Merit that I create by practicing giving other perfections. May I attain the state of a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings? I go for refuge until I’m enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the virtuous merit that I create, by practicing giving other perfections, may I attain the state of a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were to abide in equanimity, free of attachment and hatred, not holding some close and others distant.
May they abide so. May I cause them to abide so. Please, Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had happiness and the causes of happiness. May they have this.
May I cause them to have this. Please, Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May they be free. May I cause them to be free.
Please, Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were never separated from high rebirths and liberation’s excellent bliss. May they never be separated. May I cause them never to be separated. Please, Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this.
The purpose of my life is to free all sentient beings from every suffering and to lead them to happiness, especially the sublime, purest happiness of full enlightenment. Since the enjoyments in my everyday life, every past, present and future happiness including enlightenment are dependent on other sentient beings, the happiness of these numberless sentient beings depends on me. If I generate loving kindness towards sentient beings, then all sentient beings will receive no harm from me and instead will have peace and success Therefore I’m responsible for all sentient beings happiness and peace I’m a servant here to serve every sentient being without discriminating between those who harm and those who help whatever they do. For the success of this, I must achieve full enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to put all the actions of my body, speech and mind in virtue so that I can be of the greatest benefit to all sentient beings which means to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.
May all these actions not cause the slightest harm but bring only benefit to all sentient beings in the best way so that they too may as quickly as possible achieve enlightenment. Happy Buddha Day. Happy Buddha Day. Today, as a Buddhist practitioner, as a follower of Guru Śākyamūni Buddha, then it is regarded as one of very special, very meaningful, and very holy day, which because of today’s day in two thousand six hundred years ago, before two thousand six hundred years ago, Guru Śākyamūni Buddha accepted to descend from Tuśita Pure Land to this world, to turn the wheel of Dharma, to show the different deeds of the Buddha in order to bring the benefit to the six realms beings after the full enlightenment. So due to that reason, due to Buddha Śākyamūni himself, when he was residing in the Tuśita, his name called Gyalwa Gyamtso.
So when he motivated to descend, when he actually descended to this world, he made a special prayer that in ever existing of this universe, whenever the every circle of this disparity comes, then whatever accommodation of virtues by these ancient beings it multiplied one hundred million times. Whatever virtue that you accumulate, it multiplied one hundred million times. And it is very, very significant, and it is very, very rare opportunity to us because our life existent in this universe within one circle of life is very short. You know, there’s not even certainty that we will live one hundred years old. Even many of the fortunate human beings, they face the end of the circle of this life even before reaching the age of one hundred.
So therefore, at the same time, in order to actualize total freedom from the entire aspect of samsaric suffering, the entire aspect of problems that we are facing, the entire difficulties that we have to face day after day in order to get the total freedom from that, we need to accumulate three countless eons’ merit. In order to actualize three countless eons’ merit, the amount of the time we have and the amount of the merit that we have to accumulate, is almost impossible. So it’s very much required in such a degenerative time, such kind of auspicious days, such kind of gifted or dedicated or powerful auspicious days like today. Just by one recitation of mantra, it multiplied one hundred million times. In ordinary days, one mantra at one time, But today you recite one time, it becomes one hundred million times.
If you generate bodhicitta one time, in normal days, only one time. Today you generate one time, one hundred million times. It’s the equivalent of generating one hundred million times. If you make one candlelight offering, one prostration, one putting palm together as a respect, show respect to Śākyamūni Buddha, or Buddha’s, or even to the sentient beings, even to our fellow our family members and friends, the respect, the accumulation of good karma earned through the respect, through the good deeds or the virtuous deeds, you know, is equal balance of accommodating hundred million times. So it’s an amazing day.
And it comes, and there’s such a day only a few times, and only maybe four or five times. So so due to you know, by understanding this, then we have no choice. We have no choice to, you know, feel within ourselves that how fortunate we are. You know, you should be overwhelmed with happiness. You It transmit the bliss and happiness within the entire aspect of your your entire being, entire aspect of your spirit.
So there’s no choice. So please be happy. Please feel fortunate. We must feel fortunate. If we cannot feel fortunate today, then maybe there’s no other chance.
Maybe there’s no other days that we can actualize such a fortunate experience. You see? So so now, today’s main purpose is to to to actualize one of the most important one of the most important practice, one of the most marvelous, valuable, unbelievable, you know, practice, the practice of refuge. The practice of refuge which cannot compare even with the entire universe filled with gold and diamonds and wishful gems offered to you in today’s occasion, the five precept vow, which we’re going to offer to each individual of us here, it is far more valuable, far more priceless, far more meaningful than somebody offer you, somebody offer us you know, wishful gems or or or a diamond filled with the entire universe. You know?
So so this is just one one very limit of the benefit that you can express from this ordinary person on the speech. There’s an immense benefit. If you wish to count the benefit, then you need to obtain the omniscient mind in order to perceive the infinite benefit by actualizing the practice of refuge. Due to this, again, we are extremely fortunate to have this opportunity, especially at the most fortunate time when Buddha has descended this universe, while Buddha’s teaching is still alive, while it’s such an inspiring time my brothers and sisters are still surrounding us, You know? And at the same time, you know, don’t look at the person here.
