The Dzogchen Primer

by Marcia Schmidt

  If we undertake these preliminary practices in an authentic way so that we feel we cannot afford to waste a single moment, we will be able to practice like Milarepa. This is a solid foundation. Whatever is built upon it, such as the main practice of yidam deity, mantra, and completion stage, Trekchö and Tögal, will be like the stories of a building that will remain firmly grounded and stable. It’s not enough to strive for the higher teachings and ignore the real substance of the Dharma, which is a change in attitude. Unless we can change our hearts at a profound level, the samsaric traits of our personality will all remain, and we will still be seduced by appearances. As long as our mind is fickle, it is easy to become carried away in the chase of power and wealth or the pursuit of beautiful objects, in concerns of business and politics, in intrigues and deceit. It is easy to become an insensitive practitioner who cannot be “cured” or changed by the Dharma. Although one may have great theoretical understanding, it does not penetrate to the core. That state is like a butter skin that is not made flexible by the butter inside, even though it holds the butter.

  So, do not grab at the higher teachings of Trekchö and Tögal. They are like the impressive wolf-skin hats worn in Kham; they look very good, but what keeps your ears warm in the winter is the unimpressive collar of plain sheepskin! It’s much more important to emphasize the preliminaries and lay a solid foundation: then whatever is built on top of that afterward will make sense. Otherwise, it will be empty talk.

  Most important of all, more crucial than the extraordinary practices of Trekchö and Tögal, are the general and the specific preliminaries. Without having taken to heart these mind-changings, whatever practice you do will never lead anywhere. Nothing can be built when there is no foundation to build on. You may already know this very well; it may not be the first time you are hearing this. My words may be like trying to give the reading transmission of OM MANI PADME HUNG to Avalokiteshvara. Nonetheless, I wanted to say this to refresh your memory.

  Adapted from Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Rainbow Painting (Boudhanath: Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 1995), “The True Foundation.”

  18

  TAKING REFUGE

  Padmasambhava

  The master Padmakara of Uddiyana, who appeared as a nirmanakaya in person, was asked by Lady Tsogyal, the princess of Kharchen: Great Master, please be kind and teach the basis for all Dharma practice, the means by which to end birth and death, a little cause that has immense benefit, a method that is easy to apply and has little hardship.

  The nirmanakaya master replied: Tsogyal, taking refuge is the basis for all Dharma practice. The Three Jewels are the support for all Dharma practice. The means that brings an end to birth and death is to take refuge along with its subsidiary aspects.

  Lady Tsogyal asked: What is the essential meaning of taking refuge? What is its definition? When divided, how many types are there?

  The master replied: The essential meaning of taking refuge is to accept the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha as your teacher, path, and companions for practicing the path, and then to pledge that they are the fruition you will attain. Thus taking refuge means a pledge or acceptance. Why is such an acceptance called “taking refuge”? It is because of accepting the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha as the support, refuge, and protector or rescuer for being freed from the great fear of the sufferings and obscurations. That is the essential meaning of taking refuge.

  The definition of taking refuge is to seek protection from the terrors of the three lower realms and from the inferior view of believing in a self within the transitory collection as is held by non-Buddhist philosophers.13

  When divided, there are the three types: the outer way of taking refuge, the inner way of taking refuge, and the secret way of taking refuge.

  THE OUTER WAY OF TAKING REFUGE

  Lady Tsogyal asked: Concerning the outer way of taking refuge, what is the cause of wanting to take refuge? In what object does one take refuge? What kind of person takes refuge? What are the manners or methods through which one takes refuge? With what particular attitude does one take refuge?

  Master Padma replied: The cause of wanting to take refuge is fear of the miseries of samsara, trusting in the Three Jewels as the place of refuge, and moreover, accepting the Three Jewels as the objects of refuge and the protectors of refuge. Through these three you give rise to the intention of taking refuge. In general, one wants to take refuge due to fear of death.

  There are many people who do not even notice that half of their life has passed and who do not think of their future lives for even an instant. They have no refuge.

  If you were not going to die or if you were certain of a human rebirth, you would not need to take refuge. However, after dying and transmigrating, there are the overwhelming miseries of the lower realms.

  In what object does one take refuge? You should take refuge in the Three Jewels. Who can bring an end to birth and death? It is exclusively the omniscient Buddha who is free from all defects and who has perfected all virtues. Therefore, only the Dharma he has taught and the Sangha who uphold his doctrine are able to bring an end to the cycle of birth and death of self and others. Since these are the sole objects of refuge, you should take refuge in them.

  In general, there are many people who consider the teachings of the truly and perfectly enlightened one as no more than the words of a fortune-teller, and who, when pressed, go to spirits for refuge. It is difficult for such people to have refuge.

  What kind of person takes refuge? The one who possesses interest, devotion, and faith and who thinks of the virtues of the Three Jewels. One should possess these three particular attitudes:

  Since samsara is without beginning and end, I must turn away from it this very moment!

