In bodhichitta - the nature of nadis, prana and bindu. Since the worlds of living beings are immeasurable
Translation from Tibetan: B. Erokhin. Editor: B.I. Zagumenov
388 pages, hardcover
The classic work of the patriarch of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism is one of the first encyclopedic reviews of the views and practices of Mahayana Buddhism and the Diamond Chariot, which served as a model for the creation of a number of such works. The book belongs to a class of literature detailing the stages of practitioners' progress on the path to achieving Buddhahood, as well as the key concepts of Buddhism. The high literary merit and philosophical depth of the book make it not only a desktop guide for every Buddhist practitioner, but also one of the most remarkable monuments of Buddhist literature.
Translation from English: Farida Malikova
216 pp., hardcover
This is one of the earliest Dzogchen texts, in which Manjushrimitra laid out the fundamentals of the teaching he received from Garab Dorje. The book includes another small text: "The Oral Instruction is a tantra about the practice of developing a state of pure and total presence."
Translation from English by Farida Malikov
192pp., hardcover
The second volume of The Light of Wisdom contains Padmasambhava's famous text Lamrim Yeshe Ningpo, as well as a commentary on it by Jamgon Kongtrul entitled "The Light of Wisdom" and notes on Jamyang Dragpa's commentary. The book contains in-depth explanations of the Buddhist Vajrayana, from the essence of initiation and tantric obligations to an explanation of the generation stage.
Volume 2 provides in-depth explanations of the Buddhist Vajrayana, from the essence of initiation and tantric obligations to an explanation of the generation stage. The root text of Lamrim Yeshe Ningpo-terma, discovered by the great terton Chokgyur Lingpa, incarnations of the great translator Vairochana, together constitute a complete treatise, embracing all the tantras, agamas, and upadeshi traditions of the ancient translations of the Nyingma school. Such a treatise is very rare to find in the past, present or future.
texts by PadmasambhavaTranslation from English: Farida Malikova
304 pp., hardcover
This book is a vivid example of the Tibetan genre of spiritual literature "namtar", a spiritual biography that tells about progress along the path of the Teaching and the achievement of complete liberation. Its main character is Yeshe Tsogyal, a close disciple and wife of Guru Padmasambhava. The life of the heroine fell on a key period in the history of Tibet, when Buddhism came there from India and began to spread.
The instructions on taking refuge 1, the cornerstone of all paths, are divided into three sections:
Different types taking refuge.
[Four] Ways of Taking Refuge.
Instructions on taking refuge and the benefits [from taking refuge].
Generally speaking, taking refuge opens the gates of all teachings, and faith opens the gates of taking refuge. Therefore, before taking refuge, it is important to generate firm faith in your mind.
1.1. [Three Kinds of Faith]
Faith is also divided into three types:
faith [based on] rapture;
faith [based on] desire;
faith [based on] conviction. 2
When we visit [places such as] temples, where many objects symbolizing the body, speech and mind of the Buddha are collected, meet teachers, mentors and other exalted people, or hear about their life stories and virtues, all this can instantly engender in us reverent thought: “How great is their compassion!” The resulting faith is called rapture faith.
1.1.2. Faith Based on Desire 1
The desire to be free from the suffering of the lower worlds of samsara that appears in us when we hear about such suffering; the desire to gain the pleasures of the higher worlds of samsara and nirvana, which appears in us when we hear about such pleasures; the desire to accumulate merit that arises in us when we hear about the benefits of it; the desire to give up bad deeds, which appears in us when we see the harm they cause - all this generates [faith], which is called faith, [based on] desire.
1.1.3. Faith based on conviction 2
When we learn about the extraordinary virtues and power of blessings of the excellent Three Jewels, faith is born in the very depths of the heart, thanks to which we see in the Three Jewels an eternal and unchanging protection that protects us always and everywhere. In happiness and in sorrow, in sickness and sorrow, in life and death, no matter what happens, we seek salvation only in the unchanging protection of the Three Jewels, with faith and hope we rely only on them. Such faith, filled with selfless devotion, is called faith [based on] conviction.
Orgen Rinpoche said:
Faith filled with selfless devotion attracts blessings.
If the mind is free from doubt, all your desires will be fulfilled.
pos to him, faith is like a seed from which all the benefits of the white Dharma 3 grow, and the absence of faith is like a burnt seed.
The sutras say:
For those who don't have faith
White Dharma will not be born,
Like burnt grain
Does not give green shoots.
In addition, faith is the main of the seven riches of the Aryans. It is said:
Precious Wheel of Faith
Day and night moves you along the path of virtue.
It is said that faith is the best of riches.
And she, like a treasury, contains inexhaustible virtues; like legs, carries you along the path of liberation; like a pair of hands, gathers all the blessings of the Dharma into your mind.
Vepa is the best of riches, treasures and legs.
Like a pair of hands, she is the main means of collecting merit.
Although the Three Jewels have an inconceivable [many] blessings and graces, whether these blessings and graces reach your mind depends entirely on your faith and devotion.