Don’t look at the person here. It’s completely ordinary who who who is no different than the number zero, in knowledge, in realizations, in practice, in everything. In the worldly also zero, in Dharma also zero. So don’t look at the person, but reflect on the vow which which is the refuge vow, which preserve which you receive from the unbroken lineage of the path enlightened masters and and and which the present, which even present time practice without any broken the vows, you know, in the one’s very best. You know?
So, therefore, those whoever receiving the Refuge vow, that one one will definitely receive the benefit and the blessing of the lineage gurus, of the lineage masters, the lineage, the enlightened holy beings, such as the great Mahasidha, the the one lifetime enlightened master, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, as well as the most respected guru, Guru Śākyamūni Buddha, his son as the Dalai Lama, and many other enlightened gurus from whom received the Refuge Vow many, many times. What’s that? Then from my side, you know, try once very best, you know, even though they cannot, you know, whatever. Yeah. Try one’s very best to at least have a full inspiration in the in the vow and the preservation of the vow and at least recall, you know, the Buddha Dharma Sangha at least, you know, ten, fifteen times a day.
At least ten, fifteen times a day. Whenever either happiness coming either any happiness experience comes into your life, or either any unpleasant adversity comes into your life, or even in the neutral state of one’s life, you know, always reflect, which is whatever is happening is still the blessing of the Buddha, the blessing of the Dharma, blessing of the Sangha. So whatever situation comes into one life, first thing one refers not to your father, not to your mother, not to your ordinary friend. Immediately, first thing comes into your mind, the reference is Dharma Sangha. So that’s how oneself try one’s very best to preserve at least the blessing of the refuge, which most kindly granted by all the respected enlightened gurus.
So with that reason, all of you have to feel most comfortable, those of you whoever is receiving the vow, then you should feel very comfortable, You should feel comfortable of receiving that Refuge vows from somebody who who has not broken the vows and from somebody that who has the proper unbroken lineage. K. You it’s like that. So then without the fundamental refuge vow, one will not even encounter as a Buddhist practitioner. So whether one is Buddhist or non-Buddhist, the differentiation comes from whether one has Refuge Vow or not.
It’s not because of how much you have the knowledge in Buddhadharma, it’s that the boundary, the border line, one becomes Buddhist is the time that one takes the refuge. As long as you have refuge, you are a Buddhist. As long as you don’t have refuge, even you are a great scholar of Buddhadharma, that you are not a Buddhist. So it is very important as somebody who admires and who inspired to follow the Buddhist Buddhist step, then this refuge vow is extremely important. Therefore, again, with that understanding, then one should feel very fortunate that oneself, those who are first time taking refuge, then one should think, I’m freshly becoming pure Buddhist.
I’m freshly becoming the beloved child, the dearest beloved child of Guru Śākyamūni Buddha. So then once you take the refuge, then you are naturally, you know, within you are naturally become the family of the Buddha. You’ll naturally become the the family member of the Buddha. You know? Family member of the Buddha.
So Buddha become like a father, and we become like a son. It’s a son and daughter. You know? So then then again, if we don’t have a refuge vow, then even if you go to receive, any of the other vows, such as even even the one day one day precept, such like minor precept and minor precept or any of the other Prātimokṣa vows such as five precept vows. Then such as Buddhist vows, tantric vows, Sangha vows.
You know? Without the refuge vow, one will not one will never actualize the vow within one’s mental continuum. You know? So in order to receive the rest of the higher vows, we we have to have the the foundation or the base of the Refuge vows. So if you wish if you wish to preserve, you know, unbelievable, you know, meaningful vows or higher vows in your life, then have to start from taking the refuge vow.
So due to that reason, again, once you take the refuge the refuge vow, then you are qualified to take rest of the vows. You know? So so by taking refuge vow, you are satisfying you are certifying once that is certifying to take the rest of the vows. You know? If you wish, you are you can able to take the rest of the vows.
You You will be receive those vows. Without refuge vow, even you go to receive the ceremony of the of Getsul vows, Gelong vows, monk vows, one will not receive. One will not actualize the vow within one’s mental continuum. From that point of view, again, one has so much reason to rejoice and be fortunate that from today on, have all the opportunities to upgrade my ethics, upgrade my potentials, opportunities such as taking up to even the two hundred fifty three vows of the fully ordained Sangha. So then So then once we take the refuge vows, then whatever purification practice we does, it become, you know, most powerful, you know, Once we have the refuge vows, then whatever purification practice we does, it becomes extremely effective.
Extremely effective. The purification we do before having the refuge vows and after having the refuge vows is immense of the differences. Even if minor precept, without the refuge vows, if you take the N minor precept, there is a certain benefit of living in the precept. But after taking the minor precept no, I’m after taking the refuge vows, then from that very on, once you take any minor precept, and any minor precept becomes a complete cause, if if in case if one if in case one cannot actualize Buddhahood within the Śākyamūni Buddha’s period due to the refuge vow and taking the admiring precept will create a cause for oneself to born as one of the first disciple of Buddha Maitreya when Buddha Maitreya descends into this world. Buddha Maitreya when Buddha Maitreya comes to turn the wheel of Dharma in this world.
So you see. So now many of you just practice in the minor precept, but without refreshing or without having the refuge vow, the benefit is very much limited compared to after having the Refuge vow. After having the Refuge vow, it naturally creates the it naturally actualizes the insurance. Is like insurance. It’s naturally established the insurance karma in your mental continuum.
