Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 48-minute teaching, Geshe Sopa unpacks the structure and meaning of taking refuge in the Buddhist path, walking systematically through five key topics: the cause of refuge, the objects of refuge, how refuge is actually taken, its benefits, and the ethical precepts that follow. He frames refuge through the metaphor of a sick person seeking a doctor—the Buddha is the physician showing the path to freedom, the Dharma is the medicine itself, and the Sangha are the nurses and fellow practitioners supporting the healing. Geshe Sopa distinguishes three levels of practitioners (inferior, intermediate, and superior beings) and shows how their motivation differs: some seek protection from negative rebirth, others from all conditioned cyclic existence, and bodhisattvas seek freedom for all sentient beings. He emphasizes that the Buddha’s role is to teach and guide, but the actual cure comes only through sincere practice of the Dharma, and concludes with practical precepts—avoiding harmful action, cultivating non-violence and compassion, and associating with those who lead toward liberation. Suited to practitioners beginning formal Buddhist study.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 12 LP.mp3
UUID: ed29d8aa-11ee-489b-a93f-e3d787ef5692
Teacher: Geshe Sopa 1986
Collection: A lamp that illuminates the path (Geshe Sopa 1986)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 48.5 minutes
Words: ~4,945
Activity or what one does for the pure benefit of other sentient beings. So, therefore, from here, great great or the tool to enlightenment also is much, much great, much, much faster. So, therefore, in order to invite or in order to arouse this mind, this kind of mind, we can all many, many other methods can try to or as is taught, can follow that practice and exercise and meditate. But, also, one way we have what we usually call fortune. That means that means you have many, many good, wholesome virtuous seeds in the mind, not much less negative seeds like sinful, all evil, or negative action, full of in the mind, so many of these things influence.
Or less those things become much, much virtuous quality. That is the one part. And then also purification, there are certain kinds of negative things which are already created. And then those are if they become obstacles to arising these things because we always in selfish or self-centered egotistical view only always dominate. And from that, so much stuff in the mind or mostly become, like, harmful to others or in that way, unconcerned, any kind of others’ goals, only purely for selfish purpose. All these done, also many mental obstacles they are so much custom, so much used to.
Or like that way. So therefore it is this kind of mind is not easy to arise. So, therefore, all the on both purification and the accumulation of merit for that purpose, all there are certain kinds of practice of the preparatory practice. That is the worship or whatever we call in order to one’s own merit creation, making also an image to the Buddha or making offerings, etcetera, and then also confessing certain kinds of negative things, admiring others’ merits, virtues, and all that, etcetera, dedication. There are what is called seven limbs of puja, seven limb practice, etcetera.
All of these first you do. And then after doing this, and then also taking refuge. Refuge to the Three Jewels, special where refuge means one’s concern, problem, or misery or suffering of all mother sentient beings, wanting to have a cure for the problem, like disease, sickness, wanting them complete highest healthy or perfect happiness or peace, which is wanting them to attain complete enlightenment. For that purpose oneself working. So, therefore, in order to do that, again, also rely on the Three Jewels or how to do is you have the support of the first, again, Buddha as a guide or teacher or like doctor, or his teaching, the method. What what what one should do if that is one’s objective goal?
So, therefore, these things are the teaching or it’s the Dharma. And then who are Bodhisattvas, those who are practitioners, serious practitioners who can assist and help and guide or like that way, those are the Sangha. So those are the, again, Three Jewels. So therefore taking refuge. Also here, who is the refuge.
And then after that refuge, you know, all of these are done. Then all the formally from the guru, all the bodhicitta, or the arising, producing the bodhicitta. What are those things coming, you know, following all these? So that is the following lines saying. Or maybe read the next one.
In the seventh. Okay. Whether that is the way of the accumulation of merit in order to the Buddhas, the or that is all of these things detail we were going to have later. All right now, just probably. Still next one also, refuge. One more. Not one stanza. Even three. Okay?
Yeah. Eight and nine, both. Okay. Okay. Thrice, which we’re talking already, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, those are three objects.