Therefore, if you have the highest faith and devotion, you will receive the highest blessings and favors from the Guru and the Three Jewels. If your faith and devotion are average, then blessings and favors will be average. If faith and devotion are small, blessings and favors will be small. If there is no faith and devotion at all, you will not get any benefit, even if you meet the Buddha himself. This is told in the above story of the monk Sunakshatra and in the story of Devadatta, the cousin of the Buddha. one
If the heart is full of faith and devotion, then the Buddha still appears and gives blessings to those who call on him in prayer. Indeed, for the compassion of the Buddha, there is neither far nor near.
To the one whose mind is imbued with devotion,
The Buddha appears and gives initiations and blessings.
The great Orgen Rinpoche said:
For the men and women devoted to him
Padmasambhava has not gone anywhere, but is sleeping at the door.
I don't know death.
Padmasambhava is always in front of those who believe in him.
If you have faith [based on] conviction, Buddha's grace can be present in everything. As they say, "thanks to faith, a dog's tooth helped the old woman become a Buddha."
Once upon a time there lived an old woman, and she had a son who was a merchant, who often visited India on business. His mother asked him: "They say in There is a place in India, Bodhgaya, where the Buddha himself lived. Bring me some shrine from there that I could pray for.” She repeated this to him many times, but the son always forgot about her request. Once, when the son was going to India again, the mother said: “If you don’t bring me a shrine this time, I will kill myself in front of your eyes!”
The son went to India and went there with his head in affairs. [About the mother's request] he remembered only on the way back, not far from home. "What same do? - he thought, - again I did not bring my mother a shrine for which she could pray. If I go home empty-handed, my mother might kill herself." Thinking so, he looked around and saw a dog's skull lying by the side of the road. He pulled a tooth out of it and wrapped it in silk. [Having returned home] he handed it to his mother, saying: "This is the tusk of the Buddha, pray for it."
The old woman believed that this dog's tooth was indeed the tooth of the Buddha, and her faith increased even more. She constantly worshiped him and made offerings. Thanks to this, sacred pearls began to pour out of the dog's tooth 1 . When the old woman died, [above her] they saw a rainbow halo. It's not that the dog's tooth was a source of blessings. The great faith of the old woman that the tooth was genuine made it a source of blessings, so that it became indistinguishable from the tooth of the Buddha.
And there was also a simpleton who lived in Kongpo, who was nicknamed Jowo Ben 2. He went to Ahasa to bow to Jowo Rinpoche 3 . When Ben approached [the statue of] Jowo Rinpoche, there was no altar keeper or visitors around. Seeing the offerings and burning oil lamps on the altar, Ben thought that Jowo must be eating the offerings by dipping them in oil, and the lamps are lit to keep the oil from freezing. Then he also decided to refresh himself and began to eat, pinching off pieces of tsampa from the sacred tormas and dipping them in an oil lamp. Looking into Jovo's face, he said:
You always smile, even if the dog carries offerings from you. You smile when the wind blows out the lamps. One who does this is indeed a good lama. I will trust you to guard my boots while I make my sacred circuit around you.
So saying, he took off his boots and placed them next to Jowo Rinpoche. While he was making his rounds, the servant of the temple returned. He was about to throw away his boots, but then the statue of Buddha spoke:
Don't throw away your boots: Ben of Kongpo has assigned me to look after them.
Returning, Ben took the boots and said:
They don't call you the good lama for nothing. Come to our village next year. I will slaughter a pig and give you meat. I'll also brew beer from ripe barley and wait for you.
I will come,” said Jowo Rinpoche. Returning home, Ben said to his wife:
I invited Jowo Rinpoche to visit. It is not known when he will come, so wait for him.
The next year, the wife once went to fetch water and saw the reflection of the statue of Jowo Rinpoche on the surface of the water. She rushed home and said to Ben:
There is something in the water. Maybe this is your guest?
Ben immediately ran [to the river]. Seeing the statue of Jowo Rinpoche, he thought, “What if Jowo Rinpoche fell into the water?”
He dived into the water and indeed found Jowo Rinpoche there. Ben pulled it out and went home with it. On the way, they came close to a huge stone, and then Jowo Rinpoche said:
I will not enter a layman's house.
The place where the imprint of Jowo Rinpoche's body appeared on the stone is called Dole Jowo, and the river where his reflection appeared is called Chu Jowo 1 . Even today, people worship and make offerings to them, because they believe that in terms of the strength of blessings there is no difference between these two places and the statue of Jowo in Lhasa.
And in this case, it was Ben's firm faith that brought him the grace of the Buddha. Otherwise, for the [blasphemy] that Ben committed - he ate offerings with oil from a lamp and placed his boots in front of a sacred image - only severe punishment should have been expected. Only the power of faith turns such deeds into good ones.
In addition, the true comprehension of the absolute truth of the natural state 1 also depends solely on faith. In the sutras [Buddha] says:
O Shariputra, absolute truth can only be realized through faith.
Through the power generated by wholehearted faith, the mind receives the blessings of the Guru and the Three Jewels. This gives rise to true insight 2 that allows one to understand the true meaning of absolute truth, which in turn awakens trust in the Guru and the Three Jewels, resulting in exceptional, unshakable faith 3 . Thus, insight into the state of nature and faith born of trust mutually reinforce each other.