If in case one cannot become a Buddha within the Buddha Śākyamūni Buddha’s time, then that will naturally throw us to become one of the first disciple when Buddha Maitreya comes. So because we practice refuge and minor precept in the previous Buddha’s time, that’s why we are able to become the first disciple of Guru Śākyamūni Buddha when he came to turn the wheel of Dharma. That’s why we are still here. Maybe some of you must be manifestation, but I’m still here as an ordinary person. Otherwise, you have enlightened two thousand six hundred years ago, or maybe two thousand five hundred years ago, whatever.
So that is again stated in the sūtra, not just I’m mentioning, it is the word of the Buddha, the benefit of taking refuge. There is such a benefit. So then after taking refuge, whatever meritorious actions, whatever virtuous actions that you engage, it has the immense of greater benefit than the virtuous action that you perform before having the refuge vows. Then after taking the refuge, then one is definite. At the coming life, one will not fall into lower realms.
Even how much negative karma that one has created, how much evil person one can be, but after taking the refuge under Buddha Dharma Sangha and giving the vow under the protection of Buddha Dharma Sangha, then one is completely protected. The coming rebirth is definitely higher rebirth. Best, one will obtain enlightenment. If not, at least obtain pure land. If not, at least one will take such as precious human rebirth, so that one can continue to actualize the practice and take the chance to actualize Buddhahood within that lifetime.
So then after taking refuge, if you keep the vows, the moment you take the refuge vows, then you recall the vows all the time or even whenever you have a fear or difficulties, one will be completely protected. Not only the harm of the human, but even the harm of non humans. It’s one of the best protection that we can ever have, having refuge, to gain protection from the harm givers. We wear so many protection blessing cords, we wear so many protection chakras, we wear so many different protection creations, the extra creations, compared to the protection that what you have is the refuge within your mind, it’s a huge different effect. So one of the best protection is having refuge in your heart.
So whenever one gets fear, whenever one gets difficult, the first thing, one should protect yourself. Buddha has asked, you need to do self protection. Buddha has asked us to always be in self protection, not to be the victim of others creation of negative karma. If a spirit or any human being want to harm you, you are victim also to cause his creation of negative karma. We cannot be in such a situation.
Due to that, Buddha advised us to be always self protected. We have to be self protected. We have to be careful, make sure that not to cause any harm by others because other will create any karma. See? For that reason, Buddha Dharma Sangha, the refuge vow having in your heart is the best protection.
The moment you feel insecure, think of Buddha Dharma Sangha. The moment you feel somebody is trying to harm you, immediately generate Buddha Dharma Sangha in your heart, recall the vow in your heart, and recall the object of refuge in your heart. Whenever you feel happy, whenever you feel contented, think of Buddha Dhama Sangha in your heart, so that whatever contentment, whatever happiness, whatever bliss that you experience, it becomes natural as a way of creation of good karma or merit. So then, if you keep Buddha Dharma Sangha or if you keep the refuge vow or the object of refuge within your mental continuum, you know, with all the time in vigilance, then whatever your wishes will actualize instantly. Whatever your wishes actualize instantly.
The reason why whatever your wishes actuallize instantly because the call of Buddha Dharma Sangha in your heart and practicing the vow of the refuge vow, it creates immense merit. It creates immense good karma. And that good karma, that merit is the cause for your success, for your fulfillment of your wishes. No cause, no reason is a definite, the coming result. That also is spoken by Buddha.
Therefore, here what the teaching is telling us is by having vigilance of Buddha Dharma Sangha or the refuge in heart, or object refuge in your heart, that naturally creates the cause of what you wish to actualize. Due to that, here it says, whatever your wishes, after taking refuge, whatever your wishes will be actualized, in the condition of you are always in the practice. If you forget, of course, then of course you cannot blame Buddha Dharma Sangha. If you forget and you wish, then wish you not fulfilled, then you cannot blame Buddha Dharma Sangha. Then the ultimate benefit, one will be actualize fully enlightenment within a very short period of time.
Ultimate benefit is to actualize Buddhahood. So the object of refuge is Buddha Dharma Sangha. Buddha Dharma Sangha. Buddha here referring somebody who have actualized perfection in all the knowledge, and who is completely purified entire thoughts, entire defilements, entire delusions, entire thoughts. So that is called the Buddha.
So we have to regard that Buddha as a liberator, as like a doctor, as like a liberator. So then the Dharma, which is the realization of what Buddha possessed, the realization of the ultimate truth, what Buddha possessed, that is the actual refuge, that is called the Dharma. By understanding the ultimate nature of the existence, emptiness, understanding emptiness, by understanding every single fact nature of the existence, including yourself, the I, then that helps us to eradicate or purify our negativities, our delusions, our defilements. Once our defilements, delusions, negativities are purified, the state of purification is called enlightenment. Therefore, the actual refuge that we need to live a life is Dharma refuge.
Live a life with the practice or the understanding or habituation of emptiness. In order to enhance the Dharma refuge within your mind, you need the assistance of methods. Those methods are called the teachings of the bodhicitta, teachings of the loving kindness compassion bodhicitta. So the more you develop loving kindness compassion, the more you develop Buddha citta, it helps to enhance, it helps to make more forceful of the Dharma refuge, which is the emptiness understanding. By practicing in the union, by practicing together of the Dharma refuge, which is the emptiness, and the method, which is the bodhicitta, coming together as like a bird actualizing a two wing, can able to fly anytime.
