SPIRIT POSSESSION

[Rinpoche chants prayers]

Rinpoche: Only one question?

Student: Rinpoche, why should we take refuge?

Rinpoche: That is a very big question, a huge question! What other question, other than that?

Student: About exorcism, there have been a lot of cases where people have been taken over by beings from other realms.

Rinpoche: Uh? Are you thinking of doing retreat?

Student: Exorcisms to get rid of those demons?

Karin: You mean being possessed by a spirit?

Student: Yes. Under what circumstances would that happen?

Rinpoche: Yourself or other people? Are you talking about yourself or other people? Possessed by a spirit, huh?

Student: Other people.

Rinpoche: You are asking, how to do that or how to get the spirit out?

Student: Under what circumstances would they come into a human body?

Rinpoche: Oh, I see. I might have that also! Maybe I haven’t got rid of it! The main ones are ignorance, anger and attachment.

No, I just remembered one thing. Some years ago, there was a nun from Ladakh. She came from Ladakh, which is part of India. She got possessed by a spirit. I don’t remember very clearly, but there are so many methods, both wrathful ways and peaceful ways, to prevent that possession. I guess this was maybe a wrathful way probably, that makes the spirit uncomfortable. You tie these two fingers with thread because the consciousness of that being enters from there. There is the tip of the central channel, the upper tip is here, so they enter from there. When they leave, they leave from here, so when the spirit who entered the medium or those higher Dharma protectors, when the oracles come, when the spirit leaves, they check these two fingers, when it leaves, it leaves from there. So anyway, they tie these two fingers and cover the hand and then you talk to the spirit. I think it depends on the healer, the meditator or the lama, it depends on their power, how much quality that person has who is doing the healing. Sometimes later on you can ask where it is from, why it came, why it entered and harmed this person. You can ask the spirit and the spirit talks. By creating a difficult situation, they talk.

I don’t remember if it was that time or another time, but anyway the spirit explained to the nun that in the previous life [as a human] she was the nun’s friend and was very attached to this nun. She died and was born as a spirit. That’s why she entered the nun, due to attachment, because when she was a human being she was very attached to this nun. I think that may often be the case, why a spirit enters a person. I think this happens many times, many times, many times, not necessarily every time but many times.

But then, from the nun’s side there was negative karma, because she was receiving harm. The cause of that has to be a negative action, not a virtuous action. A virtuous action only results in happiness. So, from the nun’s side, there was some negative karma created to receive that harm. I don’t think there is one fixed karma; there can be different negative karmas, according to different people. Sometimes it is possible that a person took vows and then didn’t practice; maybe some mistakes were made in their relationship with the guru, they broke the samaya or something. Basically, in the past you harmed other people, and because of that in this life you experience the karmic result of your past action. There can be different reasons why this spirit attacked the nun. From the spirit’s side it is because when it was a human being it was so attached to this nun. But from nun’s side, why she received harm, that explanation is to do with karma, and it can be different reasons, like that example I mentioned before.

REFUGE AND USEFUL FEAR

I think you have gone through the eight benefits of refuge? Taking refuge, not just reciting the refuge prayer but having refuge in the heart, one of the benefits is that if we have refuge we don’t receive harm from human beings and nonhuman beings, which means spirits; they cannot give us harm. That is not the major benefit; it comes by the way. The greatest benefit is, having refuge in our heart, we are able to develop intelligent fear, useful fear, not only of the suffering of the lower realms but of the suffering of the whole of samsara: the suffering of pain, the suffering of change—how samsaric pleasure is in the nature of suffering—and where those two come from, the foundation, pervasive compounding suffering We know that and have a useful fear of that.

Why is that fear useful? By understanding with wisdom, by discovering the suffering of samsara, that we are not free from that, of course there will be fear, but that fear is useful because that fear persuades us to look for a solution, for a method. And that method is to generate renunciation for samsara, total detachment to the whole of samsara. The other night I mentioned desire realm suffering and form realm suffering. Desire realm suffering is where we are, which means we experience the suffering of pain, the suffering of change—the temporary samsaric pleasures—and pervasive compounding suffering, which means this body and mind, these aggregates, have that nature.

In the form realm, there is no suffering of pain. And in the formless realm, there is only pervasive compounding suffering; there are not the two other sufferings. So even with those higher realms of samsara, we realize they are only in the nature of suffering, like being in the very center of the hottest fire, like being in a nest of poisonous snakes, as mentioned in the texts. If we found ourselves in the center of a nest of poisonous snakes, we wouldn’t have any attraction to enter the nest, not even for a second; we would want to be far away from there. We wouldn’t have any attachment to being in the center of a blazing fire for even a second; there would be no attraction. We would feel like that for the whole of samsara: the desire realm, the form realm and the formless realm.

Having this fear persuades us to look for a solution. That is entering the path. There are five paths to achieve liberation: the path of merit, the path of preparation, the right-seeing path, the path of meditation and the path of no more learning. Then we achieve liberation from samsara.

When we achieve the second path, the path of preparation, at that time we have great insight into emptiness, being able to analyze emptiness unified with calm abiding. This is the perfect meditation, free from the two obstacles: attachment scattering thought and sinking thought. That is the foundation. Then by continuing to develop that, when we achieve the right-seeing path, at that time we have wisdom directly perceiving emptiness. That is the stage where we directly cease the defilements, the delusions. The wrong concepts cease, the intellectual defilements cease.

Then with the path of meditation, the fourth path, the simultaneous-born defilements cease, including the seed of delusion. By developing the wisdom directly perceiving emptiness, all that ceases. When it has totally ceased, we achieve liberation.

That is why I call this fear “useful fear,” because it makes us look for the solution and engage in the path. Then, we gain the remedy by actualizing the path, by ceasing the karma and delusions and we are free forever from the suffering of samsara. Relating to human beings, that means we are free forever from the suffering of rebirth, the suffering of old age, the suffering of sickness, from all those sufferings: being unable to find the desirable object, being unable to find satisfaction even after we have found one, and then the suffering of death. We are free from all the oceans of human beings’ suffering.

Then, there are the oceans of the suffering of the devas, the suras and asuras, as you went through. The heaviest one, how their mental suffering is greater than the hell beings when they experience the signs of death: the five major signs of death or five nearing signs of death. Then, there are many other sufferings, such as being killed, the jealousy of the asuras and miserliness.

By completing the path, because we completely remove the cause of suffering, karma and delusions, we are free forever from the oceans of suffering of the deva realm, the oceans of suffering of the hell beings, of the hungry ghosts, of the animals.

This is one-time work. The Dharma practice to overcome delusions, to cease the karma and delusions, is just one-time work, it doesn’t come back. Why doesn’t suffering come back? Because there is no longer the cause, karma and delusions. Why don’t delusions come back? Because there is no cause for delusion, the imprint, the seed that is in the nature of imprint. Once it has ceased completely, it cannot come back. So, Dharma practice is one-time work. Whereas working for samsaric happiness is endless. We have been working for samsaric happiness from beginningless rebirths and it still has not ended. We still haven’t finished the work; we still haven’t ended the suffering. We are still continuously suffering because, in reality, we are still continuously creating the cause of suffering. So far, we have never been able to be free from that.

Working for samsaric pleasure, the attachment seeking only the happiness of this life, is endless, and because of that the suffering is endless. Whereas Dharma practice is just one-time work. As I mentioned before, after achieving liberation, suffering never comes back. We are liberated from all suffering. It is not that we then have to practice Dharma again because the suffering has returned; there is no such thing. Therefore, it is extremely worthwhile, it is the wisest thing, to attempt to practice the Dharma. And the same thing, working for enlightenment is just one-time work. After we achieve enlightenment, there is no such thing as becoming unenlightened, as becoming ignorant again.

As I was saying before, with that useful fear of not only the suffering of the lower realms but also of the suffering of the whole of samsara, we go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha by understanding all their qualities, how they have all the qualities to protect us from these oceans of samsaric suffering, including the cause, karma and delusions. They have the power. With that understanding, there is faith, devotion, in them.

These are the causes of refuge. There are two: useful fear of the suffering of samsara and devotion to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The mind is qualified with these two causes of refuge.

Then, with our whole heart, we rely on the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. “Buddha, Dharma and Sangha” is a Sanskrit term, so when you hear the Sanskrit, it might feel like something specific but if you think of the English, “Buddha,” which means the fully enlightened being who is perfect in all the qualities, who has achieved the cessation of all the mistakes of mind, not only free from suffering but all the causes, karma and delusion, and all the subtle negative imprints left by the delusion, ignorance, the concept of true existence. These are the subtle negative imprints that project the dualistic view, the hallucination that makes everything appear real, truly existent, seeming to be something real from its own side while it is not, while it exists in mere name, merely imputed by mind. This is the hallucination [the Buddha is free from].