Long ago, when preparing to leave Jetsun [Milarepa], Dagpo Rinpoche asked:
When will the time come to take care of the disciples?
Jetsun replied:
After a while you will have a clear understanding. And then you will see the essence of the mind very brightly, not like now. When this happens, such firm faith will be born in you that you will consider even me, an old man, to be a true buddha. That's when the time will come to take care of the students.
So, whether or not you receive the flow of grace and blessings of the Guru and the Three Jewels depends only on your faith and devotion.
Once upon a time, a student casually said to Jo-wo-je Ahachig:
Atisha, give me blessings!
Show your devotion first, slacker! - followed the answer. four
1.2. [Taking refuge depending on the motive]
Depending on the motive, taking refuge with such faith is also divided into three types.
1.2.1. [Taking Refuge of a Small Being] 5
If one takes refuge out of fear of the sufferings of the three lower realms—hell, pretas, and animals—and simply strives for the happiness of the higher realms—humans and gods, then this is called taking refuge by a small being.
1.2.2. [Take Refuge by an Average Being] 1
If you realize that samsara is never free from suffering, whether you are born in the higher or lower realms, and you take refuge in the Three Jewels just to find the peace of nirvana free from suffering, then this is called taking refuge by an average being. .
1.2.3. [Take Refuge by a Great Being] 2
If you see that all beings are living in the great ocean of samsara's endless suffering, enduring an inconceivable multitude of calamities, and you take refuge to bring all beings to unsurpassed, perfect Buddhahood, full of omniscience, then this is called taking refuge by a great being.
Thus, from these three motives, one should choose the urge of the great ones - to bring innumerable sentient beings to perfect Buddhahood. Although, at first glance, happiness in the higher worlds of gods and people may seem eternal, in fact it is not free from suffering. When the reasons for enjoying happiness in the higher worlds are exhausted, its inhabitants again fall into the lower worlds. Why strive for the happiness of the higher worlds if it is fleeting? Even if we, like Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, acquire [Hinayan] nirvana, that is, peace and tranquility only for ourselves, while all other living beings - our parents from beginningless time - are drowning in the ocean of suffering of endless samsara, this will not be right. .
Since taking refuge in the Three Jewels, stemming from the desire to bring all sentient beings to Buddhahood, is entering the path of the great ones, the path of immeasurable goodness, it is from this motive that one should proceed.
in the shastra Ratnavali LXXVIII says:
Since the worlds of living beings are immeasurable,
The desire to help them should be just as boundless.
2. The [Four] Ways of Taking Refuge
According to the ordinary vehicles 3, one takes refuge by recognizing the Buddha as the teacher, the Dharma as the path, and the Sangha as companions to help one successfully follow the path.
According to the methods of the special vehicle of the Secret Mantra, one takes refuge by offering one's body, speech, and mind, relying on the Deva as a support, and on the Dakini as companions.
According to the best method of the Vajra Essence 1, on the fast path one takes refuge by using the nadis, controlling the pranas and purifying the bindus, which become nirmanakaya, sambhogakaya and dharmakaya respectively.
[The Dzogchen Refuge] the supreme unerring Vajra Refuge in the natural state 2 relies on the great inseparable primordial wisdom whose essence is emptiness 3 , nature is clarity 4 , and compassion is omnipresence 5 ; it resides in the minds of the deities of refuge as the ultimate goal to be realized in one's own mind. Here refuge is taken in a state of going beyond [concepts] 6 .
2.1. [Visualization]
When you have fully mastered all the above methods of taking refuge, you actually take refuge, for which you need to imagine an assembly of the deities of refuge 7 .
Imagine that the place where you are is a beautiful, delightful land of the Buddha, made of jewels. The ground there is smooth as a mirror, without any unevenness, mountains and valleys. In the middle, right in front of you, is a wish-fulfilling tree 8 whose five branches, abounding in leaves, flowers, and fruits, stretch out in all directions, filling the sky to the east, south, west, and north. All leaves and branches are decorated with precious bells, bells, pendants and various garlands. On the middle branch is a precious throne supported by eight great lions. On the throne lies a lotus with multi-colored petals, [and on top of it] the sun and moon. On them sits your glorious root guru - an incomparable treasury of compassion, the personification of the essence of all the buddhas of the past, present and future, gathered together, appearing in the guise of the great Vajradhara from Uvdiyana 9 . He is pinkish white, has one face, two arms and two legs; he sits in a regal posture. In the right hand, the fingers of which are folded in the mudra of threat, is a golden five-pointed vajra. In the left hand, the fingers of which are folded in the mudra of samadhi, there is a bowl-skull, and in it is a vessel with the nectar of the wisdom of immortality, adorned with a branch of a wish-fulfilling tree. He wears a tantrika robe 1 , a monk's robe 2 and a king's robe 3 , and his headdress is a lotus cap. He sits united with his wife, the white dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, who clutches a curved knife and a skull cup full of blood [in the right and left, respectively].