Can able to fly and reach to destination at any time. So in our life, the way to adapt the practice of the Dharma refuge, or the vow of the Dharma refuge, is to always cultivate loving kindness, compassion, bodhicitta, and always live a life with an understanding of the true nature of the existence, which is emptiness, is emptiness. Then, the Sangha refuge, whoever perceives the direct Sangha such as Ārya beings, such as the Tathagatas, like Buddhas, those are the Sangha refuge. Ārya beings and Tathagatas are our Sangha refuge. Even in the ordinary practitioner, whoever realizes emptiness directly, they are our Sangha refuge.
So then by taking the refuge vow in Buddha, then to practice the refuge, taking refuge under the Buddha then is to actualize extensive accumulation of good karmas and merit, and extensive purification of negative karmas and delusions. So in order to do that, and one should live a life, you know, paying great respect to the Buddhas, you know, Buddhas. You know, even even broken image of the Buddha’s statues, even, you know, burn, you know, piece of the Buddha’s pictures. Even that, we should cultivate, we should respect as an actual real Buddha. We should respect as an actual real Buddha.
So then after taking refuge in Buddha, one should always make sure not to neglect the ultimate refuge object and go under the unenlightened object of refuge such as gods, spirits, nagas, landlords. Those are the object that we shouldn’t go for refuge. We shouldn’t go for that refuge. So in the text, it’s it give an example, like a Brahmin. Brahma.
Brahma. So even Brahma, Īśvara, Shiva, such and such. They are great beings, but they are not enlightened Buddha. Due to that, they are not object of our refuge, even though they are object of our respect.
All the beings are objects of respect. All the beings are object of our respect, including ordinary beings, including hell beings, holy ghosts, spirits are also object of our respect. But the object of our refuge is only Buddha. Only Buddha, like that. So after taking refuge, then if at home, if you are practicing, some newcomers are influenced from the Taoist practice, some are from the Hindu practice, some are even from other religions, so then we should respectfully place those objects, some separate altar, or maybe you donate back to those other organizations who practice that.
Then you pay respect, but not taking refuge. Not taking refuge means not relying completely for the ultimate benefit. So then again, we have be careful. If the family members, you you take refuge and then the rest of the family members, they’re still practicing that kind of gods, then we have to respect them. So then let them do whatever they like to do, and don’t put any effort to change their external appearance.
Let let let what is it? Let let it be. Let it be. Let it be. But from your heart, for you, it’s always, you know, visualize even that god, even that ordinary god as in in in the aspect of Buddhist emanation.
You in the aspect of Buddha’s emanation. So when you make offering, you are making offering to Buddha. When you take refuge, you are taking refuge in Buddha. Shouldn’t have a sense of perception that I’m taking refuge in this god, I’m taking refuge in that naga, I’m taking refuge in that spirit, you shouldn’t have that kind of mind. So then after taking refuge in Dharma, then one should put full effort to be mindful not to create any harm to others.
If one can able to benefit others, very good. If you cannot benefit, at least do not harm others. Do not harm others. Do not cause harm to others. As an example of the Dharma refuge, what our ordinary karmic label can be able to view are the wisdom sūtra in the letter, like textbook, such as the scriptures.
So then even you see one single letter which explain the wisdom sūtra or which explain the Buddha’s advice or Buddha’s teaching, then even that you have to respect. You have to show respect for your own benefit to Merit, you show respect not to put under your bum, not to put under your cushion, not to step on your knee, and not to put as equal as your feet. Always you put on the table nicely. In very strict way, even teach them not to put back the book on bare table. You should have a very smooth, very smooth, very clean, very nice, know, such kind of like a ropes, and on top of that, then you put like that.
So normally, they use brackets. So then again, you know, in our tradition, we use a lot of brocades, and many of the brocades, they use silk. And the silk actually comes from the worm. What do call it? Insect.
So it is not advisable to use those brocade which is made from the silk. So then, after taking the refuse, you can even be mindful not to wear too much interest wearing silk. With the silk, you have to kill the the the the the the insect, then take the thread out, then make the make the robes, make the claws. You know? Last year when I visit Thailand, you know, they bring me into one of the park, then they they show me how they make the silk.
You know? It’s unbelievable. You know? They just boil in the hot water. First, they cook the the worm.
You know? Cook the worm. Then after that, yeah. Unbelievable. You know, it’s it’s it’s always so if you it’s good to see, you know, you what you’ll see one time, then after that, you’ll be reluctant to wear silk clothes.
So if you are after taking the Refuge vow, one can be even mindful such. And of course, have to be mindful of taking expensive leather bags. Then of course, you can even plant or even be vegetarian, that is marvelous. It’s a great benefit of actualizing, to living a life with vegetarian food, not taking meat. To live a life with that, there’s immense benefit.
Just because one person being vegetarian, one can be able to prevent harm from numblest beings by your oneself. As in the motivation, they are chanting what you read. There’s one word saying that, you know, once I practice the prevention of negative karma, it will liberate numberless beings because of if you if you if you harm other, you know, what was that? Anyway, now I don’t know how to put. So anyway, one self’s prevention in harming other is naturally, you know, receive the benefit to the rest of the numberless beings.
