Even there has been the subject talking about qualities of Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, details maybe haven't reached yet, but the purpose of taking refuge is… actually, it's go on so much, Geshe Sopa Rinpoche explained, described the whole Wheel of Life, samsara, the suffering of samsara and how we circle samsara through twelve dependently related links, the four noble truths, Geshe-la mentioned.

Why we rely on Buddha, Dharma, Sangha is because of suffering, because true suffering and true cause of suffering. We want to be free from that. For that, no external medicine can stop the true suffering, no external medicine can stop the true cause of suffering. No operation by the doctors can stop true suffering and true cause of suffering. Only by Dharma, only by Dharma, so rely upon Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, taking refuge means rely on Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, that is the foundation. Relying upon Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, which is the taking refuge. Then practising what Buddha advised, that which is the teachings, and essence of the teachings is protecting karma, to not harm others. On the basis of not harming others, to benefit others as much as possible, and protect karma.

Normally I introduce like this: when one dies, at that time, if you remember a Sangha, ordained person in whom you have faith, devotion, if you remember that to whom you feel devotion, if you remember that Sangha, if you die with that thought you never get reborn in the lower realms, you never get reborn hell, hungry ghost, animals, if you die with that thought. So how the object Sangha is powerful is like that.

Then when you are dying at that time if you remember just Heart Sutra, Dharma text, if you die with this thought you never get reborn hell, hungry ghost, animal realms, you are saved, it protects you. If you remember mantra, Dharma text, that saves you, protects you from getting reborn lower realms.

Then if you remember Buddha, name of the Buddha, you hear the name of the Buddha, you remember the name of the Buddha, you remember Buddha when you are dying you never get reborn in the hell, hungry ghost, animal realms.

Without taking refuge to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, without relying on all three, just one… just by remembering mantra you don't get reborn hell, hungry ghost, animal realms.

Normally I make competition, compare, so all the knowledge of science, just for example, you have an incredible knowledge of science, unbelievable knowledge of science. Now the day when you are dying, the day when you are going to die, the connection to that, all that knowledge at your death, what you can do with that? Nothing. There is nothing, but if you remember just one Sangha to whom you have devotion you don't get reborn lower realms, so like that.

Therefore, now here, now the purpose of taking refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is not just only not to be reborn hell, hungry ghost, animal - the purpose of taking refuge Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, relying upon Buddha, Dharma and Sangha that is to be free from the whole entire prison of samsara, bound by karma and delusion, as Geshela explained in the three principle paths. So to be free from the whole entire samsara, in other words the whole entire suffering, and to be totally free from delusion and karma, the causes of suffering; to be totally free from true suffering and true cause of suffering, for that we need to rely on all three Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, like very sick patients have to depend on doctor, medicine, nurse; one is not enough, three so like that. That is the fundamental reason why relying on all three Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, that is fundamental.

Now on top of that to liberate numberless sentient beings from the suffering and its causes and bring them to enlightenment, for that you need to achieve enlightenment. So now there is more reason to rely on Buddha, Dharma and Sangha for the success of this, so that is the whole thing. So now that is the purpose of taking refuge.

This is the door entering the Buddhadharma and refuge is also foundation for pratimoksha, bodhisattva, tantric vows, this is the foundation. Without the all those others cannot happen taking vows precepts cannot happen.

So now here, you may have refuge in, when you took interest, as I mentioned the other day, when you took interest in meditation, to meditate on the path to enlightenment, to learn, when you took interest to learn Dharma, to meditate on the path to enlightenment, liberation and enlightenment - that time you have already taken refuge. When you took interest in meditation, to meditate on lamrim, path to liberation and enlightenment, you took refuge to Dharma at that time, so already.

Who reveals Dharma is the Buddha so naturally you depend on Buddha, you rely on the Buddha. Then of course to learn all these things and to practise you need support of the Sangha, example and inspiration, you need support of the Sangha, so refuge is taken there from that time. Now here is taking refuge by ceremony to make sure to make the practise certain, to make sure, like that.