Or like that way. So these are the preparatory to attain bodhicitta. Bodhicitta from guru with the vow, promising vow of the bodhicitta. But, actually, bodhicitta, it comes not from somebody taking it merely, but oneself has to practice the teaching method first to start it. And then how you develop, how this mentality or as antidote of selfish or egotistic view, then have to produce love and love and compassion.
And that way, have to bodhicitta. But then also, here is from one’s own guru taking refuge as these rituals. And then from that, from the guru, also, bodhicitta can be through ritual can also be taken. And at that time, certain kinds of promises also can be made. And, also, after that, with the Bodhisattva vow also can be taken.
So all of these are the following those lines. So, therefore, all these lines now just mentioned, those few, those above, the subject is very, very vast. Now in order to explain all these in detail, we will take several days. But, anyway, we will go a little bit, you know, briefly, short, short. So, therefore, now talking, the main essence of here is how to take a refuge or the refuge to the Three Jewels, you know, that was talking.
So since we are from the talking inferior level also through refuge, so, therefore, we can same way in general or general way, although they are similar, but certain differences, one can understand. That we will talk those things. That is the whether we can leave for the time being those, they are part of worship part and then seven limbs of puja or seven limbs. And then those, you know, also this has to shortly, can explain. First, I think we will since it’s important, this refuge part, refuge is the whole Buddhist, any of these practices or mainly there’s nothing not included in the refuge.
Refuge means the whole practices are in the refuge. Like, for example, when somebody has a serious disease and then what is the protection? That is knowing the best doctor or the best medicine or somebody who also, not only doctor, but somebody who knows, who can closely assist, like nurse. All of those three things. All the whole therapy from treatment beginning up to complete, all the healed or recovered, up to that, everything follows with the doctor’s prescription or what mainly do, what should be taken, what should not be taken, all of these, doing how hard or how difficult, whatever, doesn’t matter, exactly following like that.
All these are following activity. They all are part of refuge to the doctor or medicine and to the nurse. The same way, here is the one who shows the way or path without error. That that is the Buddha or the taking. And then Dharma is what is actually have to, what it is shown.
What one should be taking or practice. So all that, therefore, all three, all the Buddhist practices are actually included in the refuge to the refuge. Although now based on this part in it, explaining here, last time we were talking the topic, some of these topics when you explain the commentary, will be all, last time on refuge. In order to take refuge, refuge means what are the topics? We had five different topics.
You can or taking refuge from or what causes? When you take this cause. Without cause, nobody goes to refuge. Goes to refuge means there is some kind of cause, special. That is the one. And then you learn to where you take refuge, that object of refuge.
That is the second. Or how to take refuge, actually, which way or the measurement or how to take refuge, actually. That is the third one. And then the fourth one is the benefit of taking refuge and the advice or precepts of the refuge. All of those things, they have those five different ways that one of the Lamrim has like that. Those five taught. So among them, we talked already cause of the refuge. And also object.
But the cause, last I mentioned, well, again, I want to since some of maybe new or most of you know, maybe, just to shortly briefly mention cause. Well, when you’re taking refuge to the anywhere, cause. The cause is always refuge, when anybody who takes refuge means there is some kind of fear. That is one cause because some kind of bothering or some kind of fear. Without fear of something, no one goes to refuge. And then that is one cause.
The other cause is to where you take refuge, once in the mind, that object has ability or power to rescue or save or protect or guard, some kind of special trust or faith or trust to that object. With those two, without those two, there wouldn’t be proper taking refuge. One of these two has to be in taking refuge. Like that way, one who has, that is the cause here is the same thing. Isn’t it?
Cause is the in the from the point of inferior spiritual beings, they or fear is to fall after death, maybe falling into low rebirth or bad migration or fear from death, wanting to be before death, one wants to do some kind of safety, protect from death. That is the fear is that. Based on that, the refuge, again, Three Jewels or the refuge is the one who shows the path or the teacher or the guide. And then one which, what is actual like medicine, Dharma itself, practice what should practice, and who can assist, any who are following that. That is those three are like that way. So, therefore, to them, those three, when they realize, when they’re looking at those three, and then one has special kind of trust or faith to protect or to rely on these or depending on these.