So something like that. I want to be very honest here, I’m non-vegetarian. I’m non vegetarian. I eat a lot of meat, so you have to you have to know that, you know. So, you know, I might have all sort of excuses about it, but I see that I’m wrong.
You know? I I what I would say, I shouldn’t say I’m wrong, but I mean, how do say, I should say that it’s not right. Anyways, it still comes the same. Anyway, wrong and not right, both. So I would say, you you know, the best, you know, once tender fish, the best, you know, best you can practice vegetarian in your in your best in your best ability to try.
You know? Then you can even take a vow of of not not taking meat. You can take If you take a vow, then the benefit of being vegetarian is even greater benefit if you take a vow. Just being vegetarian already has so much benefit, but taking a vow to vegetarian is even far more merit and greater benefits. So in short, by taking Dharma refuge then one tries one’s best to benefit others.
Benefit others. Then where to benefit others? As a Mahāyāna practitioner, to adopt the practice of six perfection. Adopted practice of six perfection is one of the best ways to benefit others. Practice of morality, practice of generosity, practice of patience, practice of effort, joyous effort, practice of concentration, practice of wisdom, is one of the best ways to benefit others.
Then after taking refuge vow under the Sangha, then we don’t have the karma in our merit to be with the actual Sangha refuge, such as arhats, such as Ārya beings, such as Buddhas. So therefore, there is Buddhist fellow Sangha communities, such as monks and nuns. And not only that, those even lay practitioners seriously live a life practicing abstinence. So then those are the companion that we should rely on. Those are the companion that we should mix together, mix mix more.
And those are the companion that we should take advice. Those are the companion that we should, you know, take inspirations. You know? So then so then after taking the refuge under Sangha, try once best to avoid negative friends, non virtuous friends. So here the non virtuous friends are referring to those who discourage to practice emptiness, discourage to practice bodhicitta, discourage you to practice devoting to Buddha.
Those are the negative friends. Those who ask you to give up respecting Buddha, those are the negative friends. Those who are asking you to see emptiness is non existent. There’s no benefit for you to practice emptiness. Rather give up the emptiness practice than those are the people that you can place in the category of negative friends.
So those who all the time dread you not to engage in Dharma practices, engage in practicing benefiting others, or cultivating Buddha’s advices, Buddha’s teaching, and those are also in the category of wrong friends as a Buddhist practitioner, then the wrong friends. The right friends, the good friends are there who all the time encourage or inspire you to be more devoted to the Buddha, be devoted to the practice of emptiness, devote to the practice of the bodhicitta, you know, who all the time bring the word about Dharma, bring courage about the Dharma, courage about the Buddha’s teaching. Those are the virtuous friends. Thank you. Okay.
So now before we go through the actual ceremony, so you have to make a sincere, wholehearted, deep expression of respect, understanding that Buddha is a sole refuge object, Buddha is the sole refuge, liberator of my life, my life after the full enlightenment. With having this thought sincerely, then make those who effort to make full prostrations very good. Those who have knee problem, then do short prostrations. You know, the short prostrations. And those who cannot stand up at all, then you can put your palm together.
Then you you know, do one two three, four times, repeat three times to Buddha, Śākyamūni Buddha. Then after doing that, as a part of the ceremony, you have to make three prostrations to the refuge master, with again the same thing, in your heart, don’t reflect to the person here, rather you should reflect to the representation. This refugee master represents the ten direction Buddhas, in particular the Guru Śākyamūni Buddha, without which the refuge ceremony cannot be granted, the refuge cannot be received. As an equal respect to the Guru Śākyamūni Buddha, then you express the the respect to the refuge master. You have to make three prostrations to the refuge master similarly.
So now can you can you do the prostration? Anila? Anila? You can sit. Sorry.
You can sit. Okay. So after doing the six times prostration, then you have to kneel down, put your palm together at the heart level, then kneel down. Venerable, the Sanghas only can retake the refuge vows, but it’s not allowed to take the five precept vows. So for the refuge vows, you can kneel down, then after that, you can sit.
So now you can kneel down. So now with a single pointed devotion and single pointed conviction and faith to Guru Śākyamūni Buddha, then you visualize that he is instantly descent from their pure land and residing in front of us in this space that you can see through, that you can view in a live form of Guru Śākyamūni Buddha surrounded by the ten direction Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and Tathagatas, arhats, Ārya beings including the ordinary Bodhisattvas. There with so much delightful, with so much rejoicing, that seeing each and every one of us here, you know, taking refuge under the Buddha, taking refuge under the ultimate liberator, the Buddha, the enlightened one. The Buddha sounds like smiling at you, so much rejoicing to us, you know, something like that. So then you have to do repetition three times.
The first repetition, You know, there will be three repetitions. All the three repetitions is a repetition of asking or calling Buddha, Dharma, Sangha to grant the refuge. And at the end of the third repetition, then one has to feel, one has to genuinely feel that you have definitely received. So then I will guide you later. But here, one very important thing that you have to remember is if you have any Dharma connection with the refuge master here, if you have any Dharma connection, or if you wish to reestablish Dharma connection, or if you wish to establish as a guru disciple, so then you can the first word, there’s two options.