The subtle negative imprints are totally ceased. Then the dualistic view—all these hallucinations—is totally ceased; the view is totally pure. And the Buddha has completed all the qualities of realizations as well, all the direct understanding of all the past, present and future phenomena; the Buddha can see everything. With omniscience, the Buddha can see all the past directly, and at same time the future and the present, because there is no resistance, there is no blockage.

THE MIND CAN BE THOROUGHLY CLEANSED

For us, if we are sick but don’t know what is wrong, we have to go to the hospital and have x-rays and many blood checks, relying on the doctor. We can’t discover what is wrong, we can’t see inside things, without relying on machines or other people. As His Holiness Zong Rinpoche said, at the moment we can’t even see our own back. So, our understanding is very limited.

We cannot tell what is going to happen tomorrow, even what is going to happen in an hour or a minute. Our mind is totally blocked due to obscurations; we just cannot see. If death is going to happen tomorrow, we cannot see it. If death is going to happen tonight, or after an hour, we cannot see it. If something is going to happen like a heart attack after an hour, we cannot see it. We are totally obscured.

But our mind has the potential. By collecting the necessary conditions, the merit, and by purifying the obstacles, all the defilements, then by actualizing the path that removes the delusions, the obscurations, if from our own side we do this, then this mind can be completely separated from the defilements. We can become fully enlightened, totally pure.

This is like a dirty cloth, which it is not oneness with the dirt. It can be washed by different methods, not only with water but by using soap and other things. By using those extra methods to clean the cloth, we can make it very clean. And the same thing with a mirror, which is not oneness with the dust covering it. Because it is not oneness with the dust, by cleaning it with a duster, it should be able to give a very clear reflection. And the same thing with the sky, a very clear sky that has sunshine, because it is not oneness with the fogginess. Therefore, when the wind and those other conditions clear away the fog, the sun shines. We can see and enjoy the very clear sky.

Similarly, our mind is not oneness with delusion; it is not oneness with ignorance, anger and attachment; it is temporarily obscured. Because of that, by meeting the qualified guru and receiving the teachings, and by putting the teachings into practice and actualizing the path, we are able to remove the sufferings; we are able to separate the mind from the defilements.

A gong [has the potential to produce a sound], but there is the need for a stick to hit the gong and a person to use the stick. When these conditions happen, you have the sound of the gong. Just as the gong has the potential to produce that sound, the mind has all the potential, but it needs to meet the conditions, the perfectly qualified guru and the teachings. Then, by putting that into practice, the realizations come from within, all the way up to enlightenment. From guru devotion, the root, up to enlightenment, it happens because there is all the potential there.

UNLESS WE ARE ENLIGHTENED, WE CAUSE OTHERS SUFFERING

So, the useful fear of our own samsara—how it is in the nature of suffering—along with devotion—understanding that the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha have the qualities and power to protect us, to liberate us from the oceans of samsaric suffering, including the cause of samsara. This mental factor that totally relies upon the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is the refuge. Then, for the Mahayana way of taking refuge, on this foundation, which is also the Hinayana way of taking refuge, on the basis of these two—the useful fear of samsara and devotion to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha—there is compassion for other sentient beings. By using our own suffering in samsara as an example and then seeing how the numberless other sentient beings are in a similar situation, also suffering in samsara, we generate the compassionate wish to free them from all suffering and its causes. Compassion is the third cause of refuge.

With the Mahayana way of taking refuge there are three causes, and the last one is compassion. Our mind becomes qualified with these three. With that and the other ones, which I mentioned before, we single-pointedly rely on the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, not only for ourselves but for all sentient beings to be free from all the suffering and its causes. That mental factor is the Mahayana refuge.

As I was saying before, this benefit, that others—human beings as well as nonhuman beings—are unable to harm us if we have refuge, comes by the way. The main thing here is to be free from the cycle of death and rebirth, from all the sufferings: from the suffering of pain, from the suffering of change, meaning the temporary samsaric pleasure, and from pervasive compounding suffering, the foundation of those other sufferings.

And we ourselves can then not only liberate numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffering, including its cause, but also from the subtle defilements that they have and even their causes, bringing them to full enlightenment. We bring all sentient beings equaling the limitless sky to full enlightenment. We ourselves do that. All these accomplishments are the benefits of having refuge in the mind. All that comes from that root. By completing the path ourselves we are able to liberate each and every single sentient being from the oceans of samsaric suffering, from even the subtle defilements, and bring them to full enlightenment.

The purpose of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is like the limitless sky. To develop the path to liberation and enlightenment within ourselves and do perfect work for sentient beings, it is the foundation.

What I was trying to say before was that when we hear the Sanskrit “Buddha, Dharma and Sangha,” it looks like something very narrow, something very specific, but actually it refers to the fully awakened being, the fully enlightened one who has all the qualities, who is perfect in omniscience, whose holy mind has completed the mind training in compassion toward sentient beings, who is perfect in compassion, who is perfect in the power to reveal all the methods, whatever methods that fit sentient beings exactly without the slightest mistake and who can bring everyone from happiness to happiness, to enlightenment. Such is this omniscient one or fully enlightened being.

Normally, if we want to become trained as an expert doctor, we have to rely on an expert doctor; we have to learn from an expert doctor. That is a universal fact. It’s understandable. We have to rely on an expert doctor who has more knowledge than we do. If we want to be a professor or something, if we learn from somebody who is an expert then we can become an expert. That is why people go to Harvard University or Oxford University in England. If we have studied there, people regard us as very brilliant. Right? Something like that. So anyway, this is very similar. Even in a worldly way, if we want to become an expert in something, we must learn from somebody who is already an expert; we have to rely on them. That is refuge. We don’t say, “I take refuge in this person.” We don’t say that! As we go into class, we don’t say, “Today I am going to take refuge in my school masters.” But in reality it is taking refuge in those teachers! We want to have that education to get a degree so we can get a good job, so that we can teach others, therefore if we can, we go to a better school where there are better teachers.

Here, we want to be liberated totally from the oceans of samsaric suffering, from all those three types of sufferings and their causes, karma and delusions, by actualizing the path. That’s what it is. How important is it for us to get out of suffering, to not have to experience the cycle of death and rebirth with all the sufferings? Isn’t that important? Do we want that or not? It is a simple question. Why we take refuge is a very simple question. Do we want to be free from suffering or do we want to stay in suffering? Do we want to die continuously?

I have seen many times on TV in the United States how much suffering a mother goes through giving birth. When the baby doesn’t come out, they have to cut her stomach and take it out. The mother has to suffer so much. If we didn’t have to reincarnate, our mother wouldn’t have to suffer! We wouldn’t give other people trouble and so much pain. Because we have to reincarnate continuously, we cause so much suffering for others. This is one example. Unless we stop reincarnating, even just from this one thing, sentient beings have to suffer so much pain.

There are so many kinds of harm others have to suffer for us. When we build a house, so many insects, like worms, ants, mice, have to be killed to have this comfortable house. It didn’t come into existence from its own side. So many sentient beings had to suffer and be killed, so many people had to work very hard in the hot sun for this house. Even to get money to buy it, we had to work very hard and bear so much hardship.

And then think of clothing, about how the clothes we wear are made. So many sentient beings have to suffer and die. So many animals die when silk is made, and for leather, which is animal skin, so many animals are killed. In the whole evolution [of clothing manufacture] numberless sentient beings are killed, creating so much negative karma, harming others.

It’s the same with food. As I often say, that one grain of rice came from a field. Of course, farmers don’t only plant this one grain in the field! So many sentient beings are killed when the fields are plowed. In Nepal, the animals [pulling] the plough have to suffer so much and the hot sun burns them. And they have to do these things so many times, not just one time. For food, there are so many things needed for it to be produced, so many different processes. People have to work so hard and so many sentient beings get killed just for that one grain of rice. And that one grain of rice came from another grain, and again so many have had to suffer for that.

