Topic outline

  • Talk 1, 26 May 1979

  • Talk 2, 26 May 1979

  • Talk 3, 27 May 1979

  • Talk 4, 27 May 1979

    • Three Rare and Supreme Ones, Taking Refuge File Audio file (MP3)

      English translation by Acharya Tenpa Gyaltsen Negi.

       དཀོན་མཆོག་གསུམ་དང་སྐྱབས་འགྲོ།

      Notes by Evan Yerburgh:
      Explanation of the definitions and qualities of the three jewels. Buddha: perfection of knowledge, loving-kindness and compassion, and power. Dharma: The remedy for removing karma and kleshas. Dharma of scripture and realization. Dharma of realization starts at first bhumi. Sangha: ordinary and realized sangha. Ordinary sangha: a group of four or more monks or nuns. Realized sangha: realized absolute truth at first bhumi by realization of emptiness. Bodhisattva definition: great beings who take an oath to liberate sentient beings. Why three jewels instead of one? Final refuge: Buddha. Until then three jewels is at the relative level. Three kaya aspects of Buddha. Ultimate Buddha is dharmakaya. Other kayas are objects of perceptions, so relative and not ultimate. Buddha manifests in two form kayas in order to teach beings. Dharma is refuge as a path. Sangha is a refuge as a guide or helper.
      Refuge vow. Six kinds of instructions to follow after taking the refuge vow. Three to be relinquished and three to be adopted. Three things to be adopted: By taking refuge in the Buddha, one has to pay respect to the Buddha and representations of the Buddha. By taking refuge in the dharma, have to pay respects to scriptures and treat them well. Taking refuge in the sangha, have to pay respect to the sangha. Three to be relinquished: By taking refuge in the Buddha, need to give up taking refuge in worldly gods or deities. Nevertheless, in Mahayana can take refuge in beings with loving-kindness and compassion such as Jesus Christ and the Christian God and loving-kindness and compassion themselves. Can visualize Jesus as Chenresig and vice versa if you want. Don't have to give up former religion. Rinpoche says this is his own conclusion about refuge. By taking refuge in the dharma, need to give up anything that harms other beings. By taking refuge in the sangha, need to give up association with non buddhist tirthika friends. Rinpoche say that is a friend has kindness and compassion one can and should associate with them.
      Q/A
      Question about taking refuge in two religions and Chime Rinpoche and Akong Rinpoche's answers. KTGR explained refuge in other religions from the point of necessity. Every explanation can come from a positive or negative point of view. If you have faith in the Buddha and no faith one's own religion, no need to take refuge in one's one religion. But if one has faith in both religions then it is important to take refuge in both religions.
      From the point of view of loving and compassion, there is no difference in religions. Can't prove with logic that Buddha is not an incarnation of Jesus, or vice versa. Loving kindness and compassion is the means to practice. Being a Mahayanists, one shouldn't get angry even to those who are hostile to the Mahayana teachings as Shantideva said in Bodhicharyavatara . In Vajrayana have to have pure vision and then you wouldn't think this one should or shouldn't take refuge in this or that. In Vajrayana good and bad, pure and impure dissolves. Like in a dream. If you can transform a dream, you can transform pure and impure, friends and enemies. Description of refuge prayer visualization.
      Refuge Prayer recitation and instruction. No hurry to take refuge ceremony, Most important thing is to understand dharma.