Imagine this image in front of you, facing you. Above his head, imagine all the lineage gurus 4 sitting in ascending tiers. Although, generally speaking, there are countless lineage teachers, the root lineage gurus Dzogchen ningtig are:
Dharmakaya Samantabhadra 5,
Sambhogakaya Vajrasattva 6,
Nirmanakaya Garab Dorje 7,
Acharya Manjushrimitra 8,
Guru Shrisingha 9,
Scholar Jnanasutra 10,
Great pandita Vimalamitra 11,
Padmasambhava from Oddiyana 12,
Dharmaraja Trisong Deutsen 13,
Great Translator Vairochana 14,
Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal 15,
Omniscient Longchen Rabjam 1,
Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa 2 .
All of them must be represented with their own decorations and objects - they sit on thrones, one above the other, and the top one does not touch the head of the bottom one. They are surrounded by an incomprehensible multitude of yidams - a collection of deities of the four sections of Tantra, as well as hosts of dakas and dakinis.
On the front branch is Buddha Shakyamuni, surrounded by one thousand and two Buddhas of auspicious kalpa, as well as other Buddhas of ten directions and three times: past, present and future. All of them are in the guise of the highest nirmanakaya 3: dressed in monastic clothes 4 , marked with thirty-two signs of a Buddha, including ears 5 on their heads and signs of a wheel on their feet, as well as eighty minor bodily signs. They sit cross-legged in the vajra posture. Their body color is white, yellow, red, green and blue. 6 Imagine that their radiant bodies emit countless rays of light.
On the branch to the right [of the Guru] are the eight great bodhisattvas, chief among them Manjushri, Vajrapani and Avalokiteshvara 7 . They are surrounded by a noble sangha of bodhisattvas, white, yellow, red, green and blue. Dressed in thirteen sam-bhogakaya ornaments and robes, they stand with their feet together.
On the branch to the left [of the Guru] are Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, two eminent shravakas, surrounded by a noble sangha of shravakas and pra-tyekabuddhas. Imagine them white, in three-piece monastic robes; they stand holding staffs, begging bowls, etc.
On the far branch is the precious Dharma in the form of stacks of books. Crowned with six million four hundred dzogchen tantras, they lie in a sparkling weave of rays of light, labeled to you. Imagine that they themselves make a hum of vowels and consonants.
The rest of the space is filled with powerful dharmapalas 8 and guardians 1 , among which there are both embodiments of the wisdom of the Buddhas and those that are subject to karma. All male dharmapalas face outward to protect you from the destructive causes that prevent you from gaining the fruits of Dharma practice. They do not allow the intrusion of external interference. All female dharmapalas face you to prevent leakage of the acquired inner blessings. All of them have the immense beneficial power of omniscience and have great love for you. See them as your great deliverers.
To your right, imagine your current father, and to your left, your mother. Imagine before you all your enemies, those who harm and interfere with you, and behind them - all the living beings of the six destinies and three worlds, crowding below, as if in a huge market square.
Expressing respect with the body, [they] prostrate in bows, prayerfully folding their palms. When paying respect by speech, they say prayers of refuge. Paying respect with your mind, [all of you] think like this: “O Guru and the Three Jewels! In luck and failure, in joy and sorrow, in illness and misfortune, whatever happens to me, you are my only protection, refuge, help and hope. Therefore, I place all my hopes and faith in you - from now on and until I acquire the essence of wakefulness 2 . I will never rely on the advice of my father and mother, or on my own understanding, but I will seek support in the Guru and the Three Jewels. I am obedient to you. I want to get what you got. I have no other refuge and hope but you!
Thinking thus, fervently [pray]:
Konchog sum no dasheg tsawa sum
Tsa lung tigle rangshin changchub sam
Novo rangshin tutje kilkor la
Changchub ningpo bardu kyabsu chi 3
In the sugata of the Three Roots, the true Three Jewels,
In bodhichitta - the nature of nadis, prana and bindu,
In the mandala of essence, nature and compassion
Taking refuge until I have an awakened heart!
Every time you practice, repeat this as many times as you can. It is necessary to say the prayer of refuge at least one hundred thousand times 1, setting yourself a clear schedule for this.
In addition, the practice of refuge should be done constantly and considered as important as the practice of yidam.
2.2. [Practice Patience]
Taking refuge, they represent the father and mother, respectively, to the right and left of themselves, and enemies and opponents in front of them.
If you are wondering why enemies and adversaries should be considered more important than one's own parents, the reason is that a follower of the Mahayana should impartially spread bodhichitta to countless sentient beings. In particular, in order to acquire a huge amount of merit and not waste the merit already acquired, one should consider meditation on patience as the main practice.
In addition, the practice of patience [should be understood] as the proverb says: “How to develop the power of patience if no one annoys you?” It is the harm caused by enemies and adversaries that makes it possible to develop the power of patience.
If you look carefully, [it will turn out that] from the point of view of Dharma, enemies and opponents do more for you than parents. Your parents teach you dishonest ways to achieve worldly well-being in this life and thereby deprive you of the opportunity to get out of the hellish abyss in future lives. Therefore, you are not as obliged to them as it seems.
As for enemies and adversaries, by creating difficulties for you, they provide an opportunity to exercise patience. They forcefully deprive you of wealth, property, pleasures and the like - all that, in fact, serves as the source of all misfortunes and bonds that do not allow you to escape from samsara. Therefore, you should be grateful to them. Even evil spirits and harmful forces give you the opportunity to practice patience, and therefore, thanks to the pain and suffering that they cause, you get rid of the offenses accumulated in the past.
