How to Practice 

Taking Refuge (III)?

When we meditate on the scene of Taking Refuge Thangka, we should visualize all sentient beings taking refuge in the Triple Gem of our guru together with us. It will be more complete if we prostrate and kowtow simultaneously. In the past, the masters also practiced taking refuge and prostrating together.

The way to prostrate should be standard: when you put your hands together and place them on the top of your head, imagine that all sentient beings are respectfully prostrating to the Triple Gem Body of the Guru with you. When you place your hands between your throats, visualize that all sentient beings are respectfully prostrating to the Triple Gem speeches of the Guru with you. When you put your hands in front of your heart area, imagine that all sentient beings are respectfully prostrating the Triple Gem minds of the Guru with you. Just like this, visualize the body, speech, mind, merits, and virtues of the Triple Gem of Guru, then prostrate and kowtow.  Afterward visualize that the obstacles of greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt in the bodies, speeches, and minds of all sentient beings, have been eliminated.

If we cultivate taking refuge and paying homage in the way mentioned above, it will be twice the result with half the effort in accumulating merits and virtues and purifying obstacles.

During the time when Sakyamuni Buddha lived in the world, his disciples used the Buddha's hair and fingernails to make a Stupa as a place for everyone to worship and circumambulate. There was a monk who had an extremely devout faith in the Buddha and often came to worship this Stupa.

One of the great disciples of the Sakyamuni Buddha asked for instructions after seeing this monk paying homage to the Stupa. "May I ask, World Honored One, what the merits of paying homage to this Stupa are?"

The Buddha taught: "Even if he only kowtows once, he can become a king as many times as the total quantities of the dust of land covered under his body plus the dust of the land extends to the bottom of the earth.  This king is not a simple earthly monarch, but a wheel-turning holy king who can rule four continents."

In fact, there is so much dust that it is uncountable. Whether we can obtain the boundless space of merits by prostrating in front of the scene or by taking refuge depends on one’s visualization. If the visualization is in place, the karma will be eliminated very quickly. Therefore, taking refuge, visualize, and prostrate together is very good.  

After this cultivation, recite the following verse to dedicate merits:

With this good deed of mine,

Fast obtain Triple Gem of Buddhism.

Pray for all sentient beings,

All achieve the Buddhahood.