If we think about the evolution of that one grain of rice, we can see how for that grain to get on our plate, an unbelievable number of sentient beings, numberless, have died, have been killed, have created negative karma by harming others. And that one grain of rice is the continuation [of countless grains before it.] So, how dare we eat that grain of rice for our own happiness without thinking of the happiness of others. Can you imagine how those numberless sentient beings suffered for the continuity of this one grain of rice, how they suffered, how they died, how they created negative karma. How would it look from their side? We would look so unbelievably selfish, not having any thought to do something to repay their kindness, to help them, to benefit them. Can you imagine that? We would seem totally selfish, very cruel.

I was talking about just one grain of rice, but in front of us is a whole plate of rice, not just one grain. We dare not eat only for our own happiness, for this one person’s happiness, even if that that one person is ourselves, not somebody else.

From this explanation you can understand why we should benefit others, why we should think of others, why we should live our life benefiting others. At least we should do something for these numberless beings who have died for this food in order for us to survive as a human being, giving us the opportunity to practice and become free from suffering and its cause, to achieve ultimate happiness, liberation and enlightenment. This is by the kindness of these sentient beings who have suffered and died, these sentient beings we got the food from. At least we must do something to benefit them. We must think of some way we can help them. We have no choice.

Also, there are so many sentient beings in the water that we don’t see with our eyes, only with a microscope. So many have to die to make the water in the bottle.

I am talking about this for two purposes. One is, even when we go on the road, driving a car, there are so many beings that we either see or don’t see, who get killed. They have to die when we drive a car. That’s an example. Even in the West, when we walk there are so many ants and worms on the road that die. More or less whatever we do seems to depend on other sentient beings having to suffer. So many beings not only have to work very hard but they also have to suffer, being killed, dying, creating negative karma by harming others. This is how we human beings survive every day, totally by the kindness of all those numberless beings. Without thinking of our house and our clothes, other things, we just have to think of the food we eat every day, the beings are numberless.

I am losing my point!

Before I forget, I must mention two things. The first thing is that if we don’t practice Dharma, if we don’t actualize the path and remove the cause of suffering, karma and delusions, if we always stay in samsara by following karma and delusions, always reincarnating, if we live like that, we will continuously cause so many sentient beings to suffer for our happiness. It is unbelievable how much they will have to suffer. One the other hand, if we do practice Dharma and actualize the path, if we do remove the cause of suffering, karma and delusions, we don’t have to reincarnate, and this stops all this suffering for others.

I started from how much pain a mother must go through and it sort of expanded from that, how numberless sentient beings have to suffer for us. We have to stop causing so much suffering for others. We have to make sure it doesn’t happen, That’s one thing. That’s why we need to actualize the whole path to liberation, and the basic foundation is refuge.

TO FREE SENTIENT BEINGS QUICKLY WE NEED TANTRA

Then, the second thing is that we need to do something to benefit other sentient beings from where all our everyday survival, our everyday comfort and happiness, comes. Our survival as a human being, every day, every minute, every second, comes from the kindness of sentient beings. Every second we are a human being, we have an incredible opportunity to practice Dharma, to achieve happiness, to receive good rebirths in all our future lives, and most importantly to achieve liberation from samsara. Every second we can create the cause for that. And every second, by practicing bodhicitta, we can create the cause of enlightenment, becoming enlightened for all sentient beings.

Within one day, we have such an incredible opportunity with this human body, it is so precious. Within an hour, even a minute, even a second, as I mentioned before, we can do that. We have this incredible opportunity because of all these numberless sentient beings who have died, who have suffered and created negative karma by harming others for us. Because of that, we have this human body and all these comforts. We have received all this from numberless sentient beings. Therefore, if we live our life only thinking of our own happiness day and night and nothing else, if we abandon all the other sentient beings, that is not healthy at all. How can we be really happy, enjoying life? There is no way. Dharma practice, and especially bodhicitta, never harms; it only benefits.

There are many other realizations but with bodhicitta we can achieve enlightenment and enlighten all sentient beings. On top of that, if we practice tantra, sentient beings will not have to suffer for so long, for many eons. If we only practice the sutra method and not tantra, only the Paramitayana path, we have to collect merit for three countless great eons to achieve enlightenment. That means sentient beings who are dependent on us to learn and practice Dharma, to achieve liberation from samsara, to achieve enlightenment, the numberless sentient beings who have a karmic connection with us have to suffer for many, many eons. In order for them to not suffer for so many eons, to bring them to enlightenment more quickly, we ourselves need to achieve enlightenment more quickly. If we practice the tantric path, it has the greater skills where we can achieve enlightenment within one life, without taking three countless great eons to collect merit. We can complete the whole path within one life, so the sentient beings don’t have to suffer for many eons.

Even within tantra there are four classes, and if we practice the highest tantra, the fourth one, we can achieve enlightenment within a few years, without the need to prolong our life, to achieve immortality and live for a thousand years. Without the need to do that, within a few years within this brief lifetime of degenerate times, we can achieve enlightenment. This Maha-anuttara Yoga Tantra [Highest Yoga Tantra] has the greatest skill; it is the quickest means to achieve enlightenment. With this way, we can enlighten sentient beings much quicker. That is the reason why not only sutra exists but also the four levels of tantra revealed by the Buddha.

TO BE LIBERATED WE NEED REFUGE IN ALL THREE JEWELS

The question he asked was why we take refuge, why we put our palms together like this. What is the cause of taking refuge and why do we take refuge?

Normally I say it like this. Even if we have a trillion dollars or we own all the possessions in the world, when we die, that alone cannot protect us. It cannot save us from reincarnating in the lower realms and experiencing those eons of sufferings. We might have all the knowledge of Western science, we might have studied and learned all the technology, but with that knowledge alone, when we die, what is the connection? We can’t see any connection; we can’t protect our mind from reincarnating in the lower realms and suffering. All that knowledge doesn’t purify negative karma. It doesn’t purify the negative karma collected in the past, all the killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, telling lies, all that. It is clear it cannot purify that.

When we die, at that last moment before the breath stops, before we lose the sense of hearing, even if we just hear the name of Buddha, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s name or Amitabha Buddha’s name, we are saved. By remembering the name of the Buddha, we are saved from the lower realms. Even if we remember the Heart Sutra text at the time of death, we will never be reborn in the lower realms. And at the time of death, before the breathing stops, if we remember a monk or nun, a member of the Sangha we have devotion for, we are saved! There is no danger of rebirth in the lower realms.

All that technology, all that development and education is good; of course, it is good. But here I am talking about usefulness at the time of death. When we compare, there is no real comparison. There is nothing in science that can protect us, that can save our life, that can purify our negative karma. I am comparing that with just remembering or hearing the Buddha’s name or even remembering a text or mantra, and no question of recalling a member of the Sangha we have devotion for at that time, we are complete saved. We don’t need all three, the Buddha Dharma and Sangha, just one can help.

You are now here in retreat, so I can beat you up about this! Before I was just talking about the lower realms but we need to be completely free from the whole of samsara, along with its cause, karma and delusions. For that we need all three, the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The actual refuge is the Dharma, the teachings and the realizations, the true path and the true cessation of suffering. We need that. That is the actual refuge, which are the realizations within our mindstream, saving us, protecting us from the karma and delusions, the cause of suffering, and all the oceans of samsaric suffering. Understand?

For that, somebody needs to reveal the path, which is the Buddha. So naturally we take refuge in the Buddha. Since we rely upon the teaching to actualize the path, we need somebody to reveal the path, and that is the Buddha, so we take refuge in the Buddha. Then, we need those who support us in actualizing the path, and that is the Sangha, those who inspire us, who help us to actualize the practice. We can use the venerable Sangha members here doing the course as an example. They are those who inspire us, who explain to us how to practice the Dharma and actualize the path.

I think you have been going through many details in the refuge section of the lamrim. In the philosophical texts there are many qualities to study about the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

It is like being a patient with a very severe illness. The medicine, the actual thing that cures the illness is not enough. The doctor has to diagnose the illness and give us the prescription for the right medicine. For that we need to rely upon the doctor. Then, that is not enough; we need a nurse to help. That’s why in hospitals they not only have doctors and medicine but also nurses. Similarly, here, to be free from the whole of samsara, from the whole of suffering and its cause, karma and delusions, we need to rely upon the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, just as a patient with a very serious illness needs to rely upon the doctor, medicine and nurse.

So, instead of saying “Buddha” we can say “fully enlightened being,” or “omniscient one,” or “the one who has perfect qualities to benefit sentient beings.” OK? Without using the Sanskrit word “Buddha.” Then for “Dharma,” we can say it is the method that protects us from suffering, from the negative emotional thoughts, from ignorance, anger and attachment, all those delusions and their action, karma. Without using the word “karma” we can say “action.” So, you see, it becomes universal. Without saying “Dharma,” we can say it is “the method that protects us from suffering,” because it protects us from death, rebirth, old age, sickness, and all the negative, emotional thoughts, such as ignorance, anger and attachment, and their actions. You see, in that way, it becomes universal.