  The gods of the non-Buddhists and so forth are not my objects of refuge!

  The omniscient state of buddhahood alone is my true object of refuge!

  This is how the special taking refuge takes place.

  When taking refuge, mere lip service is useless. This is like empty muttering. It is uncertain where it will lead you.

  What is the manner in which one takes refuge? You should take refuge with respectful body, speech, and mind. You should take refuge with three thoughts: fear of the lower realms and samsara, trust in the blessings of the Three Jewels, and steadfast faith and compassion.

  The person who believes that this life is perfect and that the next one will also be perfect will simply die while still about to practice the Dharma. That is not enough.

  In this context, you should know the rituals of taking refuge.

  With what particular attitude does one take refuge? You should take refuge with a sense of responsibility for the welfare of others. You should take refuge with this attitude, as you will not attain the true and complete enlightenment simply by renouncing samsara and desiring the result of nirvana:

  In order to free all sentient beings from the miseries of samsara,

  I will take refuge until I and all the sentient beings of the three realms have achieved supreme enlightenment!

  In general, all wishing is dualistic wishing. Taking refuge without being free from dualistic fixation is not sufficient.

  Lady Tsogyal then asked the master: How many kinds of training does the outer way of taking refuge entail?

  The master replied: As soon as you have taken refuge you must skillfully practice the eight trainings, in order to prevent your commitment from degenerating.

  She asked: What are these eight trainings?

  The master replied: First, there are the three special trainings: Having taken refuge in the Buddha, you should not bow down to other gods; having taken refuge in the Dharma, you should give up causing harm to sentient beings; having taken refuge in the Sangha, you should not associate with heretical people. These are the three special trainings.

  To explain that further: First, having taken refuge in the Buddha, “not to bow down to other gods” means that if you bow down to mundane gods such as Mahadeva, Vishnu, Maheshvara
, or others, your refuge vow is damaged. If you go to such gods for refuge, your refuge vow is destroyed.

  Secondly, having taken refuge in the Dharma, to “give up causing harm to sentient beings” means that your refuge vow is definitely destroyed if you engage in killing. It is damaged even if you just beat other beings out of anger, enslave them, make holes in their noses, imprison them in a cattle shack, pluck out their hair, take their wool, and so forth.

  Thirdly, having taken refuge in the Sangha, “to refrain from associating with heretical people” means that your vow is damaged if you keep company with people who hold the view and conduct of eternalism or nihilism. If your view and conduct are in conformity with theirs, your refuge vow is destroyed.

  In any case, all Dharma practice is included within taking refuge. People with wrong views do not have this understanding.

  These are the five general trainings.

  1. When beginning your practice, make an extensive offering with a vast amount of the best kinds of food and drink. Present the offerings before the Precious Ones on the fourteenth day and beseech them to arrive for the offering. Following that, make offerings on the fifteenth day. These offerings are of four kinds: the offering of prostrations, the offering of material objects, the offering of praise, and the offering of practice.

  First, the offering of prostration: Stand up straight and join your palms. Thinking of the virtues of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, imagine that you are touching their feet adorned with the design of the wheel as you make prostrations.

  Next is the offering of material objects: Present offerings such as flowers that are entirely unowned by anyone and visualized offerings, as well as your own body.

  Make praises with melodious tunes.

  The offering of practice is to make the aspiration that the roots of your virtue resulting from having cultivated the bodhichitta of undivided emptiness and compassion may be for the attainment of enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.

  Master Padma said: The Three Precious Ones have not even an atom of need for a bowl of water or respect. The purpose of making the offering is to enable you to receive the light rays of the buddhas.

  Concerning the offering of the best kinds of food and drink, make three heaps of the best type of food, and utter OM AH HUNG three times. Imagine that your offerings thereby become an ocean of nectar. Following that, envision your yidam deity surrounded by an infinite gathering of the Three Precious Ones and imagine that you present this nectar offering, requesting them all to accept it. If you are unable to offer in that way, simply make an offering while saying, “Precious Ones, accept this!”

  If you do not have anything to offer, you should at least present bowls of water every day. If you do not do that, your refuge vow will degenerate.

  The Precious Ones do not need these offerings of material nourishment in the same way as sentient beings. The food torma is for you to gather the accumulations without noticing.

  2. The second training is to not abandon the sublime Precious Ones even for the sake of your body, your life, or a valuable gift.

  Regarding not abandoning the refuge even for the sake of your body: even if someone threatens to cut your eyes out, cut off your legs, your ears, your nose, or your arms, you should let him do so rather than abandoning the Precious Ones.

  Regarding not abandoning the refuge even at the cost of your life: even if someone threatens to kill you, you should let him do so rather than abandoning the Precious Ones.

  Regarding not abandoning the refuge for the sake of a valuable gift: even if you are promised the whole world filled with precious stones in return for giving up the refuge, you should not renounce the refuge.