Then here refuge vows so you see by taking refuge vow, there are refuge precepts, by taking refuge vow there are refuge precepts that you practise in daily life. Because Buddha so kind, so compassionate, even you don't want to take five lay vows, still Buddha is so kind he make possible still you can take refuge vows, even if you don't want to take those five lay vows, abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, telling lies, alcohol.

There are refuge precepts to do in everyday life so you collect so much merit. For example in the morning when you get up three prostrations to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. Before you go to bed three prostrations to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha like that. Before you eat first you offer to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, lay people do, then you take as blessing to serve others. However, things like that in daily life, on the way, to collect you are anyway eating, drinking so many times a day, sleeping, so just by the way you collect so much merit and make your life meaningful. Even though they are small practises they make life so meaningful, create so much happiness, cause of happiness up to enlightenment including good rebirth in next life. So Buddha is so kind to us sentient beings, still allows, even we cannot take, don't want to take those lay vows, still take refuge vows so like that.

The other thing is what I want to say is this. Now the one thing to understand is that if you make the vow to be butcher, wine seller, prostitute or something, if you make vow to be like that then you collect negative karma continuously in whole life, if you make this vow to be like this, if you make the vow to, your whole life “until death this is what I am going to do,” if you make that vow you create negative karma your whole life. But if you make vow to abstain from killing, abstain from stealing and so forth, if you make vow in this way, then you collect merit, you collect merit in whole life until you die because you make the vow until you die you are going to do this, abstain from these negative karmas, live in morality.

Therefore taking vow, even refuge vow, makes your life huge differences, by taking the vow you collect merit day and night, all the time. So same by taking the vow, abstaining from killing or stealing, all the five vows or any number from that, you are collecting merit, you made the vow up to death so therefore while you are eating you collect merit all the time by living in that vow. While you are sleeping, how many hours you are sleeping, even if you are sleeping 24 hours you continuously collect merit because you are living in the vow, one vow or five vows, you are collecting merit all the time 24 hours you are collecting merit you are making your life meaningful, cause of happiness, cause to achieve liberation from samsara.

Then with bodhicitta motivation, cause of enlightenment, you are creating cause for enlightenment all the time by living in these vows. So like that even while working, walking on the beach or whatever, you are collecting merit all the time, your life is never empty, never meaningless. Even whether you took one vow or five vows until death time, so like that, all this life is meaningful.

So therefore I say that… if a person who has taken the vow, precepts what that person does eat, sleep, make kaka, pipi, eat, sleep, make kaka, pipi, only do three things, doesn't do any practise, only practise is living in vows, doesn't do anything, prostrations or reading dharma texts, studying or chanting mantras, do nothing but eat, sleep, make kaka, pipi. Even person does only these three but because living in the vow, five lay vows or pratimoksha vow, what the Sanghas have taken, pratimoksha vow, no question person more than that, there is no question 253 vows fully ordained monk, 360 or something, fully ordained nun or something.

Of course, more merit, more number of vows means more merit, continuously, Pratimoksha vow living in the Pratimoksha vow, ordination what they have just taken, so like even, until death time all what you do is only three things; eat sleep, make kaka, pipi, only three things, but because of living in the vows, thirty-six vows, so you collect thirty-six merit day and night continuously. You collect merit and if you are living in the five vows you are collecting five merit all the time continuously. Even you in coma for many years but you are collecting merit all the time. Five merits all the time so you are making your life so meaningful so like that you see.

253 merits fully ordained monk, all the time, unbelievable. This incredible advantage, then especially if you have taken bodhisattva vow you collect merit, as mentioned by Shantideva, bodhisattva Shantideva, in Bodhisattvacaryavatara. If you have taken the bodhicitta, bodhisattva vows, whether you sleep or whether you become unconscious, you continuously collect, you continuously receive skies of merit, limitless skies of merit all the time, causing happiness, cause of enlightenment even while you are sleeping, when you are unconsciousness, you are collecting continuously even those times, limitless skies of merit. That is what is said, especially if you take bodhisattva vows. That makes life unbelievable, most productive beneficial like that.

