.
• Each refuge recitation is rejoicing – we are filled with wonder to the qualities of the Three Jewels.
• Each refuge recitation is a request to turn the wheel of dharma – we fold our hands to make this request.

Inner Refuge: Three Roots

• Taking inner refuge means our mind becomes wisdom, releases from grasping as real. The object of refuge in not outside. The object of refuge is non-dual. When we realize wisdom, we ourselves become sangha.

Secret Refuge: Channels, Winds, Drops.