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Taking Refuge Series

English (6) | Deutsch (3) | Español (2) | Français (1) | Italiano (1) | Português (2) | བོད་ཡིག (6)


Field of merit

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Texts related to the practice of taking refuge (skyabs 'gro):

Practices

These verses taken from the Vajrapañjara Tantra, which are often recited as part of longer rituals and practices, include lines for taking refuge and generating bodhicitta.

This famous Kagyü prayer of taking refuge consists of four lines, each of which begins with the phrase, "All mother sentient beings as infinite as space..." (ma nam mkha' dang mnyam pa'i sems can thams cad...). This particular version of the prayer is from the oral tradition of Drogön Tsangpa Gyare (1161–1211) as recorded by Götsangpa (1189–1258).

Extracted from Śākyaśrībhadra's Seven Branches for Practising the Sacred Dharma (Saptāṅgasaddharmacaryāvatāra), these verses for taking refuge and generating bodhicitta are often recited independently of their original source.

This four-line prayer of taking refuge is known as "Mothers, Infinite as Space" (ma nam mkha' ma'i skyabs 'gro). It was first revealed to Ka Ngapa Paljor Sherab (bka' lnga pa dpal 'byor shes rab), in a vision he had of Avalokiteśvara, and then transmitted to Thangtong Gyalpo, for whom it was intended.

Commentaries

A simple commentary on the most famous four-line prayer of taking refuge and arousing bodhicitta; it explains the nature of the Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha as well as relative and absolute bodhicitta.

Taking a famous four-line prayer as his basis, Patrul Rinpoche explains the practice of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha, and arousing bodhicitta, in both its relative and ultimate forms.

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