Instead of saying “absolute Sangha,” we can say “those who have attained the path,” who have the wisdom directly perceiving emptiness, the ultimate reality of I, the aggregates and so forth. That is absolute Sangha. And instead of saying “Sangha,” we can say “the helper who helps us attain the path,” who helps us develop our spiritual path, our realizations, who helps protect us from suffering. In that way, it becomes universal. Sometimes using the Sanskrit, “Buddha, Dharma and Sangha” might make it kind of narrow. Maybe it creates a different feeling, but if we put it in English, it becomes universal. So, the label makes a difference. “Buddha, Dharma and Sangha” sounds something Eastern, maybe from Thailand or Sri Lanka, but if we put it in English, as I gave a rough idea before, it becomes universal.

I want to tell you this. In Singapore many years ago, we liberated animals. It helped them and of course we also collected merit. At that time, there were three snakes—not snacks, snakes—long ones that were bought the previous night from the market. The next morning, we went to the reservoir to liberate them. I think this was Singapore. There were also a lot of frogs, and they knew we were helping them, so when we liberated them, the frogs didn’t immediately jump into water and go away; they turned back and looked at us. As I was walking through the water, one frog followed. Well, it didn’t have legs so it couldn’t stand up! But as I took a few steps in the water the frog followed a few steps. I think animals can feel that a person is helping them be released. I think they can feel that.

Anyway, there were three snakes we had bought the night before who were there when we arrived, maybe between eight and nine in the morning. When they were released, after spending the whole night in a sack, they couldn’t get out immediately. It was like they were drunk or something. Then, they slowly left.

As we were releasing them, the thought came in my mind that if we released them, they could eat mice. Releasing them is harmful for other animals, for the mice and the frogs, because they eat others. If we didn’t release them, because their body was very long, they would be cut all the way through and sold for food. Usually they are cut up while alive and they suffer unbelievable pain. So, what to do? If we liberated them, they would harm many other beings; if we didn’t liberate them, they would suffer so much and get killed. This came to my mind while I was still there, freeing them.

How can we help this situation? In Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and maybe mainland China, the restaurants have a representation of meat. It’s not actual meat but food made to look and taste like chicken or something. So, we could make frogs like this for the snake to eat. We could make vegetarian frogs and vegetarian mice, with tofu, soybean frogs, soybean mice! If we made them look real, I don’t know what the snakes would do. Maybe they would smell them and abandon them, or eat them and vomit them out.

Anyway, what to do? That question came. My conclusion was only the Dharma, nothing else. There is no solution other than the Dharma. If we practice Dharma, if we actualize the path and remove the cause of suffering, karma and delusions, and if we ourselves are liberated from suffering, we don’t have to be reborn like tigers or snakes and cause all that harm to other sentient beings becoming our food. If we actualize the path and are free from samsara, we don’t have to do that; we don’t have to continuously harm other sentient beings by eating them. And then, after we are liberated, we can liberate other sentient beings. We are able to do perfect work for sentient beings, especially leading them to enlightenment.

Even before enlightenment, even as an arhat, who has skies of qualities such as psychic powers, clairvoyance, we can benefit others so much. Then, when we become an arya bodhisattva, with each bhumi there are unimaginable qualities. When we achieve the first Mahayana bhumi, we can manifest into a hundred different bodies and give a hundred different teachings to sentient beings. We can go to a hundred different pure lands and do prostrations and make offerings, collecting unbelievable merit. There are a hundred meditations we can do and about eleven other things we can do.

Then, when we achieve the second bhumi we can do everything a thousand times: manifesting into a thousand bodies, revealing a thousand different teachings to sentient beings, and so forth. We can offer unbelievable benefit to sentient beings.

When we achieve the eighth, ninth and tenth bhumis, even before we become enlightened, the benefit to sentient beings is unbelievable. It is unimaginable what capacity the bodhisattvas at this level have. It is explained in the Madhyamaka commentary. I don’t remember exactly, but for those bodhisattvas, before they even become buddhas, what they can do is unbelievable, amazing, mind-blowing. It is very difficult for us to imagine because we are new. On their pores are many worlds. I don’t remember the whole thing, but they are amazing things. They can manifest as a bridge or as water; they can manifest as all sorts of things for sentient beings; it’s just mind-blowing. This is before becoming a buddha. The benefits sentient beings receive are like the sky, unbelievable. And especially, after achieving enlightenment, we can offer deeper and deeper ways of benefiting sentient beings.

When we ourselves practice the Dharma and actualize the path, we can reveal the Dharma to other sentient beings, showing them the path, liberating them from karma and delusions, the cause of samsara. In that way, they don’t have to reincarnate as all those different beings that harm others.

So, the conclusion is two things. First, we ourselves have to actualize the path to liberation and enlightenment; and second, we can then educate others in the Dharma, reveal the path to others. In this way, we liberate others from the cause of suffering, karma and delusions, and from the oceans of samsaric suffering. That is the only solution that will help. That is why the refuge practice is fundamental.

I think that’s enough, otherwise sooner or later we might take refuge in our dreams!

It is mentioned in the texts that if the benefits of taking refuge materialized then there wouldn’t be enough space, even the three thousand galaxies would be too small a container. There are unconceivable benefits in taking refuge. Whenever we begin prayers, whenever we begin practice, it always begins with refuge. As Kyabje Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche explained, if you begin the practice with refuge the merit increases hundreds of times.

THE BUDDHA TALKING ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF REFUGE

The Buddha explained the benefits of taking refuge in the Kangyur, the hundred volumes of Buddha’s teachings. In Tibetan language, this text is called The Mahayana Sutra “Going for Refuge to the Exalted Three Precious Sublime Ones: the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.”³ Maybe I’ll just quickly read through it! I don’t remember if I received the oral transmission of this or not.

[Rinpoche reads in Tibetan]

“I pay homage to three precious sublimes.”

[Rinpoche reads in Tibetan]

I think this refers to the Buddha’s attendant Shariputra or maybe Kungawo [Ananda]. It is whoever remembered this teaching that the Buddha gave.

“Like this, one time I heard...” Because during the Buddha’s time there was no writing, so I think later on all the disciples gathered and remembered all three baskets of teachings—one is the Vinaya teachings, one is the Abhidharma teachings and one is the Sutra and Tantra teachings. They remembered all those teachings that the Buddha gave at different times, and when they recited them by heart they started, “The Buddha said like this, like this, like this.”

The Buddha was at Shravasti, in the park of the king, the Buddha’s benefactor. The Tibetan says “park,” but it might also mean a place where the holy objects, such texts, are kept. So that might mean something like that.

“The Buddha was abiding in one method with one thousand, two hundred and fifty bhikshus.” They are all arya beings, they are all great Sangha.

“At that time Shariputra…” That’s the Buddha’s heart disciple. There are two heart disciples, one is Shariputra and the other is Maudgalyayana. Shariputra was excellent in wisdom and Maudgalyayana was excellent in psychic power.

“Meaningful Life Shariputra was alone in an isolated place at that time when the thought came, ‘Since I can see the Buddha directly, I will go in front of the Buddha to ask how much benefit a person collects who takes refuge. How much merit anyone, any type, boys or girls who have devotion, collect by taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.” To request the Buddha, he thought that.

“Then, Meaningful Life Shariputra,” I think in the afternoon, “rose up from his meditation and went to where Buddha was. Then, he prostrated with his head at the Buddha’s seat and sat down in one direction [to one side]. Then Meaningful Life Shariputra requested the Buddha.”

“He said: ‘Pure One, I myself am alone in this isolated place, keeping the mind inside, meditating.’” I am not sure how to say this next bit. “‘My mind made this thought: How much benefit is there for any type of girl and boy who has devotion, taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha?’ Then Shakyamuni Buddha proclaimed this to Meaningful Life Shariputra. ‘Shariputra, that you request this is in order to benefit so many sentient beings, for so many sentient beings to have happiness and to have compassion and loving kindness to the world, to benefit many devas, human beings, for the sake of most of the assembly of people, for the happiness and panacea of devas and human beings, that you request this.’” Then the text says lek she which means yes, yes in Tibetan. “‘You came in the presence of the Tathagata,” which means in front of the Buddha, “‘to request this, to understand this meaning. So now I am going to show you by example. Anyone ...’”

