the word of my p (39)

Part Two THE EXTRAORDINARY OR INNER PRELIMINARIES TAKING REFUGE, THE FOUNDATION STONE OF ALL PATHS AROUSING BODHICITTA, THE ROOT OF THE GREAT VEHICLE MEDITATING ON THE TEACHER AS VAJRA

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991)

One of the incarnations of Jamyang Khyenrse Wangpo He studied with one hundred and twenty teachers and spent a total of twenty years in meditation retreat He frequently gave teachings, including those of the Great Perfection, to the Dalai Lama Many of the younger generation of Tibetan lamas consider him their root teacher He also taught widely in Europe and North America

Part Two

THE EXTRAORDINARY OR INNER

PRELIMINARIES

TAKING REFUGE, THE FOUNDATION STONE OF ALL PATHS AROUSING BODHICITTA, THE ROOT OF THE GREAT VEHICLE MEDITATING ON THE TEACHER AS VAJRASATIVA

TO CLEANSE ALL OBSCURATIONS OFFERING THE ~ALA

TO ACCUMULATE MERIT AND WISDOM

THE KUSALI'S ACCUMULATION:

DESTROYING THE FOUR DEMONS AT A SINGLE STROKE GURU YOGA, ENTRANCE-WAY FOR BLESSINGS,

THE ULTIMATE WAY TO AROUSE THE WISDOM OF REALIZATION

The Refuge Deities

The visualization of the field of merit for taking refuge according to the

Heart-essence of the Vast Expanse

CHAPTER ONE

Taking refuge, the foundation stone of all paths

Crowned with the Three Jewels of the outer refuge,

You have truly realized the Three Roots, the inner refuge;

You have made manifest the three kayas, the ultimate refuge Peerless Teacher, at your feet I bow

Taking refuge, 106 the foundation stone of all paths, 107 is explained under three headings: approaches to taking refuge, how to take refuge, and the precepts and benefits of taking refuge

I APPROACHES TO TAKING REFUGE

1 Faith

Just as taking refuge opens the gateway to all teachings and practices, it

is faith that opens the gateway to taking refuge As the first step in taking refuge, therefore, it is important to develop a lasting and stable faith Faith itself is of three kinds: vivid faith, eager faith and confident faith

Vivid faith is the faith that is inspired in us by thinking of the immense compassion of the Buddhas and great teachers We might experience this kind of faith on visiting a temple containing many representations of the Buddhas' body, speech and mind, or after an encounter with a great

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