You should say When I ask you to repeat the first one, I will say, you have to repeat. Those who wish to establish Guru Disciple relationship or you have already established Guru Disciple relationship through receiving Dharma teachings, then you should call as a Lobpon Konchog Sum. And those of you who are not sure about this refuge master, and yet you are taking refuge, then you should better say Instead of saying, you should say, You know? So then in that case, just as a respect of refuge master, not necessarily they have to establish a guru disciple relationship, you know, a guru disciple relationship. So those of you that wanna establish guru disciple relationship, then just know from from your from your mom, you just say.
So then other than that, you should say. So you have to repeat, you know, clearly. So this is the actual, you know, repetition for the actual refuge ceremony. So now you insert your names. So now we do the second repetition.
So now do the third repetition, then at the end, you should feel that you have definitely received the Refuge vows. Then at the end, I will say, so then you have to reply to me. Say, you know? When I say, you have to reply, Lekso. So I will remind you later one more time.
So first, we do the repetition. Your name? So now with, you know, one should one should feel, you know, through this, you know, the refuge verses that one and then through the blessing of the ten direction Buddha, Bodhisattvas and through the the kindness of refuge master, then with the with the witness of the ten direction Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Tathagatas, arhats, and Ārya beings, including the ordinary Bodhisattvas, in front of them that are definite to actualize the Refuge vow. You know? So then with that mind, when I say, then you should reply loudly, Lexo.
Lexo. So now please do three prostrations to Guru Śākyamūni Buddha and three prostrations to Refuge master. Then please seated. So, Anila, now he’s granting the five precepts, so you’re not supposed to take. So you just sit down, relax.
Relax. So now what you feel that, you know, how fortunate oneself is that, you know, one one from from this very moment on, one become the beloved child of Guru Śākyamūni Buddha, one become a pure Buddhist. Now one can proudly can say that I am a Buddhist. You know, I am a follower of Buddha, Śākyamūni Buddha. And then then from now on, one should also feel this very moment, one should feel that one is completely protected.
No spirit can harm you. No human can harm you. No nonhuman can harm you. No wild animals can harm you. You know?
So you are completely protected. And also you should feel that it’s a complete definite that when I face the death, for sure, I will take higher rebirth. I’ve already closed the door of three lower realms. I will definitely not be born into Hell Realm, Hungry Ghost Realm, Animal Realm. So one of the most relieving to all of us here, that one will definitely be born higher rebirth.
Even how poor practitioner one can be, one will at least become precious human rebirth. One will take human rebirth. Then better than that, you might obtain Amitābha Pure Land, the rest of the Buddha’s Pure Land, or one might attain even fully enlightenment. So then from this very moment on, whatever whatever meriturous deeds that you performed in the past, you know, from today or not, everything is millions times greater, not only today, since you have the refuge vow, even tomorrow or not, the creation of the merit is much more than hundred million times greater, millions of times greater than the previous time. Therefore, you should inspire that I will even engage even more practice in the Dharma.
One will practice even more serious, one will even practice more frequent, serious, consistently because I have the potential, I have the ability to accumulate immense of good karma, even by one performance of good karma, or one performance of good virtuous actions, something like that. So now I’m taking the five day vows. So here, the five precept vows are the vow, taking vow, taking promise, vow of not killing, not stealing, not lying, not sexual misconduct, and not intoxicating. Not taking intoxicated. Not killing here, not killing intentionally and not killing unintentionally or indirectly.
Even though that you don’t kill directly by your hand, but if you order somebody to kill, then you also create the equal karma of killing, such as ministers order the army to go to war, the minister create the same amount of karma of killing as the amount of karma created by the soldiers. So here, for us, in our day to day life, there’s so many ants that are moving around, then you’re not direct to kill, but you ask your mate to go and kill, then you will create the equal of killing ants and killing, you know, whatever. So even now, from today on, even you ask your mate to clean your houses, then you have to teach them. You have to be very, very careful If there’s ants, anything moving around, take them and throw them into an outside garden or bush or whatever. Try to save the life rather than just move without any concern of others’ life.
So then by preserving the bowel, not killing, then one will have a long life. One will have less sicknesses. One will have a long life, one will have less sicknesses. In future lifetime, one will obtain glorious, perfect rebirth, and perfect health, perfect body, perfect mind. If you practice very purely, then one will even obtain the glorious bodies of the Buddhas like that.
So then those of any of us, if we have any health problem, then by taking the vow of not killing, that is one of the best medicines, the best blessing that one can be able to actualize instantly now to take care of your health, to protect your health. Then if you are family members, especially blood related, or they’re communally, such as husband and wife, or whatever, communally related, or such as even like guru disciple relationship, then if the disciples are experiencing sicknesses or problems, or then your family members are suffering sicknesses, problems, then by yourself taking the vow of not killing, it helps. By dedicating taking this vow for them, it will help to cure their sickness, it will help to prolong their life. It will even help to bring security to have a stable, healthy life. Something like that.
So that much benefit. And if you wish to make a long life puja for your gurus, then one of the best long life puja, best long life practice, is to practice the vow of not killing. If you practice the vow of not killing, your guru also will affected to live longer and healthier. And if your guru practice that, then your disciple will also naturally benefit it. So then not lying, have to even take a vow, call it white white lying white lying.
So this vowel will include, you know, preventing white lying. You know? White White lying. You know? So if in case that you have to twist your word just for the benefit of other, but you still have to remember, you still commit a negative As long as you remember, as long as it’s lying, whether it’s white lie or black lie, it still creates a negative karma.