If you keep the continuation of this, you will understand. It is a little bit long so you might lose track! The example is quite long, so I think later you will understand how to connect if you get lost!

“The Buddha said, ‘I will show you by example. Any capable being …’”

[Rinpoche reads in Tibetan] I am sure you can understand that! You don’t need a translation!

“‘Any person who has such a psychic power, in this Dzambuling,’” this continent. There are the four main continents; east, west, south and north, as well as small ones to the left and right sides. Our continent is Dzambuling which measured as seven thousand paktse [yojana].⁴ There are different ways of counting paktse, either according to the Kalachakra tantra or according to Abhidharmakosha. I’m not sure, my memory is not so good, [?] is one fathom, and eight of those is one gyangta and eighty gyangta is one paktse. Do you remember? There is a difference in the definition of paktse in the Kalachakra and Abhidharmakosha. Dzambuling measures seven thousand paktse.

“‘If all the creatures living in this world transferred to another world, this world would equal a tang, equaling the seven precious jewels, gold, silver, baidurya.’” I am not sure about this; maybe it’s sapphire? It needs to be checked. I’ve been translating it as lapis lazuli, believing it to be that, but actually lapis lazuli is very cheap. An expert Tibetan doctor I met said he has seen baidurya only once in his life, how it is something deep blue, like sky blue, radiating. He said he saw it once but it’s very rare. So, I’ve been translating it as lapis lazuli but I think that’s wrong. I’m sure there are different qualities. We know it is blue and shining but inside there is some silver or gold sometimes. You can see a little bit of that, so that is not a good explanation of baidurya. So I found out this doctor is correct, that it is not lapis lazuli. Baidurya is more expensive than lapis lazuli. It could be a sapphire or something like that. Do you know the translation of baidurya?

Ven Fedor: I thought it was sapphire but I am not sure.

Rinpoche: Yes, so maybe it’s a sapphire, something very expensive and rare.

So, “‘Crystal, red pearls, heart of the stone…’” I’m not sure what jewel that is, then pook, not poopoo! It’s also some kind of jewel, I’m not sure. “‘If you fill the whole world with all these jewels and build a stupa the same height as the width of Dzambuling…’” How wide our world is, that is the height of the stupa. So it reads, “The whole world is the stupa,” or “The whole world is covered by the stupa.” I’m not sure; it could be either way! “‘Then the top of the stupa reaches the deva world of Brahma. Then if to that stupa you make offering of the deva’s incense, the deva’s flowers, those worldly gods’ garland of flowers, deva’s umbrella and banner, the flags, partin …’” This is an example. It is not telling a story that happened, it’s first giving an example.

“‘Besides that, this person performs a miracle and puts all the oceans of this world into another world and then fills it up with butter, instead of ocean water. Maruka …’” Maruka is the name of a country, I don’t know which. “‘And, til mar, til is this plant that produces oil, it grows in Nepal. [Student: Rape.] Yes, “‘That oil and butter fill the four oceans, and then you put a Mount Meru of wax inside, and you light it so that it lasts for so many eons, and you offer that.’”

“Then Buddha asked Shariputra, ‘What do you think about that example? Did this person collect so many merits or not?’ And Shariputra replied, ‘Yes, yes Buddha, this person would collect many merits, merits beyond those of the hearer listeners…’” The Hinayana hearer listeners. “‘And the solitary realizers. This is beyond them. This is the object of those who have gone to bliss,’” which means the Buddha, “‘this is the object of the tathagatas.”

“Then the Buddha proclaimed, ‘Shariputra, any type of girl or boy who goes for refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, their pile [collection] of merit is much more. Even a hundred times more doesn’t become close to the merit the previous person collected, that person who has great miraculous powers and did all those things…’” Which I am not going to repeat again! “‘That person with those miraculous powers, who did all those things, equaling the world, putting all the creatures in another world and levelling them with all those seven jewels, then building a stupa that covered the world, whose height touches Brahma’s world. Then making all these offerings and putting all the water of the oceans in another world and making it butter, and then putting Mount Merus of wax inside and lighting it and offering the light for many, many eons to the buddhas, compared with those who take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, that person’s pile of merit is not even a hundredth as great.’”

So, the amount of their merit collected by any type of boy or girl who takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha… Sorry, listen! That other person who had the miraculous power, who did all those things, who made unbelievable offering, his merit was not even a hundredth of the merit of somebody, a boy or girl who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Theirs is far greater than that other person who has such incredible miraculous power, who could do all that, who could build a stupa that reaches the Brahma world and make offerings of light for many eons. Even if his merit could be increased a hundred times it would not come close to the merit of the person who takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Now you have a little bit of an idea.

So it says, “‘The person who has miraculous powers, who did all those things, making the stupa of many different jewels at that height, and making all those light offerings for many eons, Mount Merus of light offerings, even if it were increased a thousand times, it still doesn’t come close to this person who takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.’”

I think it’s like that. The last repetition is a thousand, so it’s a thousand or a hundred, but anyway it never becomes even close to this merit of somebody who takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

[Rinpoche reads in Tibetan]

“When the Buddha explained this teaching, talking about the benefit of bodhicitta, the whole worlds of the great thousands of three thousand galaxies shook.” The expression [Rinpoche reads in Tibetan] is the term referring to the whole world shaking like this or that. “Then, at that time, continual great lightning also happened. In the deva world, the devas beat drums in celebration, celebrating that a good thing had happened. Then Meaningful Life Kungawo…” The Buddha’s attendant, Kungawo, is called Ananda in Sanskrit. “…asked the Buddha, ‘What is the name of this Dharma? How do we practice this?’

“Then Buddha proclaimed, ‘Kungawo, you should keep this, which is called This Number of Teaching is Obtained with Infinite Doors,⁵ and look at it this way, the meaning of that.’ The Buddha said. ‘Keep it like this, preserve it.’ The Buddha proclaimed like that.

“Then Meaningful Life Shariputra and the other bhikshus highly praised what Buddha proclaimed.”

This Mahayana Sutra called "Going for Refuge to the Exalted Three Precious Sublime Ones: the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha" comes from the more than a hundred teachings of the Buddha in the Kangyur. It talks about the benefits of refuge, just to get some idea. We should rejoice, discovering how fortunate the person who takes refuge is. We should rejoice in how much merit we collect by taking refuge ourselves and by others taking refuge as well.

REFUGE VOWS MOTIVATION: THE FOUR SUFFERING RESULTS

Please do three prostrations. Do you need to go pipi?

Has the advice on refuge already been read? The three principal practices and the general? [Ven. Fedor: Yes.] OK. So, you already have an idea.

So, do three prostrations to the Buddha statue as though it is the actual living Buddha, then three prostrations to the Lama who is giving the refuge vow.

Then, if you can, kneel down in the same position as taking the eight Mahayana precepts. If you can’t, then sit. Put two palms together at the heart, like this.

Maybe before we repeat the prayer, I must mention this. You can take just the refuge upasika vow,⁶ without taking all or any of the five lay vows. That is called “only refuge upasika vow.” [Rinpoche says it in Tibetan] That is how it is called in Tibetan. You can take just that, or along with the refuge you can take the five lay vows. Or if you can’t take all the five, you can take four, three, two or one, whatever you think you can take. You can include that.

Here, I must tell you what happens if we don’t live in the vow of morality, abstaining from killing. For example, if we killed one insect, from that one negative karma of killing, that killing becomes negative karma because of the motivation of killing, the self-cherishing thought, which makes the action negative, negative karma. Then, there is anger, attachment and the other nonvirtuous thoughts that make the action negative, transforming it into negative karma. If we kill one sentient being, even an insect, because karma is expandable, from that one negative karma we get killed in five hundred lifetimes. In future lives, again and again we will be killed by others for five hundred lifetimes. It is mentioned in the texts, maybe in the commentary Four Hundred Stanzas.

It is also mentioned there that if we cheat one sentient being, as a result we will be cheated because karma is expandable. The nature of karma is that, even if we do something only once, the experienced result is to suffer, as the problem will recur many, many times. So, if we cheat one sentient being, we will be cheated in a thousand lifetimes by others as a result of our karma, from that one karma of cheating one sentient being. We cheated once but from that negative karma we experience the result, in a thousand lifetimes we will be cheated by others. Creating one negative karma has the result we will have to experience in many lifetimes.