Then if you take higher tantra vows then even much more merit, as explained by Pabongka in Liberation in the Palm, by the great enlightened being. So now that is one thing to understand, that is one advantage what makes life so meaningful.

Now the second one how living in the vows makes life so meaningful. So as mentioned in the Sutra texts, three galaxies, that many sentient beings, three galaxies, that many worlds, sentient beings living in that, everyone becomes Wheel Turning King, everyone become the most powerful incomparable king in the world. Then oceans of butter, Mount Merus of wax, you make light offering to buddhas, each of those, that much merit - and a person living in the ordination vows then make offering to Buddha butter tiny, size of mustard seed, and wax the size of a hair, make light offering to Buddha, this merit, this offering done by the person living in the ordination, the vows, this one person’s merit, this merit is far more greater, far more greater, than three galaxies world of sentient beings each one becomes wheel turning King, each one makes oceans of butter, Mount Merus of wax, light offering to the buddhas, all those unbelievable experience of offering so many, but merit is so small when you compare one person living in the vows makes tiny mustard seed, butter and size of hair, wax, light offering to Buddha even the offering so tiny but the merit is unbelievable; like that explained by Buddha in the sutra text.

So in our daily life by living in the vows whenever you collect merit by making charity to other people, animals or people, making offering to Triple Gems, making prostrations whatever virtue you do it increases, the virtue increases so much, more the number of vow one takes. Whenever you collect merit it increased so much the more number of pratimoksha vows, more number of bodhisattva vows, [as taught by Buddha the advantage of bodhisattva vows?], then the tantra vows. So by taking bodhisattva millions increases, any virtue you do in daily life it increases millions of times, then by taking tantra vows it increases much more.

This is the second advantage how if affects daily life so most productive, like that. More merit means then you are able to overcome problems, all the obstacles, more merit and less negative karma, merit powerful, negative karma is weaker then makes your life very smooth, and whatever you think all your wishes get fulfilled, now and in future lives. Like that you are able to achieve enlightenment without taking much time, without much difficulties – so like that.

Refuge Ceremony

So those who are taking refuge please make three prostrations to Buddha, by thinking actual living Buddha. Three prostrations, then again make three prostrations to the Lama who gives refuge. Then if you can kneel down like when taking the eight Mahayana precepts in the morning, if you can't kneel down then you can sit, relax. Put your palms like this in the mudra of prostration.

Then think motivation, this time I have received perfect human body which is extremely rare to find is found, the Buddhadharma is extremely rare to meet I have met and a virtuous friend who will reveal the path to enlightenment liberation and enlightenment who is extremely rare to meet I have met. At this time while I have all the opportunity to practise Dharma, then this time, I must achieve liberation from samsara, I must achieve the great liberation, the non-abiding sorrowless state, the full enlightenment, that which is free forever from suffering. I must achieve this. I must achieve full enlightenment for the benefit of all my kind mother sentient beings. If I don't do that I will have to experience suffering of samsara, suffering of pain, suffering of changes, pervasive suffering, without end.

So therefore, for this purpose I am going to take refuge, by relying upon the Buddha, founder of the actual refuge, Dharma; then Dharma, the actual refuge; Sangha is helper to actualise the refuge within my mind. On that basis… then here now if you are taking only refuge think I am taking only refuge vow, but if you are taking any of the precepts of the five lay vows one, two, three, four, five either all five or any number, then think, if you are taking any of the vows think, I am going to take Upasika one vow, two vow, whatever number you take think I am going to take Upasika vow, what ever number. Think in your mind, think like that.

One reason why importance of taking the vows those lay vows any number is because by taking refuge to Dharma, there are two things, two precepts, one thing is to abandon, one is to practise. What is the thing to abandon by taking refuge to Dharma what one should abandon is harming other sentient beings. So here it involves giving up harming other sentient beings, so therefore in that case it helps if one takes from the five lay vows, if not all the five then any number of that, it helps to do refuge practise, refuge vows, not harming others, so you get done that practise.