In that way, one’s self settled or trust in the faith. That is actually. Same way, intermediate level of spiritual beings, same way to the. Again, fear is different. Fear is not only next life, but the whole life circle, wherever you’re born, higher or lower rebirth. As long as it’s samsaric rebirth, impure, conditioned, this condition conditioned by karma, powered by karma, that’s impure life. Impure life, once you have contact, once alive, death. That is, I mean, temporarily high rebirth is even not satisfactory because anytime can fall down. That way, all completely free of that kind of life and the pure or perfect pure life.
That is the intermediate level. Looking for oneself free of all these life or the impure life. Then that is the seeking emancipation. For them, also, again, fear of that circle of life and also trust in, again, Three Jewels. What are of Buddhist teaching, Dharma has all the how you cut off this circle of life completely free from that. All that that is the shown. So these teachings, again, have faith or special trust.
Now that is like that way. Difference is like that. In the same way, great beings or superior beings’ objective goal, again, is the fear is not for oneself. Fear of whole, one’s own, like like family or all mother, all sentient beings as one’s own, seeing as like one’s own dear mother. Their suffering, misery as oneself being, seeing in the same way. Of everybody wants happiness, lack of highest happiness, wants to be free from misery or suffering, aging, death, sickness, the circle. But everybody has that condition. Or wanting to free them from that or the fear of those situations, then, again, to rely on the Three Jewels. That way, that is the way of taking refuge to the superior beings.
So, therefore, the distinction is like objective goal and focus. That way. That is cause of the refuge, those two, fear and trust. And then the object, whom you take refuge, as we talked, to the Buddha, Dharma, or Sangha, those three. Among them now, the object of the is those three, Buddha etcetera. So, therefore, this has the first, the Buddha. Nowadays, they’re talking about the Buddha. Each of those in detail, I think, a little we again, since we don’t have much time to talk about in detail much. One is the first Buddha himself, the main, the quality of the Buddha. That has the quality of the body, speech, mind, all of these. If one has to learn those things in detail, has so much detail.
How do you say? Means they are suitable for the refuge. That is the oneself looking, what is the suitable or guide, or one who can teach, or one who can help, in that perfect way. That is Buddha. That is in a, that has a needed, one’s needed quality. Now the quality is there are four different listed, I think. Last last night, I think I mentioned because I don’t want to all of these. One is the one set free from all the fear of obstacles. Somebody who himself, oneself is in trouble or with fear, this oneself is not free, then difficult to protect others. That oneself completely free. The Buddha means one who is completely perfect and enlightened. And then one who has gotten rid of all the misery or suffering from the root. And who has highest quality from the point of body. Body has the Buddha, explanation so much.
Body has, for example, not like our body or like earthly body. When you obtain Buddhahood, the perfect major marks, which body has, in thirty two major marks, and eighty minor marks, etcetera, the physical form which has the completely free of the earthly body. That is in explained detail in sūtra and other texts of the according. There are many all these details one by one on major and minor marks, etcetera. Speech also are perfect.
Again, speech, which has sixty different qualities which have. Perfect thing, speech also. And mind also have many, many those reasons since his mind free of all obstacles, so, therefore, perfectly enlightened wisdom or omniscience or no obstacle to knowing. That kind of quality, the texts or detail or, of course, other classes. There are twenty-one sections of the different types of the knowledge or wisdom, which means mental abandonments when divided in different sections. That is the there are twenty-one different sections. Each section has many, many different parts.
So, therefore, we don’t have those all of these. But, anyway, what is the next? From the point of wisdom or is the completely perfect. And also from the point of method side or attitude side, perfect compassion and love. And all of these are all perfect. And so then altogether is the knowing from the point of wisdom is the loving and compassionate. Means power or something. All the every aspect in perfection. So therefore, he has mind which has all these perfections. So that that is the main thing.