That means that when somebody cheats us in this life, when somebody insults us, when somebody steals our things, when somebody kills us—all these were caused by us. Somebody who doesn’t know about reincarnation and karma cannot realize this. To them, it looks like the other person did it to them, harmed them, but in reality, once we understand reincarnation and karma, that is just a condition. Because we harmed that being in the past, we are harmed now. Why that specific sentient being harmed us is because we have a connection with that being, having harmed them, cheated them, killed them, or whatever. That’s why we receive harm from this specific sentient being. So, in reality, whatever harm others give us comes from us. It has come from our past negative karma of harming others. When somebody abuses us, basically, the real evolution comes from us, because in the past we did the same thing; we treated that sentient being in the same way in the past.

“Why did that person treat me like that, instead of like this?” It is because we treated that person that way in the past. It could have been billions of eons ago or in the life before this; it could have been any time, but unless the karma has been purified, the karma will still be there, and that’s why it has ripened in this life.

Not thinking about reincarnation and karma, the continuity of consciousness, is a very short-sighted attitude. Immediately we are harmed we think, “This person did this to me! I didn’t do anything! I am completely pure, perfect, but this person did this to me.”

I heard from Venerable Fedor that you have gone through the meditation on karma quite extensively, so I don’t have to mention much. But because we are talking here about the precepts, because you have opportunity to take precepts with the refuge, I was just bringing up the point of karma.

Since we don’t want to suffer, we don’t want to receive harm from others, it is very important to abandon even one negative karma of killing. You can see how important it is to stop this.

When we complete one negative karma of killing, we have to experience the four suffering results. The ripening aspect result is rebirth in the lower realms. If the action is a heavy one, it may be in the hell realm. Then, the three other suffering results we experience are in the human realm. Experiencing the result similar to the cause is one; others kill us, harming our life. The possessed result is to do with the place; we are born in a place where there is a lot of danger to life, with diseases that are contagious or very dangerous. There are also many harmful things to life. Even the food that is meant to be for a long and healthy life produces side effects, or we can’t digest it. A lot of people have digestive problems. This is a result of the past negative karma of killing. That’s explained very clearly in the text.

Even though the doctor gives us the correct medicine, while it doesn’t produce any side effects for others, it does for us. We have to understand this. For others it has no side effects, but for us it has side effects—that is the result of the negative karma of killing. Like that, it becomes the cause of sickness and death.

Now I have diabetes, I can eat some things but there are many things I can’t eat because it would cause the diabetes to increase. So, I think that’s similar to this. It’s a result of the negative karma of killing.

That is the possessed result. Then, creating the result similar to the cause. Later, in a future life, when we are born a human being due to another good karma, we kill again due to the negative imprint left on our mind by the power of the previous negative karma of killing. We engage in the negative karma of killing, and again that completed negative karma produces four suffering results. Three of those we experience in the human realm. One of those is creating the karma of killing again, and again that produces four suffering results. So, unless we purify, if we don’t practice purification at all and we don’t actualize the path that removes karma and delusions, actualizing the exalted right-seeing path and the path of meditation, then nothing gets done, and from this one negative karma of killing we have to experience the suffering results from life to life. It goes on, becoming endless. From one negative karma, the suffering result is endless.

This is the nature of karma, the nature of the action. When we plant a small seed such as a bodhi tree seed, a huge tree grows with many thousands of branches, which produces thousands and thousands of seeds. There is a bodhi tree in India that came from a very small seed but it is so huge that five hundred horse carriages can stay in the shade of its branches. That is the nature of that seed; the seed has all that potential. All this happens because it is a dependent arising, depending on many factors, many causes and conditions. In the same way, it depends on the base and the thought that labeled it.

All this exists in mere name, merely imputed by mind. All this functions in mere name. It is empty but it exists. It is empty of independence, empty of true existence, but it exists. Its function is existing in mere name; it is born in mere name, it exists in mere name and it dies in mere name.

Similarly, here, the inner factor, karma is like that. If we don’t purify with the remedy of the four powers, if we don’t generate the remedial path that eliminates karma and delusions, we have to experience the suffering result of that one negative karma endlessly.

How many negative karmas of killing have we done in this life? Maybe not human beings but other living creatures, insects? Then we think of our past lives, from beginningless rebirths, there are so many negative karmas that we haven’t purified, that we have not finished experiencing.

Conversely, if we live in the morality of abstaining from killing, if we live in the vow abstaining from killing, this has four happy results. The four happy results are totally opposite. Instead of the ripening aspect of rebirth in the lower realms, we take rebirth in a higher realm. Even the possessed result—the food and medicine—is all very healthy. The crops, the food, what we eat has protein, whereas from the negative karma of killing, the food that grows has no protein.

So, you can see now, this all came from our mind, from karma. Everything comes from the mind, all these sufferings, everything. You can see very clearly, all our problems come from our own mind. Even if someone is harming us, it comes from our mind.

This shows how important it is to live in the vow, even this one vow to not kill. You can see very clearly that that is the solution. Living in the vow, there is happiness from life to life, and liberation and, when it’s done with bodhicitta, there is enlightenment.

Now, one complete negative karma of sexual misconduct has four suffering results. The ripening aspect result is rebirth in the lower realms and the other three are experienced in the human realm. With the possessed result, when we are born as a human being, it is in a dirty, unhygienic place, filled with poopoo, with bad smells. Even though we don’t normally live in such a place, if we have to cross such a terrible, dirty place for a few minutes, even that is the result of past negative karma [of sexual misconduct]. Everything has a reason. Whatever we experience has a reason, and that filthy, smelly, unhealthy place is the result of the past negative karma of sexual misconduct. We are experiencing the possessed result, to do with the place.

Then, experiencing the result similar to the cause. This is an interesting one, experiencing the result of the past negative karma of sexual misconduct. The way our wife or husband thinks is against our mind, against our wishes; they are competitive, so we don’t get along. Even though we are physically living together, we are not happy because our way of thinking is totally the opposite. Because of that, we fight, we quarrel, we hold a painful grudge in our heart for many years and we finally separate. All these problems come. Even our family members are not happy with us; their minds are not harmonious with us. And in the office, our colleagues’ minds are not harmonious with us and they are always going against our wishes. And, being unhappy, many problems arise. This is experiencing the result of sexual misconduct.

Creating the result similar to the cause, we commit sexual misconduct again because of the past negative imprint. We are habituated, so in that life we commit the negative karma of sexual conduct again. Then again there is the complete negative karma which has four suffering results, one of which is doing the same thing again, and then that complete negative karma has four suffering results. So, it goes on without end as long as we don’t purify that negative karma of sexual misconduct from where all this endless suffering comes, if we don’t purify it or actualize the path that removes karma and delusions.

Now here you can see how important it is living in the vow abstaining from sexual misconduct. The main thing is not having a harmful relationship with others, one that creates problems in so many people’s lives and in our life, causing so much negative karma of body, speech and mind. Stopping that, when we live in the vow abstaining from sexual misconduct, brings peace to us and to many people.

You can see that what the Buddha advises is very practical; it brings so much peace and happiness in the world and in our own life. And not just in this life but from life to life, and of course it leads to liberation and enlightenment, so we should always dedicate the merits we create to achieving enlightenment with the thought of bodhicitta.

If we live in the vow abstaining from sexual misconduct, there are four happy results that are totally the opposite [of committing sexual misconduct]. In the office, in the family, everybody thinks in the same way, thinking exactly as we wish; everybody is so supportive. We have to understand the details. These are the result of the past good karma of living in the vow abstaining from sexual misconduct. These are the four happy results we can experience from life to life from one good karma, from abstaining once from sexual misconduct.

Now you can see why it is important to live in the vow, in morality, why you need to bother to practice morality. You can see how it is the most unbelievable, the most practical method for happiness for us and for other sentient beings. It brings so much peace and happiness for us and other sentient beings and this world. Living in the morality of abstaining from these negative karmas, of avoiding these negative karmas, whether we take one, two, three [or all five], becomes the best contribution to world peace. It becomes an incredible means of happiness for us in all our lives up to liberation. And then to enlightenment, when we dedicate for that. This becomes our best service, our best contribution to the happiness for our family, for others, for world peace. If we don’t practice this, others receive a lot of harm from life to life. In this life, so many people receive harm from us; there is so much confusion. We suffer and others suffer. We create so much negative karma with our body, speech and mind and from life to life we cause so much harm to sentient beings.

If we wish for world peace, we must abandon negative karma that harms others and ourselves. To be able to do that, we take a vow from the lama or guru and we make sure we engage in this. We not only think, “I am not going to do that,” we make it a serious practice by taking the vow.

