Virtual Butterlamp for

the Benefit of All Sentient Beings   

Om Ma Ni Pe Me Hung

Six Syllable Mantra 

of Avalokitesvara:

Buddha of Compassion

May All Beings Benefit!

 His Holiness Penor Rinpoche Spiritual Practice Advice    PCD Dallas Teachers

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After engaging in the basic contemplative practices, students often feel the desire to do something more, 

to actually commit to a spiritual path and approach to life. When we "Take Refuge",  

we commit to turning away from our own suffering to unfold our own basic goodness, 

realize freedom and allow compassion to arise.

" Gradually, having developed our minds, we generate the wish to free ourselves from samsara,

as well as the altruistic  intention to help others. Similarly, little by little we can discover the path of truth

within ourselves with all its characteristics - seeing the nature of impermanence in objects,

the nature of selflessness in phenomena and the nature of suffering in the afflictions of sentient beings.

We create happiness and freedom from suffering by depending upon the path of cessation and of truth.

Therefore, the dharma is known by Buddhists as the True Refuge ."

'True Refuge' - His Holiness the Dalai Lama

     ...a buddha is someone who has attained full enlightenment through the cultivation of compassion and

the wisdom of no-self, the absence of self-existence. From our discussion we also saw how the Dharma jewel is

 to be understood as the path by which we can gradually accomplish the same result as the fully awakened Buddha.

 Likewise, the Sangha jewel is the community of sincere practitioners who have directly realised emptiness,

 the ultimate nature of reality. For those of us who consider ourselves to be practising Buddhists,

it is crucial to have this kind of deeper understanding of the Three Jewels 

when we go for refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

What is "Refuge?" What Does It Mean To Take "Refuge?"

From Our Main Palyul Website, www.palyul.org 

for the benefit of all sentient beings. To begin to understand Refuge, really meditate and contemplate

the Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind to Dharma. The Four Thoughts are the skillful means that inspire us

 to wish to take Refuge in the first place. These you can begin to learn a little bit about here, and we

would recommend finding teachings and written materials on this topic, studying as deeply as

y ou can when you begin the path. Fully understanding and realizing the Four Thoughts

will lend a great stability to your practice.

Attraction gives rise to Vivid F aith, which is when the mind becomes attracted to the object.

It may be a strong joy or a great appreciation of the qualities we observe. We may have visited a holy plac

 with statues, stupas, and other representations of the Buddha's body, speech and mind. We could also

have just met with a genuinely great Master, who has inspired us through his invisible Blessings or read

about [his or her] life [story]. This is still changeable as our mind can turn to aversion as well as appreciation.