Normally I emphasise at least the killing, abstain from killing, by taking that vow it helps to not harm others, but of course if one can take more than that, then of course, more than that then, it is very exciting. If you are taking any lay vows, any number, I am going to take Upasika vow one, two, three, four, whatever number you take, on the basis of taking refuge.

Then please repeat the precept prayer, seven limbed prayer.

(Tibetan refuge prayer).

Please mention your name, as in the Mahayana ordination ceremony, before taking refuge, until I achieve enlightenment

(Tibetan giving vows, audience repeat) from now on until I achieve enlightenment I go for refuge to Buddha.

Now remember meaning of Buddha, whose holy mind is totally free from all the gross and subtle mistakes of mind and complete in all the qualities of the realisations. So that is Buddha. Remembering the meaning of Buddha, then rely on Buddha, billions of times much more than ordinary doctor, who if even can cure but only temporarily.

Now taking refuge to Dharma, relying upon Dharma, that which is true path and true cessation of the suffering. That is absolute Dharma. Conventional Dharma is the Tripitaka, the scriptures, which reveals the path. So like that taking refuge to both.

(Tibetan giving vows, audience repeat).

Relying on Dharma billions of times much more than medicine, even though it can cure, it is only temporarily.

Now next one is taking refuge to Sangha, who support. There is absolute Sangha and conventional Sangha. Absolute Sangha, lay person or ordained person doesn't matter: one person who has realisation of cessation of suffering and the true path. Now the conventional Sangha is the four ordinary, who don't have those realisation, ordinary, living in the full ordination purely. Relying upon them both, taking refuge.

(Tibetan giving vows, audience repeat)

Rely on them a billion times more than a nurse.

(Tibetan giving vows, audience repeat).

Now please repeat a second time.

(Tibetan giving vows, Audience repeat).

Please repeat your name.

(Tibetan, audience repeat).

Remember the meaning of the Buddha, then with the whole heart reply upon the Buddha.

(Tibetan and audience repeat).

Next one taking refuge Dharma.

(Tibetan giving vows, audience repeat).

Next one taking refuge Sangha.

(Tibetan giving vows, audience repeat).

So end third repetition (Tibetan) when I say loudly then you have received then must develop thought that I have received vows even if you are not taking any of the vows only refuge vow, only that, like that. Then from that time I have become the Lopen. Your Lopen is the master, teacher who leads the disciple in the path to liberation. How? By revealing the vow, causing the disciple to practice, then that brings the disciple to liberation like that.

(Tibetan, giving vows audience repeat).

Please repeat third time

(Tibetan giving vows, audience repeat)

Your name

(Tibetan, giving vows, audience repeat). (Tibetan, giving vows, audience repeat).

Now think received the Upasika vows whatever number of vows you have taken or if you have taken only refuge vows okay.

(Tibetan, giving vows audience repeat).

So now repeat the prayer. Those taking lay vows please repeat.

As I mentioned the other day, this is a most practical contribution for the world peace. Your living in the vows, precepts, this is your most practical contribution for the world peace, for the happiness, peace of all the sentient beings, not just in this world, this is what you are offering, this is what you can offer, this is what you are offering towards the sentient beings, so becomes extremely essential, it becomes most enjoyable way to live the life.

(Tibetan giving vows audience repeat).

If you are kneeling you can sit down.

So actually all the instructions here, there are three things to, by taking refuge Buddha Dharma Sangha there are three things to abandon and three things to practice. Then there are general instructions by Buddha in our daily life, like those things that I mentioned before.

So three things, by taking refuge in Buddha what one should practise is respect to Buddha's statues, painting of Buddha, statue of Buddha, even if it is a broken statue even if it is a small piece of a drawing of Buddha or statue. If you see on road or on the floor you touch it on your crown and then put up in a higher clean place, by thinking actual living Buddha you put higher place. Even you see broken small piece from drawing of Buddha or statue like that, doesn't matter if it's made of mud, gold, diamond, whatever, all equally respect. Then, if one throws away something that you don’t like, something bad quality, or material made of mud, then you throw away those broken ones you throw away in the garbage like that then it obscures your mind.