Whether we are able to take one, two, three—however many from these five lay vows—living in these vows is our best contribution. Whatever ones we can take from these five, this really brings world peace. We bring peace and happiness to sentient beings from life to life.

I just wanted to mention this.

The other one is telling lies. The complete negative karma of telling lies has four suffering results. The ripening aspect result is rebirth in the lower realms.

Then, experiencing the result similar to the cause. This one is important to know. If we are running a hotel we never receive guests; all the rooms are empty. If we are running a restaurant, all the chairs are empty. We see people on the road but nobody comes into the restaurant; all the chairs are empty like this. We are unsuccessful at work. All these things are the results of the past negative karma of telling lies. We are experiencing the result similar to the cause. If we are a taxi or bus driver, we don’t get passengers. Other companies get lots of passengers but we don’t. Even if we go on the same road, on the same spot, somebody gets lots of passengers but they never come to us. It’s the same with a Dharma center. If you run a Dharma center, nobody comes to receive teachings. All the meditation cushions are empty! These are examples of experiencing the result of the past negative karma of telling lies. We should understand this specifically. Then we come to know how karma works specifically. I think this might be the possessed result of the negative karma of telling lies.

With experiencing the result similar to the cause, other people cheat us, telling us lies. Also, even if we speak the truth, other people don’t trust our speech; they think we are telling lies. No matter how much we tell the truth, others don’t believe us. Sometimes we have to go to prison without choice because they don’t believe us. These things happen. I heard that in the United States one person stayed in prison for twenty years before they found out he was innocent.

Experiencing the result where other people cheat us and tell us lies actually comes from our mind, from our negative thoughts and then our actions.

Creating the result similar to the cause means we tell lies again. When we are born as a human being in the future due to another good karma, we do the same thing in that life. And again experiencing those four suffering results goes on and on, unless we purify that one negative karma from where all this endless suffering comes or we actualize the path which removes the karma and delusions.

Therefore, you can see how important it is to live in morality, abstaining from telling lies.

Then alcohol makes our mind uninhibited, totally uncontrolled; we act shamelessly. All our secrets come out, all the bad things we say about other people come out. And then we fight each other, we kill each other. Alcohol is the source of so many problems, such as car accidents. It causes so many problems for us and for our family: debt, fighting with our partner and children, destroying things. It creates so many problems and so much disharmony. I think many of the people in the streets of New York and other places are there because they are alcoholics, and they can’t stay with their family. They have to stay in the street. You see many like that.

With alcohol, we can’t do our job. Even what is called a “normal” life in the world, such as having a job, becomes impossible. We can’t do our job, so we lose it. Anyway, there are so many problems. We can’t even do those normal things, and then we become uncontrolled and careless and engage in so much negative karma with our body, speech and mind.

I’ll mention a story and then stop. A woman bought a goat and a container with alcohol. There was a monk, and she asked the monk which he preferred, to kill the goat or drink the wine or have sex with her. To the monk the easiest thing looked like drinking the wine. So he drank the wine and of course then his mind became uncontrolled and he had sex and then killed the goat [for dinner]! So all three! That is just one example of what alcohol does. OK, that’s enough.

With this very heavy negative karma, we have to be reborn in the hot hell realm, in the hell of great crying, where there is an iron house oneness with the fire, with no door or window. We have to suffer there for eons, in that iron house oneness with the fire. Even when the karma of the hell of crying is finished, there is another one outside, the hell of great crying, where again we have to suffer for eons.

I think these hells are the results for the person who actually drinks alcohol, and even for the person who gives alcohol to somebody, they get reborn in the hell of crying and great crying, even in the life after this. This is explained in the teachings. It’s regarded as very heavy.

REFUGE VOWS

So, along with taking refuge, you can take however many of the five lay vows you think you can keep: five, four, three, two or one, you choose. If you are taking any of those vows it is called upasika one vow, two vows, so you say, “I am going to take the upasika one vow,” or “the upasika two vows” and so on, like that. If you are taking all five, then think it’s all five. OK? That means incredible, unbelievable peace and happiness for you and incredible peace and happiness for your family, for the country, for the world and for all sentient beings. This is what you are offering.

Now think: “Until I am liberated from samsara, I will be constantly tormented by the suffering of pain and the suffering of change—the samsaric pleasures—and pervasive compounded suffering. Therefore, because this time I have received a perfect human body, have met the Buddhadharma and have met the virtuous friend, at this time I must achieve great liberation and full enlightenment for sentient beings. Therefore, I am going to take the Buddha as founder of the refuge, the Dharma as actual refuge and the Sangha as helpers to actualize refuge within me.”

Now put your palms together in prostration, like offering a jewel at your heart, not with empty hands. If you can kneel down then kneel down and if you can’t it doesn’t matter, then please repeat the prayer.

[Rinpoche confers the refuge ceremony]

There is a story that in the past in Tibet somewhere, during an initiation the lama said, “Whatever you visualize, you will visualize receiving this now.” Then, somebody in the audience called back, “Lama, even if you visualize receiving momos!”

Now take refuge in the Dharma: the wisdom directly perceiving emptiness, the true path and true cessation of suffering.

Just as the Buddha has two: the absolute Buddha, the dharmakaya, which is the Buddha’s holy mind; and the conventional Buddha, the rupakaya or form bodies, the sambhogakaya and the nirmanakaya, the Dharma has the absolute Dharma and conventional Dharma. The absolute Dharma is the true path and true cessation of suffering; and the conventional Dharma is the scriptures, the three baskets of teachings, the Tripitaka. When we take refuge, we take refuge in both.

[Rinpoche continues the refuge ceremony]

The Sangha also has two: the absolute Sangha and the conventional Sangha. The absolute Sangha doesn’t have to be four people; it can be one and that person can also be lay. The absolute Sangha refers to anyone who has realization of the true path and cessation of suffering. Conventional Sangha refers to at least four fully ordained people, either male or female, who are living in full ordination purely, who don’t have actual refuge Dharma, true path and true cessation of suffering. That is the conventional Sangha. When we take refuge, we take refuge to both.

[Rinpoche continues the refuge ceremony]

Those of you who are living in the higher vows, like the thirty-six vows, you can take refuge, that’s OK, but you can’t think, “I am taking upasika vows,” which is a lower vow. While you are living in higher ordination, if you take a lower vow it is said that you will lose the higher vow. But in the case of the eight Mahayana precepts, because it is taken with a bodhicitta motivation, that is exceptional. That one can be taken by anybody, even those fully ordained ones who are living in the two hundred and fifty-three vows, the bhikshunis. Anybody can take the eight Mahayana precepts. Otherwise, with the lower pratimoksha vows, while you are living in the higher vows, if you take the lower vows such as the five lay vows, you lose the higher vows. You can just do the refuge part, but not the other part, taking the lower vows.

[Rinpoche concludes the refuge ceremony]

Now it is done. Now three prostrations to the lama. Now we have to dedicate the merits.

DEDICATIONS

“Due to all the past, present and future merits collected by me and all the three-time merits collected by others, may I and all sentient beings be able to complete the paramita of morality by keeping it without mistake, keeping it purely and keeping it without pride.”

If you have pride, it makes the merit weaker. It is not only anger that harms the merit; it is also pride. If you have pride, when you practice virtue it makes it weaker. Also, ill will makes merit weaker, so there are other things. Of course, the most destructive is anger but these other things make the merit weaker.

[Rinpoche recites in Tibetan]

Dedicate the merits as I mentioned before. Then please dedicate the merits to generate bodhicitta, the source of all happiness for you and all sentient beings, within your own heart and in the hearts of your family members, in the hearts of all the students in this organization and in the hearts of all the supporters and benefactors, especially those who give up their lives to the organization, doing service for sentient beings and for the teachings of the Buddha. “May bodhicitta be generated in all their hearts and in the hearts of all sentient beings. And in whose heart bodhicitta has been generated, may it be increased.”

[Rinpoche recites in Tibetan]

Please dedicate the merit to generate bodhicitta in the hearts of all the leaders in the world. This way many millions of people in this country will have so much peace and happiness and will be led in the correct path to peace and happiness.

[Rinpoche recites in Tibetan]

Please dedicate the merits particularly for bodhicitta to be generated in the hearts of all those people who have the thought to harm others in the world, those who are called terrorists, whether they are called terrorists or not, anyone who has harmful thoughts to harm others, may bodhicitta take the place [of those harmful thoughts] in their heart. To generate bodhicitta in the hearts of the leaders of the world and in the hearts of people who harm others, this is the most urgent prayer.

