Refuge Prayer

[thornbush]

Here's one from the Chinese Mahayana Liturgy:

In the Buddha, I seek Refuge,
Vowing that all sentient beings,
Realize the Great Path,
Aspiring towards the Supreme Mind.
(Full Bow )

In the Dharma, I seek Refuge,
Vowing that all sentient beings,
Deeply entering the Sutra Pitaka,
Attaining Oceanwide Wisdom.
(Full Bow )

In the Sangha, I seek Refuge,
Vowing that all sentient beings,
Forming a Great Assembly,
Harmonious and United,
Honoring the Holy Sangha!
(Full and half bow )

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

[Ngawang Drolma]

Thornbush, this is lovely, thanks. I always feel a bit moved when I read refuge prayers and aspiration prayers.

_/\_

[thornbush]

Excerpts from the Chinese Mahayana Liturgy from various sources:
(used during the Refuge or Liberation of Living Beings Ceremony)

The Presiding Upadhayaya:
O Good Men and Women!
Today, one has vowed to seek Refuge in the Buddha, regarded the Buddha as one's Guru and refuse refuge in other faiths, devas or demons, from henceforth. Can one uphold this resolution?
Aspirant: Yes, we do!

The Presiding Upadhayaya:
O Good Men and Women!
Today, one has vowed to seek Refuge in the Dharma, regarded the Dharma as one's Guru and refuse other faiths' teachings, from henceforth. Can one uphold this resolution?
Aspirant: Yes, we do!

The Presiding Upadhayaya:
O Good Men and Women!
Today, one has vowed to seek Refuge in the Sangha, regarded the Sangha as one's Guru and refuse discipleship of other faiths, from henceforth. Can one uphold this resolution?
Aspirant: Yes, we do!

We take Refuge with the Buddha!
We take Refuge with the Dharma!
We take Refuge with the Sangha!

Refuge in the Buddha, the doubly perfect Honoured One
Refuge in the Dharma, one's means to detach from desires
Refuge in the Sangha, the Venerable Ones amongst all beings

We take Refuge with the Buddha!
We take Refuge with the Dharma!
We take Refuge with the Sangha!

Refuge in the Buddha, perpetually, one refuses refuge in other teachers, devas and demons.
Refuge in the Dharma, perpetually, one refuses faith in teachings of other faiths.
Refuge in the Sangha, perpetually, one refuses discipleship of other faiths.

We take Refuge with the Buddha!
We take Refuge with the Dharma!
We take Refuge with the Sangha!

Refuge in the Buddha, one evades rebirth in the Hells.
Refuge in the Dharma, one evades rebirth amongst the Pretas
Refuge in the Sangha, one evades rebirth amongst the Animals

We take Refuge with the Buddha!
We take Refuge with the Dharma!
We take Refuge with the Sangha!

O Disciples of the Buddha!
One has now taken Refuge in the Buddha!
One has now taken Refuge in the Dharma!
One has now taken Refuge in the Sangha!

From henceforth, one regards the Buddha as one's Guru, no longer seeking refuge with demons and externalists.
From henceforth, one regards the Dharma as one's Guru, no longer seeking refuge with externalist teachings .
From henceforth, one regards the Sangha as one's Guru, no longer seeking refuge with externalist assemblies.

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

[thornbush]

Excerpts from the Sixth Patriarch of Ch'an:

http://www.dharmaweb.org/index.php/Sutr ... Repentance
...the 'Formless Three-fold Guidance':--

We take 'Enlightenment' as our Guide, because it is the culmination of both Punya (merit) and Prajna (wisdom).
We take 'Orthodoxy' (Dharma) as our Guide, because it is the best way to get rid of desire.
We take 'Purity' as our Guide, because it is the noblest quality of mankind.

Hereafter, let the Enlightened One be our teacher; on no account should we accept Mara (the personification of evil) or any heretic as our guide. This we should testify to ourselves by constantly appealing to the 'Three Gems' of our Essence of Mind, in which, Learned Audience, I advise you to take refuge. They are:--

Buddha, which stands for Enlightenment.
Dharma, which stands for Orthodoxy.
Sangha, (the Order) which stands for Purity.

To let our mind take refuge in 'Enlightenment', so that evil and delusive notions do not arise, desire decreases, discontent is unknown, and lust and greed no longer bind, this is the culmination of Punya and Prajna.

To let our mind take refuge in 'Orthodoxy' so that we are always free from wrong views (for without wrong views there would be no egotism, arrogance, or craving), this is the best way to get rid of desire.

To let our mind take refuge in 'Purity' so that no matter in what circumstances it may be it will not be contaminated by wearisome sense-objects, craving and desire, this is the noblest quality of mankind.

To practice the Threefold Guidance in the way above mentioned means to take refuge in oneself (i.e., in one's own Essence of Mind). Ignorant persons take the Threefold Guidance day and night but do not understand it.
If they say they take refuge in Buddha, do they know where He is?
Yet if they cannot see Buddha, how can they take refuge in Him?
Does not such an assertion amount to a lie?

Learned Audience, each of you should consider and examine this point for yourself, and let not your energy be misapplied. The Sutra distinctly says that we should take refuge in the Buddha within ourselves; it does not suggest that we should take refuge in other Buddhas. (Moreover), if we do not take refuge in the Buddha within ourselves, there is no other place for us to retreat.

Having cleared up this point, let each of us take refuge in the 'Three Gems' within our mind. Within, we should control our mind; without, we should be respectful towards others -- this is the way to take refuge within ourselves.

Learned Audience, to take refuge in a true Buddha is to take refuge in our own Essence of Mind.
He who does so should remove from his Essence of Mind the evil mind, the jealous mind, the flattering and crooked mind, egotism, deceit and falsehood, contemptuousness, snobbishness, fallacious views, arrogance, and all other evils that may arise at any time.
To take refuge in ourself is to be constantly on the alert for our own mistakes, and to refrain from criticism of others' merits or faults. He who is humble and meek on all occasions and is polite to everybody has thoroughly realized his Essence of Mind, so thoroughly that his Path is free from further obstacles.
This is the way to take refuge in ourself.

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

[Aemilius]

A good explanation by the Sixth Patriarch of Chan. We truly rejoice!

There is always the question what is Sangha as an object of refuge? Is it the sangha of bodhisattvas? The sangha of monks? or the sangha of nuns? Or the sangha of Noble Persons, i.e. those who have attained one of the Four Fruits?
Is it the sangha of laymen? or the sangha of laywomen?
The Sixths Patriarch says that Sangha as refuge means the state of purity within oneself.

[Spirituality]

In Tibetan Buddhism too there is inner and outer refuge. I took refuge based on inner refuge, but found that in practice I did need the outer as well... Here is my personal refuge prayer : http://contemporarybuddhism.com/univers ... ge-prayer/


“Till my enlightenment I take refuge in Buddha, all Enlightened beings and my own Buddha Nature;
I take refuge in the Dharma, the universal truth and the path towards enlightenment;
I take refuge in the Sangha, the community of those who are ahead of me on the path.”