So therefore, that is the object of the refuge in suitability, suitability or suitability, worthy of the object of the refuge to be in it. That is the oneself free from all these obstacles or fear of obstacles. That is one. Second was the also, one who has skill to free others also has perfect skill also. That is the another quality he has. Third one is the quality is because even if you have oneself free from all the misery or suffering, and one has great skill even you have, but if it’s lack of the love and compassion, one may not do anything. Not like that. Who has perfect compassion and love or universal, indiscriminating love. That is the so therefore, that is third quality. And therefore, the quality is there also. Even compassion or great compassion and love. So, therefore, all mentally compassion and love is not only. But also actually doing have all the one to do have. Whether means in the world or somebody did oneself good things or beneficial or something, then you do all for favor for them. If anybody didn’t do anything, then you don’t do, not like that. Whether did the beneficial to oneself or not, to all of these equally to bring benefit for those all altogether. All of these are the reason for worthy to the refuge, to taking refuge to the Buddha.
All of those. Taking refuge are also the way of taking refuge has also many, many different points. Knowing the quality. By knowing what is the quality of that, the Buddha’s quality, that is the. One knows various kinds of body, speech, and mind, those qualities, and then knowing that way, trust. That is one. And then also the second way is the this is another way is the taking refuge to knowing the differences.
Various distinction or differences. The difference, what differences? The difference in the like, when taking refuge to Buddha, what Buddha can do for your objective goal. What Dharma can do? What Sangha can do?
What are various kinds of differences? That is the knowing those things, the to the Buddha. Mainly, what we’re looking is the Buddha, guide or teacher who can show you exactly what you want to do, what is the method to free from that fearful things, what you want to look into or seeking for, what to go for that path or method, perfectly able to show. So looking that way, so, therefore, who has that knowledge? That way mainly. That one who has that knowledge, than to the Buddha as teacher who shows to oneself.
So that’s the way I’m looking. When you’re taking or the Dharma, the nature of Dharma is the also, that one which brings that final result, perfect Buddhahood, etcetera, spiritual goal itself, how it achieves, what makes, what brings that is the Dharma itself. Like the medicine bringing complete recovery, happy, pleasant, or healthy. Like that way. This way, highest healthy or highest happiness, highest ability for the goal by Dharma, practicing Dharma. And we’ll be doing so Dharma.
I take refuge. Dharma means in some different aspect where to, that the one who, or text, or that method, or one who completely actually exercises that, one who is doing this actually or practicing. And by doing oneself and also not only that, anybody who follows that or who are dealing with a close relationship, closely imitate or follow, then others also can be saved by that way or helped by that way. So, therefore, best, you could say best friend or best company to going to highest objective goal. All that that is called Sangha.
Like that way. These, there are so many different ways of this has itself also of Three Jewels. What distinction is it? Activity of each different functions. When you take, we have different motivation toward them, attitude toward them differently.
When you take refuge, you say, I go to refuge to Buddha. I go to refuge to Dharma. I go to refuge to Sangha. But the way of going is, of course, it has a different to them, each or different way. Like, for example, the way of motivation or mentally, how to rely on that is like if you are safe from the big river by, like, the boat or something, rely on, take refuge in a boat in order to not sink in the water to get other shore. What you do is, Buddha is like the one who, what do you say that?
Boatman. Okay. One Buddha is like boatman. The boat itself is the Dharma, is like the boat itself. And companions, others, like, the Sangha is like that way. So, therefore, each has a way of the oneself dealing with them, but different, slightly different way. That is the, these kinds of things. Those differences of all those three things. Each has special kind of unique. When you go to refuge, they have very unique, different function and result and all like those who, understanding that way, take refuge to the Three Jewels. Why three, etcetera? The reason we should have, we should can have one, because each has a different purpose, function, understanding why. By taking this, function in this purpose of this is this and this, this and properly understanding way, then when you trust them, way of trusting also different. Although when fully wisdom understand those have power, ability, how does it do, how function, to taking refuge means, all of those things properly when you understand, then refuge has very real meaning. Real meaning.