Even Jetsun Milarepa himself met with Dharma after his uncle and aunt stripped him of all his possessions. And the nun Palmo, fleeing from the leprosy sent by the Nagas, began to practice the sadhana of Avalokiteshvara and gained absolute perfection. The omniscient Dharmaraja [Longchenpa] said:
If suffering makes you seek the Dharma
And find the path to liberation, be grateful to the offenders!
If discouragement - a consequence of grief - makes you seek the Dharma
And find eternal happiness, be grateful to sorrow!
If the evil caused by harmful beings makes you
seek the Dharma
And gain fearlessness, be grateful to demons and evil spirits!
If people's hostility makes you seek the Dharma
And find goodness and serenity, be grateful to your enemies!
If severe calamities make you seek the Dharma
And find an unchanging path, be thankful for disasters!
If someone's evil intent makes you seek the Dharma
And find the root meaning, be grateful to the attackers!
Be grateful to those who helped, and dedicate merit to them!
Be grateful to everyone who helps in this life, and besides, they were your parents in past lives - that's why they occupy such an important place.
2.3. [End Rendering]
In conclusion, at the end of the practice, imagine that due to your ardent devotion, countless rays of light emanate from the deities of the refuge assembly. These rays touch you and all other living beings, and you, like a flock of birds frightened away by a pebble from a slingshot, soar up and instantly merge with the deities of refuge. Then, starting at the edges, the deities of the refuge assembly gradually dissolve into the light that enters the central Guru, the embodiment of the essence of the three refuges. All the deities sitting in tiers above the Guru also dissolve in him. The Guru himself also dissolves into the light and disappears. Let your mind, free from the emission of thoughts and the absorption of concepts, remain as long as possible in the original state of dharmakaya, without any constructions.
Coming out of this state, dedicate merit for the benefit of countless sentient beings:
Geva diyi nyurdu dag
Konchog sumpo drub gyur ne
Chig kyang malupa firewood
Deyi sala gopar shog 1
Thanks to these merit
May I quickly attain the state of the Three Jewels
And I'll bring you to the same level
Every single living being.
Let your mind always and under any circumstances not part with mindfulness and vigilance. As you walk, visualize the deities of the refuge assembly in the sky [above] your right shoulder, as if you are walking around them in a circle. When you sit, imagine them in the sky above your head - you turn to them with prayers. When you eat and drink, [imagine them] in the middle of the throat - [you offer them] the first taste of all food and drink. When you go to bed, visualize them at the center of the heart - this is the method of dissolving delusion into the clear light. So, whatever you do, never parting with a clear vision of the deities of the refuge gathering and with wholehearted faith in the Three Jewels, devote yourself entirely to taking refuge.
3. Instructions on taking refuge and the benefits [from taking refuge]
There are three types of instructions:
Three things to avoid.
Three things to do.
Three additional instructions.
3.1. Three things to avoid
Taking refuge in the Buddha should worship worldly gods, all more remaining in samsara.
The gods of the tirthiks - Shiva, Vishnu and others who themselves have not been freed from the suffering of samsara, as well as local deities, spirit masters of the earth and similar powerful worldly deities and demons should not be worshiped as a refuge in[this or] in the next life. 1 It is said:
After taking refuge in the Dharma, do not harm sentient beings.
Even in dreams, actions that cause harm to other living beings or cause them to suffer should be avoided. Do your best to abide by this rule. It is said:
Having taken refuge in the Sangha, do not befriend the Tirthikas 2 .
Do not enter into intimate relations with those whose views coincide with those of the Tirthikas, who do not believe in the Dharma and the Buddha who preached it. Although there are no true tirthikas in Tibet, friendship with those who offend and blaspheme your teacher and the Dharma and, like tirthikas, vilify the profound teachings of the Secret Mantra, should be avoided.
3.2. Three things to do
Having taken refuge in the Buddha, reverently revere even a small fragment of his image. Lift it to the crown and lay in some clean place. Treat it like the very Jewel-Buddha and develop faith and pure vision.
Having taken refuge in the Dharma, have respect even for a piece of paper if it contains even one letter from the sacred texts. Almost lift it up to the top of your head, and treat it like the Dharma Jewel itself.
Having taken refuge in the Sangha, treat even the piece of red or yellow cloth, the symbol of the Jewel-Sangha, as the Sangha itself. Raise it respectfully to the top of your head and place it somewhere clean. Develop faith and pure vision.
3.3. Three additional instructions
Seeing in your teacher - a virtuous friend who explains to you what should be avoided and what should be accepted, the true Jewel-Buddha, avoid stepping even on his shadow, serve him and take care of him.
Accepting everything your teacher tells you as the Dharma Jewel itself, obey his every word, willingly fulfilling his orders.
The followers of your guru, his disciples and his consort you must revere as the Jewel Sangha itself. Show them respect in deed, word and thought, avoiding any deed that, even for a moment, could upset them.
