5. Refuge Practice
Contemplation: Since all the fears and dangers of samsara, including rebirth in the lower realms, arise our deluded minds, our real refuge is Dharma, the spiritual realizations that directly protect us from delusions. For example, if we gain a realization of death and impermanence this will help us to reduce our attachment to the things of this life. If we have strong awareness of the inevitability of death and the uncertainty of its time we shall naturally value the practice of moral disciple more than the pursuit of transitory sense pleasures, wealth, or power. We shall not be tempted to commit non-virtuous actions such as killing, stealing, or sexual-misconduct, and so we shall not have to experience the unpleasant consequences of such actions. This is how Dharma realizations protect us from suffering. The ultimate Dharma refuge is the realization of emptiness. This permanently eradicates all our delusions and frees us once and for all from suffering.
Whereas Dharma is the actual refuge, Buddha is the source of all refuge. He is the supreme spiritual guide who sustains our Dharma practice by bestowing his blessings. The Sangha are the spiritual friends who support our Dharma practice. They provide conducive conditions, encourage us in our practice, and set a good example for us to follow. Only the Three Jewels have the ability to protect all living beings from all suffering.
Meditation: By thinking in this way we generate a strong convictions that the three jewels are the only true objects of refuge, and we develop deep faith in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. We meditate on this without allowing any doubts to arise.
When we meditate on mental attitude such as faith, we do not merely think about it and focus on it as if it were separate from our mind; rather we transform our mind into a state and hold it single pointedly. We should feel as if our mind has merged with and ocean of faith.
After meditating on our faith in the Three Jewels for a short time, we imagine that in front of us is the living Buddha Shakyamuni surrounded by all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas like a full moon surrounded by stars. We generate a strong conviction that all these holy beings are actually present before us and focus on them for a while. Fearing rebirth in the lower realms and having deep faith in the Three Jewels, we generate a strong determination to build the foundation of the Dharma Jewel within our mind by relying upon the Buddha Jewel within our mind by relying upon the Buddha Jewel and the Sangha Jewel. With this motivation we make the following request:
All Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and holy beings.
Please protect me and all living beings
From the various sufferings, fears and dangers of samsara.
Please bestow your blessings upon our body and mind.
We recite this refuge prayer many times with deep faith in the Three Jewels.
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All meditations and contemplations presented here are extracted from 'The Meditation Handbook' by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (Tharpa Publications)
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