So by knowing that create a negative karma, even though for the benefit of other, you need to twist the word, you need to turn the word whatever whatever, but you still remember, it will create negative karma. Then by knowing that, delay, one have to purify, one had to engage into purification practices. So then the heaviest karma of killing killing arhats, Tathagatas, arhats, Ārya Bodhisattvas, and of course, your father and mother, such as creating heinous karma, are the worst karma of killing. Then, human beings, etc. So then lying, the heaviest karma of lying is exposing or telling others even though you have not obtained realization in dharma, such as realization emptiness, then you go and tell, I have gained realization in dharma, realization in emptiness, or even bodhicitta, then that the heaviest lying.
So as a dharma practitioner, the more quality, the more knowledge, the more realization you have, the more you should hide, the more you should keep it. How do you say it? Low profile, live a life with humble. So the more you practice, the more you gain realization, the more humble you become. The more simplicity you become, the more humble you become.
Therefore, especially for the Dharma practitioner, we have to be very very careful exposing one’s realization to others. So as a true practitioner of the Buddhadharma, and particularly after taking the vow of not lying, then we have to practice this seriously. So then, not stealing. Then whatever the valuable object belong to others, whatever valuable object, whatever other people, you know, value the object, then you take without any permission from that particular person, and that becomes the breaking of So even if want to block one steal a flower from somebody’s garden without permission, you know, we we as a as a practice practitioner of Buddhadharma, practitioner who especially has the vow, then we cannot take we have to ask permission. So even as a husband and a wife, you know, the wife think that, you know, it’s still the same possession, like the husband’s money.
Then from the wallet, without his nodding, you take one dollar then you break the vow. So you have to ask permission. You have to at least let the husband know that I’m taking the note. The same. So so so so once you take the vow once you take the vow, then we even that, we have to be careful.
As a children, you know, if we want once take the vow, then you want to ask money from your parents, then you have to ask permission. Most simply when parents go into the toilet, simply take care of it. You have to ask permission like that. I cannot take for granted about all these things. Then I will take a vow of no sexual misconduct.
So there is no sexual misconduct here other than your own partner, other than your own karmic, if you needed partner. Then you cannot have a sexual intercourse with any other. Not not even not only sexual intercourse, not even sexual conversation, not even sexual conversation or sexual reaction, physical reaction, verbal conversation, also break the bowel, you know, also break the bowel. You know? So that by breaking the bowel of this sexual misconduct, then in this life, one will one will experience, you know, so much of sicknesses, physical sicknesses, and one will encounter so much relationship, obstacle problems.
One will never gain trust by others, and others will never gain trust by you. And not only in your own partner relationship, but even in a community, even in a normal community level, you will be somebody that no one can trust, Naturally that you cannot trust because of If happening now, it’s because of breaking the vow in the past lifetimes, or because of not practicing the vow in the past lifetimes. If don’t practice, if we don’t secure now, in future, tomorrow onward, once the karma is complete, one will have to experience all those difficulties. In future lifetime, one will have a disordered disaster in the relationships, very suffering relationships. So those of any who are experiencing dishonesty and difficulty in relationship, one of the best practice that one can solve the problem is to take the vow of no sexual misconduct by yourself.
By oneself practicing the vow, karma will change. Is karma will change. One relationship, will be better. So it’s a very very powerful protection rather than more powerful protection than seeking consultations or seeking merit consultations, or seeking blessing or doing pujas. Even doing puja, don’t know how much it helps.
But if you take the vow, that is the most forceful, most powerful, most efficient, most effective protection to rescue one’s broken relationship. The relationship here, not only couple relationship, even guru disciple relationship, even the community to community relationship, brother sister relationship, parent and children relationship. Once they’re practicing this vow, we’ll secure the rest of the different you know, interacting relationships. So it’s very, very powerful practice. You know?
So the the the the practice is other than one’s definitive partner, then you you have a sexual conversation. You show a sexual reaction, and you create a karma of this. Then one might think, oh, that’s so difficult. Rather, don’t say, wow, worse. One will be never purified.
One will be never purified, past karma. And we are quite definite. We are quite definite, including me, my past lifetime. I’m a lay person, you know, many times, I’m lay person in my past lifetime. Know?
You know? Not only that when I’m a animal, you know, maybe I might have a children, I might have a wife, you know, animal wife. You know? So whatever. You know?
So so you created so much karma. You created so karma in the past. If you don’t take the vow, all those karma can be purified. One of the most forceful way to purify is taking the vow. And one of the most forceful purify it, oneself to not commit such a causes or such a karma to experience such kind of failure and suffering in future lifetime is to take the vow also.
So this protection is for the path and for present and for future. It’s very very powerful. Very very powerful. Then again, of my things is so difficult. It is it is all dependent on your mind.
If you discipline your mind, it is easy. You know? It is discipline your mind, it easy. In the monasteries, they teach about detachment. Especially the monks cannot get married.
Monks cannot get into sexual misconduct. So one of the training is to detach. It’s only matter of the mind. It’s not matter of your eye. See beautiful things and get into attachment.
Not like that. It’s all matter of the mind. You cannot see beautiful thing from your eye. It’s gifted. You can see beautiful thing, ugly thing, you know, attractive, unattractive.