Particularly in the Secret Mantra vehicle, the Guru is considered the main refuge. His body is the Sangha, his speech is the Dharma and his mind is the Buddha. Therefore, the Guru should be seen as the embodiment of the Three Jewels. Follow him, accepting all his actions as good. Rely on him with complete confidence and try to pray to him constantly. If you grieve him in deed, word and thought, it is tantamount to giving up all refuge. Therefore, with sincere zeal and firm determination, try always and under all circumstances to please the teacher.
Whatever happens to you - happiness or sorrow, success or failure, illness, adversity, and the like - rely solely on the Jewel-Guru. If you are happy, be aware that this is a result of the grace of the Three Jewels. [The Buddha] said that everything good and pleasant in this world, even something as small as a cool breeze in the heat, comes from the grace and blessing of the Buddha. In the same way, even the slightest glimpse of good thoughts springs entirely from the incomprehensible power of his blessings.
From Bodhicharyavatara 1 [Shantidevas]:
Like a flash of lightning in the night
Brightly illuminates the blackness of the clouds,
So, thanks to the power of the Buddha, sometimes it happens in the world
A brief glimpse of good thoughts.
That is, whatever blessings and pleasures you enjoy, all this should be understood as the mercy of the Buddha. Whatever obstacle you meet - illness or grief, the machinations of evil spirits and opponents and etc. - in order to overcome him, do not resort to any other means than praying to the Three Jewels. Even if doctors treat you or perform healing rituals and so on for you, all this must also be understood as a manifestation of the deeds of the Three Jewels 2 .
Recognizing in everything that happens the manifestations of the deeds of the Three Jewels, develop faith and pure vision in yourself. Before going on business to other places, [the first thing] is almost the Three Jewels - the buddhas of that direction.
Always and under all circumstances recite the main prayer of refuge: or from the Nyingtig teachings (Konchog sum no desheg tsava sum...), or that which is called the four-line prayer of refuge [of Tantra]:
lama la kyabsu chio
Sange la kyabsu chio
Cho la kyabsu chio
Gendun la kyabsu chio 3
I take refuge in Guru.
I take refuge in the Buddha.
I take refuge in the Dharma.
I take refuge in the Sangha.
This four-line prayer should be treated as a yidam. Tell others about the greatness of taking refuge and advise them to take it. Entrust yourself and others to the Three Jewels in this life and the next, diligently repeat the prayers of refuge.
Also, before going to sleep, visualize the deities of the refuge assembly, as already mentioned, in the center of your heart. Focus on them when you fall asleep. If you fail to do so, think that all the gurus and the Three Jewels, full of love and kindness towards you, are truly sitting at your bedside. Be imbued with faith and pure vision, and then, remembering the Three Jewels, fall asleep.
When you eat and drink, visualize the Three Jewels in your throat and treat them to the taste of all foods and drinks. If you fail, imagine that you offer them the first taste of all food and drink.
If you are going to put on new clothes, first lift them up to the sky, thinking that you are offering them to the Three Jewels. Then wear it as if it were a gift from the Three Jewels.
Whatever you see in this world: flowering gardens, clear rivers, majestic buildings, shady groves, fabulous riches and treasures, beautiful people in exquisite attire, etc. - all that attracts and delights, mentally offer the Three Jewels.
When collecting water, first offer it to the Three Jewels LXXIX, and only then fill your dishes.
Everything that is attractive and desirable in this life - pleasures, pleasures, fame, wealth - should be considered the grace of the Three Jewels. Devotedly and with pure vision, think: “Let all this belong exclusively to the Three Jewels!”
Whatever merit you gain by doing prostrations, offerings, imagining deities, chanting mantras, etc., offer them all to the Three Jewels and dedicate the merit to sentient beings.
On the full moon and new moon, six times a day, etc., make as many offerings as possible to the Three Jewels. Also, don't forget to make other offerings to the Three Jewels on special days 1 .
Whatever happiness or sorrow you may experience, always and under all circumstances remember to take refuge only in the Three Jewels. If you are able to take refuge when you are haunted by nightmares in your dreams, then you will be able to do so in the bardo state. It is necessary to diligently master this practice until you have mastered this ability. In short, one must entrust oneself exclusively to the Three Jewels - to such an extent that one does not give up this refuge even on pain of death.
Once in India, the tirthikas seized a Buddhist layman and began to threaten:
If you refuse to take refuge in the Three Jewels, we will not kill you, otherwise, say goodbye to life!
I can give up refuge in words, but not in my heart, replied the Buddhist. And the Tirthikas killed him.
It is believed that the difference between a Buddhist and a non-Buddhist lies in the refuge. Even non-Buddhists can avoid negative actions, they can strive to achieve ordinary spiritual perfections, contemplate deities, practice nadis, prana, etc. But they do not know about refuge in the Three Jewels, which means they do not find the path of liberation and cannot be freed from samsara.
In the ocean of Dharma sutras and tantras, there was not a single passage that Jowo-je Atisha did not read and comprehend. But since he believed that the most important thing was to take refuge, he taught his followers only about refuge, for which he was even called Pandita Refuge.
So, having embarked on the path of liberation and becoming a Buddhist, one must continue to take refuge even at the risk of life and put into practice the instructions for taking refuge.