[Rinpoche recites in Tibetan]

All this incredible opportunity we have had at this time, during this course—we have taken the eight Mahayana precepts, which brings unbelievable merit, limitless skies of merit, because they were taken with bodhicitta, and today we have taken refuge and the five lay vows—all this is due to the kindness and compassion of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. That I myself have been able to do this and that you have had the opportunity to take this, is only by the kindness of His Holiness. Because His Holiness exists in this world, due to his guidance, we have all this freedom to learn and practice the Dharma.

As I mentioned in the past, every single merit we collect by practicing the Dharma, every single understanding of the Dharma, every single purification, every single karma we have purified and every single positive imprint we have left on our mental continuum to achieve the whole path to enlightenment—all this is by the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. So, we dedicate for His Holiness to have a stable life and for all his holy wishes to succeed immediately. We should dedicate the merits from the bottom of our heart.

[Rinpoche recites His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long-life prayer.]

Then particularly, after that, there is Lama Yeshe, whose holy name is extremely rare to mention, who is kinder than all the three-time buddhas. Kopan exists because of Lama’s kindness. Again, all these benefits we have received in all this time are also by Lama’s kindness, actualizing the place and all that. So, we dedicate that whatever wishes Lama had are actualized, and that his incarnation, Lama Ösel Rinpoche, is able to benefit the world and all sentient beings like Lama Tsongkhapa.

[Rinpoche recites in Tibetan]

“Due to all the three-time merits collected by me and by others may all the father and mother sentient beings have happiness. May the three lower realms be empty forever. May all the bodhisattvas’ prayers succeed immediately. And may I be able to cause all this to happen by myself alone.”

[Rinpoche recites in Tibetan]

“Due to all the past, present and future merits collected by me and by all the three-time buddhas, may any sentient being, whatever connection they have made with me, harming or helping me, may anyone who sees me, touches me, remembers me, thinks of me, dreams of me, or even just sees photos of me, merely by this, may it cause them to immediately purify all their negative karma. May they never be reborn in the lower realms and immediately heal all their sicknesses and may they be free from spirit harms, purify all negative karma, actualize bodhicitta and then achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. After achieving bodhicitta may all their wishes succeed immediately.

“May everyone actualize bodhicitta in this world and may all war, famine, disease, torture, poverty, sickness, dangers of fire, water, air, earthquakes, may all this be stopped immediately, wherever it is happening. May nobody in this world experience all these undesirable things forever.” Please dedicate this.

[Rinpoche recites in Tibetan]

“Due to all the three-time merits collected by me and all buddhas and bodhisattvas and others, may the five-hundred foot Maitreya statue be completed, as well as all the Maitreya statues to be built in this world to shorten the period of eons of war, the dangers of weapons, the eon of sickness and the eon of famine in this world that is going to happen everywhere, much worse than what happened in the past. May all these projects, building Maitreya Buddha statues and the other holy objects in different parts of the world, succeed immediately and help shorten this extremely heavy suffering period in the world. And may there be continuous offerings to the monasteries and the Sangha. May all the Sangha of this organization be able to do all the social services in different parts of the world: the hospices and universal education, the Loving Kindness Peaceful Youth and those various different social services that help young people with special education, as well as giving food, shelter and medicines, and eye operations in hospitals in Tibet—may those various social services succeed and may they also hopefully start in Nepal.”

Medicine is also given at the bottom of [Kopan] hill, but also in the near future we hope to start a place for people who have cancer, and a place to die or an old folks home—we’re not yet sure what, but hopefully something very good, where they can come, which not only provides shelter and equipment but most importantly gives them the chance to practice. For those who are Buddhist, to help show them what to pray for, what to practice, what to meditate on, to make their life very meaningful rather than living their lives just worrying. To do something not only for the cancer but up to enlightenment—a place where we can introduce practice. I think that’s the most important thing. Of course, shelter and everything is very important, but the most important thing is the psychology, the thought transformation or the meditation practice. At least taking refuge in the unmistaken object who has all the qualities and power to liberate, to protect. That makes a huge difference in their life, by having an unmistaken object of refuge to hold on to, one who has all the qualities. If that is done it makes a huge difference to the person’s life from now on, leading them to enlightenment. Introducing refuge makes a difference like earth and sky in the life of that person. They can see that the person they hold onto has no mistakes; that they have all the qualities and power. There’s no cheating, no deceiving. That’s very important.

So hopefully, there will be a hospice to help those people. When I was here last, there is a Nepalese man whose mother was dying. I don’t remember whether he asked me or not, but I went. They had a small place which two or three Nepalese doctors serve. There was somebody from the village lying down outside, and inside the Nepalese man’s house there was his mother. I chanted many of the powerful mantras and lamrim prayers to the mother, and I think I left blessed water to drink. I think she passed away after a few weeks.

I think Nepalese people generally don’t have a guide to explain meditation, refuge, thought transformation, what to think and so forth, so doing something like this came out very, very helpful, very good, to help at such a critical time near death. Besides the Buddhists, who know how to do things, Nepalese people have no idea about life. Even if they just chant mantras, while chanting, by thinking of the Buddha, it’s perfect. It completely saves them and they don’t need to have any worries. They will have a good future and go to a pure land or whatever.

For all these things to succeed we need funding. Then, each individual center has so many projects, so many things—teaching the Dharma, doing social service, doing many things to help others—so we dedicate for all those to succeed. Many of them have financial problems, so we dedicate for them to receive whatever they need to benefit others immediately, and to succeed without difficulty.

Many of these centers were not started by wealthy people; they were mostly started by young people with good hearts, after coming to the Kopan course here, in India and Nepal. They got benefit in their life from the teaching in the course and meditating on the lamrim, and so they wanted to start the same thing in their countries to benefit others. They wanted others to receive the same benefit in their lives. Those young people who have nothing are the ones who start serving others; [the centers] are not started by wealthy people with much funding. That’s why it is not easy for them to pay the rent and so forth. Many have not had extensive business experience, experience in the material world. They have experience in different fields. Therefore, pray that they may receive whatever they need to most benefit sentient beings.

“Due to all the past, present and future merits collected by me and the three-time merits collected by other sentient beings and buddhas, that which exist but which are empty...” (Here, meditate on emptiness.) “... may the I who exists but is empty, achieve Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, which exists but which is empty, and lead all the sentient beings, who exist but who are empty, to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, which exists but which is empty, by myself alone, who exists but does not exist from its own side.

“I dedicate all my merits to be able to follow the holy extensive deeds, the same as the bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Manjugosha actualized. I dedicate all the merits in the same way as all the three-time buddhas dedicate their merits.

“Due to all the three-time merits collected by me and by others, may the general teachings, particularly Lama Tsongkhapa’s stainless teachings of unified sutra and tantra, be spread in all the directions of this world and may they flourish forever in this world by completely actualizing in my heart and in the hearts of my own family members, in the hearts of all the students and supporters of this organization and in the hearts of all those who sacrifice their life to the organization, doing service to sentient beings and to the teachings of Buddha, and everyone in this world.

[Rinpoche recites in Tibetan]

Inside here are five-colored Buddha’s relics, which I received from Thailand, to put on the head. There is a very special mantra and when you touch it, it purifies very heavy negative karma: killing one’s father and mother, harming the Buddha, killing an arhat, causing disunity among the Sangha, which causes you to be born right after death in the lowest hot hell, the inexhaustible hell, which is the heaviest suffering in samsara and lasts for one intermediate eon. That means there is no question about purifying those other karmas, the ten nonvirtuous actions and so forth. So, take the blessings on the head.

There is also this refuge booklet that explains, by taking refuge, the three things to abandon and the three things to practice, the refuge precepts, and the general advice regarding refuge. There are about eight or something. I think you have gone through some things. In the back, there is also Saint Francis’ prayer. This is to clarify so as to not become contradictory.

Each person can come and I can sign the refuge book. 

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Notes

³ See The Noble Great Vehicle Sutra “Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels” at https://84000.co, a digital library of Buddhist sutras. [Return to text]

⁴ One paktse is said to be between six and fifteen kilometers (four to nine miles). [Return to text]

⁵ Also translated as Accomplishing Limitless Gateways. See https://84000.co. [Return to text]

⁶ The five lay vows are often called “upasika” vows, but more correctly upasika is a female lay follower of the Buddha (upasaka for male). [Return to text]