If this is the work of your eye, you know, you have no choice. You will see. But whether to be controlled by the the object of desire and to break your vow and to to get into trouble, it’s all about your mind. It’s all about it’s all about your mind. It’s not not about the boundary, the metal boundary.
You know, it’s not about the metal boundary or not about wearing sunglass, black glass, you or not about putting a scotch tape on your eye. You can open widely, and you can go beyond the boundary of the house. You know? That’s nothing matter. The matter is your mind.
Matter is your vow. The vow is inside here. The vow is not here. The vow is not outside. The vow is not a boundary outside.
Vow is about the precept, the acceptance, the what do you call the the promise, the discipline in your heart, in your mind. You see? So if we want, we can able to practice all the rest of the five precept vows also. But then, if we make excuses, there’s a thousands of excuses, you know, unbelievable excuses. At the same time, we don’t want to suffer.
You know, why why we get so much losses in money? You know, we how you know, to earn one dollar is so much hardship. So much hardship. Maybe you might be earning past twenty years, but within one day, everything lost. It happens.
It’s why it’s due to the karma. It’s due to karma. The karma is because of stealing. And you might think that this life I never steal. Then how about our past lifetime?
Know, the ripening result is happening now. It’s definitely due to karma, it is either this life, earlier life, or either past lifetimes. And the definite, everybody can confirm, is due to stealing, stealing other’s possessions. Due to that, the karma experience, the losses in wealth. You know, you’re so difficult to earn.
After earning, so difficult to lose. It’s true to that. So now if you don’t want that, you don’t want that, you want to purify, if you don’t want to get any more losses later, or if you, you know, so then take the vow, not stealing. The lying, you put so much effort, unbelievable effort to people to respect you, people to trust you, but somehow no one trusts you. You Even how much decent, how much perfect you try to be, but somehow people misunderstand.
People just distrust you. The reason is karma. Only karma. And the karma could be created in the past lifetime. It’s definitely in the past, either our earlier this life or in the past lifetime.
But definitely it’s created by ourselves, and it is karma. The karma is because of lying. Because we lie. Because of lying, the common lying. So now if you don’t want to happen then, if you want people to trust you, the best way is to take a vow and live a vow, not lying.
You know? You see? So then intoxicate, you know, your mind, you know, even you go to listen dharma, you don’t understand. You know? You know?
The moment you hear your friend say, dharma happening, you feel I I want to sleep. You know, I want you know, I have a dinner appointment. I have all sort of, you know, other fancy appointments. So you will you will somehow give up dharma appointment. So that is due to hallucination.
Your delusion, hallucination. And that hallucination was caused again by karma. karma. And that karma is because intoxicated, because of one consumed intoxication in the past lifetime or in earlier life. The moment you try to meditate, you feel sleepy.
You know? You know? If you own the the the music dance, you know, twenty four hour, one whole week, your eye will be still open. Your mind will be very sharp, and you will be enjoying. And our two day retreat is like, you know.
You know. You know. Then and I’m sure some of you have even get angry with me. You’re blind. Blah blah blah.
Never stop. You know? You just stop. Know? Just just stop lying.
Why why you go on and on and on You Even that mind, through due to hallucination, due to your own karma. The karma is because of because of intoxication because of intoxication in the past. one’s intoxication, and that intoxicate our mind. That delude our mind. That hallucinate our mind.
And that due to that hallucination, you know, we have that kind of problems. You know? It’s not because we are tired. It’s not because we are tired. We not not because of the tiredness.
If, let’s say, us to go for a gambling, you know, it’s about the same journey, same time, almost same time. The moment you reach after working one whole week, one whole week working very hard, around five six o’clock you drive on Friday, reach gambling. Whole night, you will gamble. No problem. Next day, we’ll continue.
You get chance. Saturday, Sunday, or Sunday night, you can freshly drive back. Monday, you start work. You can carry on and on like that. No problem.
Problem. Yeah. But go for a trip. Oh, unbelievable. Tired.
You know? Go there. Oh, hundreds of complaints. You know? No good facility.
No this there. No this. No this. No. I’m very tired.
You’re physically sure. Look. You’re very tired. Mentally, very tired. You know?
We we experience it. It’s due to our karma. It’s not because of the not because of you are really tired. If you’re mentally tired, because of karma, because of hallucination, it makes it makes us like that. It makes us like that.
When we listen to dharma, it’s not interesting. When we listen to one one nonsense song, we’ll be, oh, interesting. You see, so it’s it’s karma. The karma receptor, the antenna is very little, very low development for dharma. And the the antenna reception for the for the negativity is is very powerful.
Mhmm. You know? So it’s all the antenna is is an imprint which is in our mental condition. You know? And that imprint ripen up, you know?
It it then it shows the the reaction through our mind, through our speech, through our body. So you see? So it’s a reality. It’s it’s realistic. It’s a reality that what we experience.
You see? So in order for us, the moment you hear Dharma, somehow you become like flying. Then your mind is so receptive, you are so receptive until you interpret correctly, even if the teacher teaches wrong, you interpret correctly. That kind of wisdom you are able to gain, if we reduce the hallucination. Otherwise, even you are alert, you are listening to the Dharma, but somehow you cannot accept the Dharma information.
Rather you might misinterpret the Dharma, and that is due to our hallucination. That’s why we say that after practicing so much, there is a stage that you will gain the purity, the pure mind. Once you