As the sutras say:
One who takes refuge in the Buddha,
True upasaka 1 ,
He will never seek refuge
No other deities.
One who takes refuge in the holy Dharma,
Renounce thoughts of harm.
One who takes refuge in the noble Sangha,
Never befriends tirthikas.
These days, people who consider themselves followers of the Buddha have no respect for objects of refuge, etc. For them, images of the Buddha and Dharma books are just merchandise to be sold or pledged. To behave in this way means "to live on the ransom of the body of the Three Jewels", and this is the gravest crime. An equally grave offense from which one should refrain is criticizing images of the Buddha, etc., from the point of view of their beauty, except in cases where they require restoration or restoration of proper proportions.
A particularly grave sin is to put sacred books and objects on the floor, step over them, salivate your fingers when turning pages, and in other ways show disrespect.
Buddha said:
When the last five hundred year period comes, I will be present in the form of the letters 2. Believing that they are me, Give them due respect!
Those were his words.
Even the worldly rule says that you can not put the image of the Buddha on the sacred books. For of all the symbols of the body, speech, and mind of the Buddha, it is the sacred books that represent his speech; they teach us what to avoid and what to accept, serving the cause of preserving his teaching. Therefore, they say that there is not the slightest difference between the sacred books and the Buddha himself, which means that they are above all.
In addition, in our time, for most people, vajra 3 and bell 4 are just everyday objects, and not symbols of the Three Jewels. But the vajra is a symbol of the five primordial wisdoms of the mind of the Buddha, etc., and on the bell there is a face, which, according to the lower vehicles of Tantra, symbolizes Vairocana, and according to the higher vehicles of Tantra, Vajradhatvisvari 1, that is, it bears the image of the body Buddha. It also bears the seed syllables of the Eight Great Mothers. In addition, he is a symbol of the speech of the Buddha, the sound of Dharma. Therefore, the vajra and the bell combine three symbols - the body, speech and mind of the Buddha. In particular, the vajra and the bell contain the entire circle of the mandala of the Vajrayana Secret Mantra and serve as a special sign of its samaya, and therefore neglecting them is a serious crime. Always treat [the vajra and the bell] with the utmost respect.
3.4. [Benefits of Taking Refuge]
So, taking refuge in the Three Jewels is the foundation of all Dharma. One who simply takes refuge, sows the seed of liberation, moves away from the accumulation of negative actions and accumulates good ones, lays the foundation for all vows and becomes the source of all knowledge. Now virtuous deities will give you protection and grant wishes, you will be inseparable from the vision of the 2 Three Jewels and will be able to remember your past lives. You will be happy in this life and the next, and eventually attain Buddhahood - as they say, the benefits will be immeasurable. The "Seventy Verses of Refuge" LXXX says:
Anyone can take vows
Except for those who didn't take refuge.
Taking refuge is a necessary basis for those who take the pratimoksha vows, whether monks, novices or lay students 3 . In addition, impeccable and complete refuge taking is important not only for the subsequent development of bodhichitta, Vajrayana 4 Secret Mantra empowerments, etc. - it is absolutely necessary and simply for the daily restoration and purification of the LXXXI vows. Therefore, it forms the basis of all vows and good qualities. Even if you just hear the name Buddha or make even a slight connection with any of the symbols of the Three Jewels, the seed of liberation will be sown in your mind and you will eventually attain nirvana. What can be said [about the benefits] of taking refuge when one understands the full importance of the Three Jewels!
In the Sutra, in the Vinaya section, there is a story about how a dog chased a pig around a stupa - thus, the seed of liberation was sown in the pig's mind. And they also tell how one sa-tsa helped three people at once achieve Buddhahood. Once a passer-by saw a sa-tsa on the ground near the road and thought: if you leave it here, it will get wet from the rain. To protect the clay figurine, he covered it with an old shoe sole that lay nearby. Then another traveler walked by. He discarded the sole, thinking: it’s not good for such an unclean thing as an old, dirty sole to lie on a sa-tsa. Due to their good intentions, both the one who put the sole and the one who threw it away became kings in their next lives.
Acting with pure intent
The one who put the sole on the Buddha's head,
And the one who took it away -
Both are said to have become kings.
Thus, three people: the first one who made the sa-tsa, the second one who covered the sa-tsa with a sole, and the third one who discarded the sole, gained the happiness of rebirth in the higher worlds, and since the seeds of liberation were sown in them, they gradually reached Buddhahood.
Taking refuge also protects one from committing negative actions. If you take refuge with ardent devotion from the bottom of your heart, the negative karma you have accumulated in the past is reduced. and exhausted. Also in the future, due to the compassionate blessing of the Three Jewels, all your thoughts will become good and you will never accumulate negative karma. It is said that even King Ajatashatru, who killed his father and later took refuge in the Three Jewels, suffered only seven days in hell before being released from it. Also Devadatta, who performed three of [five] misdeeds "without a gap" 1 - even during his lifetime he burned in hellfire, but then he believed in the words of the Buddha and vowed that from now on he would take refuge in the Buddha with all his heart. As the Buddha predicted, Devadatta became the Pratyekabuddha Rupachen.