And then when you see real meaning, and then easy to follow them. When you do this seriously from the heart, like that way. The one you don’t see, don’t know much, then then to take, which means has no much meaning and then nothing to follow also. Those in are like that way. The other way of the refuge is. These things are not much. Is the way of taking refuge is. Then actually already talked similar. Refuge is to accepting. You are admitting or accepting. How you accept Buddha as one who shows.
One who shows, like doctor. Is the real protection is Dharma itself. Like medical treatment. That doctor can show you all these methods and give you all these, but doctor itself cannot cure. But what he given, if we take seriously and accordingly, in order, and what you take and when you take or how you take, should not take, all of these as if you do, only one cures. But, otherwise, if you don’t do all these what he gives, only medicines in the pile of whole house with the medicine, you don’t take anything, house full of medicine, the sickness does not heal.
Same way, Buddha’s power, mystery, suffering, problem can have perfectly, power, saving power he has. That doesn’t mean without us doing anything or saved. That is not, that is not correct. That have to. Buddha has, he’s aware of doing his all these necessary things, prepared for the patients. So like that way, all teachings, whatever exactly without error. All of these are clearly and explained or given to all. Then this side or patient side or our side, follow like these things. If one does not do, then we will not. We have that quotation. That means if doctor gives medicine, if patient puts somewhere and does not take, that is what that means.
And it doesn’t cure. That is not the fault of the doctor nor the medicine. The fault is not of the medicine itself. Whose fault is it? The fault lies with the patient. It is own fault.
The fault never ends. Like that way, that is the so therefore, actual cure, real savior is medicine. Like that way, actual cure is the Dharma itself. I have to realize, have to practice, and all of these mental things have to develop. Other than these, so accepting the Dharma itself real cure.
All that that. And then those people who are doing seriously, doing that, one wants to deal with them, one associates with them or learns from them or imitates them or those companions or friend or the group or individual. Those are the Sangha. That is like nurse or similar like nurse. Those are that way, those other ways of taking refuge.
Details of the so we will leave those. Some of the key points already talked. Other than that, there are many other items where the fourth one is a benefit of the taking refuge. And then the fifth one is the means the advice or precepts. That means taking refuge to Buddha means what one has to do. That is taking refuge to Dharma. What to do? Like, mainly taking refuge to Buddha means Buddha is the one showing the proper path, spiritual goal, to freedom. Somebody else is showing opposite way or negative, wrong path or evil activity or wrong view. There’s no such thing, etcetera. Try to avoid such things like that way. And then taking refuge, the Dharma, trusting, believing, the Dharma has real saving. Dharma means also, what Dharma means, the word Dharma is mainly nonviolence, nonharming. All Dharma is mainly all negative, evil, or sinful, whatever action is kind of connected with others and especially direct or indirectly harmful to others for the purpose of selfish or self-centered egotist view by this ignorance.
So once ignorance creates attachment and then hatred or jealousy and pride based on these, doing some all action or negative action toward to the like that way. So any harmful action toward the others. That that is the real essence of the taking refuge Dharma means. So avoiding those things as much, that is the way of method, way of avoiding how to by realizing faults, all of these, and instead of that, if one has toward the sentient beings, something with sincerity, good will, or friendship, or beneficial, or helpful, and love, and compassion, all of these positive, producing. But even not able to this great positive, great universal love and compassion, bodhicitta, etcetera, even not able to produce, but at least level of pure action, which means nonharming.
Nonharming. Okay? Practice. That pure, that is the by taking refuge to Dharma, that is the main precepts, not harmful, to avoid as much one can. In taking refuge to the Sangha means because the spiritual friend, one relies and trusts to the spiritual friend. That means spiritual friend or friend, anybody who only influences toward to the emancipation or freedom or like that way to relying on them or touching on them. That means anybody in a friendship who leads opposite way or who influences opposite way or those those areas try to avoid or like that way. But that doesn’t mean to fight them or not, not try to follow and then using wisdom or like that way to avoid or like that way. These are some of the precepts, advices, or precepts.
Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see this one. Okay. So maybe we have to stop there. Yeah?
Nine thirty. Oh, okay. Oh, I thought maybe passed already.