  3. The third training is that no matter what happens to you, whether you are sick, under hardship, at ease, happy, or sad, you should lay out a mandala and the five kinds of offerings and offer them to the Three Jewels. Then take refuge and make this supplication:

  Sacred master, great vajra-holder, all buddhas and bodhisattvas, please listen to me! May all my sickness and whatever is caused by spirits and negative forces not occur. Please create peace, auspiciousness, and goodness.

  Aside from this it is also appropriate to gather merit by reading the scriptures aloud, chanting, and offering tormas, since such practices belong to the basics for taking refuge. If nothing helps, do not give rise to wrong views, thinking, The Precious Ones have no blessings! The Dharma is untrue! Think instead, I shall feel better when my evil karma has become exhausted! Without pursuing other ways such as soothsaying and shamanistic rituals, engage only in taking refuge.

  4. In whichever direction you travel, remember the buddhas and bodhisattvas, make offerings, and take refuge. For instance, if tomorrow you are going toward the east, lay out a mandala and make offerings today, taking refuge in the buddhas and bodhisattvas of that direction.

  Which supplication should you make? You should supplicate as follows before taking leave:

  Master, vajra holder, all buddhas and bodhisattvas, please listen to me! Please prevent obstacles caused by humans and nonhumans and make everything auspicious from the time of leaving this place until I arrive at my destination.

  If you do not do that the day before departure you should do it at the time of departure.

  At the time of leaving, if you do not remember to take refuge within ten or seven steps of crossing your threshold, your refuge vow is damaged.

  Once you entrust your mind to the refuge, it is impossible that you will be deceived.

  5. Think of the good qualities of taking refuge and train in it again and again. Having taken refuge in the Three Precious Ones, regard them as your place of hope and look up to them as your place of trust. Keep the Precious Ones as your only source of refuge and make supplications to them. Pray to the Precious Ones for blessings.

  Think that your present representation of the Three Jewels, whether a cast image, a carved relief, a painting, a stupa, a volume of a book, or so forth, is the dharmakaya. It is possible that the essence of dharmakaya will be suddenly realized when making prostrations, offerings, or supplications. Even if that does not happen, by prostrating and making offering to the Three Jewels and creating a karmic connection, one will become a disciple of a buddha in the future.

  Master Padma said: No matter what arises in you such as the virtues and happiness of the enlightened ones, regard these to be the blessings of your master and the Precious Ones. By thinking in that way, you will receive the blessings. No matter what problems and misery you may meet, regard them as your own evil karma. That will bring an end to all your negative karmas. In general, if you do not entrust your mind to the Precious Ones, but hold the wrong view of thinking, The Precious Ones have no blessings!, it is possible that you will not escape from the lowest hells.

  Lady Tsogyal asked the master: What good qualities result from taking refuge?

  The master replied: Taking refuge has eight good qualities.

  1. You enter the group of Buddhists. Having taken refuge in the Three Jewels, you are called a Buddhist. Without having taken refuge, you are not included among the Buddhist group, even though you may claim to be a holy person, a great meditator, or the Buddha in person.

  2. You become a suitable vessel for all the vows such as the Individual Liberation. Correspondingly, if you lose your refuge vow, it is said that all the vows based thereon are also destroyed.

  In order to restore them, restoring the refuge vow will be sufficient. That is to say, it is sufficient that you make an offering to the Three Jewels and take the vow in their presence.

  You also need to have taken refuge prior to any vow; from the oneday precepts and so forth up to the vows of Secret Mantra. Taking refuge is therefore known as that which causes you to become a suitable basis for all types of vows.

  3. The vow of taking refuge in the Three Jewels diminishes and brings to an end all karmic obscurations accumulated throughout all your past lives. That is to say, your obscurations will be totally ex
hausted through the special taking refuge, while through the general taking refuge the karmic obscurations will diminish.

  Again, when a genuine feeling of taking refuge has arisen in your being, karmic obscurations are utterly brought to an end, while by the mere words of taking refuge they will diminish.

  Furthermore, if you take refuge at all times, while walking, moving about, lying down, and sitting, the karmic obscurations will be completely exhausted, while by just taking refuge from time to time they will diminish.

  4. You will possess vast merit. The mundane merits of long life, good health, splendor and majestic dignity, great wealth, and so forth result from taking refuge. The supramundane unexcelled enlightenment also results from taking refuge.

  5. You will be immune to attack by humans and nonhumans, and immune to the obstacles of this life. It is said that as soon as the genuine taking refuge has arisen in your being, you cannot be harmed by human obstacles in this life. Also you cannot be harmed by nonhumans such as nagas and malicious spirits.

  6. You will achieve the fulfillment of whatever you may wish for. When the genuine taking refuge has arisen in your being, it is impossible not to accomplish whatever you intend. In short, it is said that placing your trust in the objects of refuge, you will receive whatever you desire, just as when supplicating a wish-fulfilling gem.