Thanks to the kindness of the guru and virtuous friend, now we have heard the pure, sublime Dharma. That's why in we have an increased interest in acquiring the good and giving up the bad. If we now make every effort to take refuge with all our hearts, our mind will be blessed and all the good qualities of the path: faith, clear vision, determination to leave samsara 2 , feeling regret about being in samsara 3 , faith in the law of cause and consequences, etc., will increase rapidly.
If, on the contrary, we regard taking refuge and praying to the Guru and the Three Jewels as secondary matters, then no matter how much we want to leave samsara, no matter how much we regret staying in it, our ideas are so deceitful, the mind is childishly undeveloped, and thoughts it is erroneous that the current good thoughts can easily turn into bad ones. It must be understood that even for stopping negative thoughts in the future, there is nothing better than taking refuge.
In addition, one must remember the words that demons are especially hostile to those who meditate diligently. It is said:
The deeper the Dharma, the stronger the black demons.
We are currently in an era of decline. Therefore, for those who meditate on the profound meaning and receive a great amount of merit, the [harmful forces] that hinder the practice of the Dharma and destroy the previously accumulated merit can appear in any form - as deceptive worldly temptations, as hindrances from relatives and friends, as obstacles. in the form of diseases and the intervention of evil spirits, as doubts and prejudices in one's own mind, and the like. If, as an antidote to all this, we make an effort to wholeheartedly take refuge in the Three Jewels, then everything that is inauspicious for Dharma practice will turn into auspicious, and merit will skyrocket.
Today, lay people, wishing to insure themselves for a year against illness, loss, etc., invite ignorant lamas and their students who have not received initiations or oral transmissions and have not recited the mantras the required number of times. However, they undertake to conduct rituals, which include the appearance of the mandala of an angry deity. Having no idea about the stage of origin and the stage of completion, they goggle their eyes like saucers and inflame their rage towards the dough figure. They are engaged in nothing more than a "red offering" of meat and blood. Shouting out the words, "Get 'em over here! Kill them! Wait for it! Beat them!” - they cause a feeling of violent anger in all who hear them. On closer examination, such actions are reminiscent of one of the sayings of Jetsun Milarepa:
Summon the gods of wisdom 1 to protect worldly people - it's like forcing the king to step down from the throne and force him to sweep the floor.
Padampa Sange said:
They are building a Secret Mantra mandala in a goat pen and they believe it will help them!
As Padampa noted, such actions pollute the one who practices Secret Mantra in the spirit of Bon 2 .
Only one who is completely free from selfish interests is allowed to practice [out of compassion] the destruction of enemies and adversaries who have committed ten grave crimes for the benefit of the Dharma and sentient beings. If a person performs such a practice under the influence of anger and addictions, then it will not only not lead to the destruction of obstacles, but will plunge him into hell.
If one performs meat and blood offerings without mastering the generation and completion stage meditation and observing samaya, one cannot expect help from wisdom deities, protectors and dharmapalas. Only deities 2 and demons hostile to the Dharma will gather to enjoy such negative offerings, torma 1 and so on. Such an offering may seem to bring temporary benefits, but in the end it brings nothing but various undesirable consequences.
Instead, trust in the Three Jewels. Invite lamas and monks whose minds are calm and subdued, and ask them to recite the prayer of refuge a hundred thousand times. There is no protection stronger than this, as it comes from the Three Jewels. In this life, nothing undesirable will happen to you, and all desires will gradually come true. All glorious deities will protect you, and all those who can harm you - evil spirits and opponents of the Dharma, will not even dare to approach.
Once they caught a thief and beat him hard with sticks, accompanying each blow with a [line from] the refuge prayer: “I take refuge in the Buddha,” etc. Having duly hammered these lines into the mind of the thief, he was released. The thief spent the night under the bridge and no words of refuge came out of his head, of which the pain from the beatings reminded him. At that time to the bridge approached a host of gods and demons. “Here is a person who has taken refuge in the Three Jewels!” they shouted and rushed off.
So, if you wholeheartedly take refuge in the Three Jewels, it will become the most powerful remedy for all the troubles in this life. And in the next life, it will help to gain liberation and omniscience. Taking refuge brings innumerable benefits.
Sutra of the Immaculate LXXXII says:
If the merits of taking refuge were to take on a material form, the entire celestial space would not be enough to contain them.
AT Prajnaparamita Sanchayagathe says:
If the merit of taking refuge were to take shape, the three worlds would be too small to contain. Can the waters of all the great oceans be measured with a teacup?
And in the Heart of the Sun Sutra LXXXIII it says:
One who has taken refuge in the Buddha
Can't kill millions of demons.
Even in the case of moral decline and mental confusion,
He will certainly escape the causes of rebirth.
All these three sayings [of the Buddha] speak of the immeasurable benefits of taking refuge. Therefore, the foundation of all Dharma - taking refuge - must be given special attention.
Even though I took the triple refuge, deep down in my heart I was faithless.
Although I undertook to perform three exercises LXXXIV, at times the zeal leaves me.
Bless me and all those who are equally weak-willed,
That we may have firm, unshakable faith.
These are the instructions for taking refuge, the cornerstone of all paths.
