These practices are called ‘guides’ because by engaging in them we are guided to the actual spiritual paths of Secret Mantra. We should know that training in generation stage and completion stage is the supreme inner vehicle by which we will quickly reach the enlightened world. The four wheels of this vehicle are the four great preliminary guides. Through this we can understand that practising the four great preliminary guides is extremely important for the effectiveness of our training in generation stage and completion stage.
Going for refuge is the gateway to Buddhism in general and generating bodhichitta is the gateway to Mahayana Buddhism in particular; meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva is the gateway to purifying negativities and downfalls; Guru yoga is the gateway to receiving blessings; and making mandala offerings is the gateway to accumulating a collection of merit.
GOING FOR REFUGE
This has two parts:
1 General explanation
2 The practice of refuge
GENERAL EXPLANATION
In this context, ‘going for refuge’ means seeking refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The purpose of this practice is to protect ourself permanently from taking lower rebirth. At present, because we are human, we are free from rebirth as an animal, hungry ghost or hell being, but this is only temporary. We are like a prisoner who gets permission to stay at home for a week, but then has to return to prison. We need permanent liberation from the sufferings of this life and countless future lives. This depends upon entering, making progress on and completing the Buddhist path to liberation, which in turn depends upon entering Buddhism.
We enter Buddhism through the practice of going for refuge. For our practice of refuge to be qualified, while visualizing Buddha in front of us we should verbally or mentally make the promise to seek refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha throughout our life. This promise is our refuge vow, and is the gateway through which we enter Buddhism. For as long as we keep this promise we are inside Buddhism, but if we break this promise we are outside. By entering and remaining inside Buddhism we have the opportunity to begin, make progress on and complete the Buddhist path to liberation and enlightenment.
We should never give up our promise to seek refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha throughout our life. Going for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha means that we apply effort to receiving Buddha’s blessings, putting Dharma into practice and receiving help from Sangha, pure spiritual friends, mainly our Spiritual Teachers. These are the three principal commitments of the refuge vow. Through maintaining and sincerely practising these three principal commitments of refuge we can fulfil our final goal.
The main reason why we need to make the determination and promise to seek refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha throughout our life is that we need to attain permanent liberation from suffering. At present we may be free from physical suffering and mental pain, but this freedom is only temporary. Later in this life and in our countless future lives we will have to experience unbearable physical suffering and mental pain continually, in life after life without end.
When our life is in danger or we are threatened by someone, we usually seek refuge in the police. Of course, sometimes the police can protect us from a particular danger, but they cannot give us permanent liberation from death. When we are seriously ill we seek refuge in doctors. Sometimes doctors can cure a particular illness, but no doctor can give us permanent liberation from sickness. What we really need is permanent liberation from all sufferings, and as human beings we can achieve this by seeking refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
Buddhas are ‘awakened’, which means that they have awakened from the sleep of ignorance and are free from the dreams of samsara, the cycle of impure life. They are completely pure beings who are permanently free from all delusions and mistaken appearance. The function of Buddhas is to bestow mental peace on each and every living being every day by giving blessings. We know that we are happy when our mind is peaceful, and unhappy when it is not. It is therefore clear that our happiness depends upon our having a peaceful mind and not on good external conditions. Even if our external conditions are poor, if we maintain a peaceful mind all the time we will always be happy. Through continually receiving the Buddhas’ blessings we can maintain a peaceful mind all the time. Buddhas are therefore the source of our happiness. Dharma is the actual protection through which we are permanently released from the sufferings of sickness, ageing, death and rebirth; and Sangha are the supreme spiritual friends who guide us to correct spiritual paths. Through these three precious wishfulfilling jewels, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha – known as the ‘Three Jewels’ – we can fulfil our own wishes as well as the wishes of all living beings.
Every day from the depths of our heart we should recite requesting prayers to the enlightened Buddhas, while maintaining deep faith in them. This is a simple method for us to receive the Buddhas’ blessings continually. We should also join group prayers, known as ‘pujas’, organized at Buddhist Temples or prayer halls; which are powerful methods to receive the Buddhas’ blessings and protection.
In summary, first we engage in the following contemplation:
I want to protect and liberate myself permanently from the sufferings of this life and countless future lives. I can accomplish this only by receiving Buddha’s blessings, putting Dharma into practice and receiving help from Sangha – the supreme spiritual friends.
Thinking deeply in this way, we make the strong determination and then the promise to seek refuge sincerely in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha throughout our life. We should meditate on this determination every day and maintain our promise continually for the rest of our life. As the commitments of our refuge vow we should always apply effort to receiving Buddha’s blessings, putting Dharma into practice and receiving help from Sangha, our pure spiritual friends including our Spiritual Teachers. This is how we go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Through this we will accomplish our aim – permanent liberation from all the sufferings of this life and countless future lives, the real meaning of our human life.
To maintain our promise to go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha throughout our life, and so that we and all living beings may receive Buddha’s blessings and protection, we should recite refuge prayers every day with strong faith.
THE PRACTICE OF REFUGE
This has five parts:
1 Visualizing the objects of refuge
2 Developing renunciation
3 Developing compassion
4 Developing conviction in the power of the Three Jewels
5 Reciting the refuge prayer
VISUALIZING THE OBJECTS OF REFUGE
In the space in front of us, level with our eyebrows, we visualize a vast jewelled throne supported by eight snow lions. Completely covering the surface of the throne is a four-petalled lotus. The eastern petal, which is closest to us, is white; the northern petal, to our right, is green; the western petal is red; and the southern petal is yellow. The centre of the lotus is green. Upon this is a smaller throne and upon this is a moon cushion and a sun cushion, with the sun cushion uppermost.
Sitting on the sun cushion is our root Guru in the aspect of Buddha Vajradharma. He has a red-coloured body, one face, and two hands, which are crossed at his heart and hold a vajra and bell. At Guru Vajradharma’s heart, on a sun cushion, stand Father Heruka and Mother Vajrayogini. Heruka is blue with four faces and twelve arms. He embraces his consort Vajrayogini, who is red with one face and two arms. In the sadhana it says, ‘In the space before me appear Guru Chakrasambara Father and Mother.’ According to Je Phabongkhapa’s intention, ‘Guru’ here refers to Guru Vajradharma, and ‘Chakrasambara’ refers to the Deity Heruka embracing Vajrayogini at Guru Vajradharma’s heart.
Around Guru Vajradharma, on the yellow anthers of the lotus, are the Gurus of the Narokhachö lineage and all the other lineage Gurus of Sutra and Tantra. From the heart of Guru Vajradharma all the other objects of refuge emanate and fill the entire surface of the four-petalled lotus.
At the centre of the eastern petal stands Vajrayogini,