03. Mahayana Refuge Ceremony

We are going to engage in the Mahayana refuge ceremony. This is a wonderful opportunity. The purpose is to make special dedication for the flourishing of pure Kadam Dharma throughout the world and for countless beings throughout the world to receive its benefit. This is the main purpose. Of course all of you will also receive refuge blessings, but this is not the only purpose. The main aim should be to make a special dedication for the flourishing of pure Kadam Dharma throughout the world and for countless living beings to benefit from the flourishing of pure Buddhadharma.

As Atisha said, “Dedicate your virtues throughout the day and the night.” Practically we need to dedicate many times throughout the day and night. This is because we are Mahayana Buddhists and our way of life is to develop compassion for all living beings and to dedicate our virtues to fulfil the purposes of others, for the benefit of others.

Also if we do not practise dedication the power of our accumulated virtue can be easily destroyed through developing delusions and wrong thoughts. In this way our virtue is wasted. The results of virtuous karma are therefore very difficult to keep. Therefore individual practitioners should, as Atisha said, “Dedicate your virtues throughout the day and the night’’ ==We do this by giving it away==. The results of even one single virtuous action in one moment, are in reality, huge. E.g. in JPGF - in Buddha Kashyapa’s time, a child filled a bowl with dust, imagined it was pure gold and offered it. As a result of this, the boy was born as a great Indian king Ashoka. He was very wealthy and build 100k stupas in a day. We can see stupas built by Ashoka in India and many other countries.

We will also receive the same amount of results from our virtuous actions. So we should give this to all living beings.

Dedication is therefore a practice of giving generously.

We can dedicate our virtue for society in general, or for an individual. It is important at times to dedicate our collective virtues, not just individually.

First for a few days or weeks we can emphasise collecting a vast collection of Dharma, by e.g. listening to teachings, engaging in powerful Dharma actions, and then dedicate the benefit of these actions to all sentient beings. Of course they will receive the benefit, but we will also receive benefit. By doing this we are following in the path of the Buddhas.

Generally there are many different dedications, but for us I understand that the most important dedications are the ones made in the following 3 dedication prayers:

• Through the 2 collections of myself and others gathered throughout the 3 times, may the doctrine of Conqueror Losang Dragpa flourish forever more.
• However many living beings there are experiencing mental and physical suffering, may their suffering cease through the power of my merit, and may they find everlasting happiness and joy.
• May all mother beings meet precious teachers who reveal the SOTP to enlightenment and through engaging in this path may they attain the ultimate peace of full enlightenment.

When we are dedicating, the main point of our dedication is that Je Tsongkhapa’s doctrine, that is, Kadam Dharma, flourishes throughout the world. Through this we are praying that all people throughout the world will find the opportunity to practice the SOTP to enlightenment, Lamrim. We are giving the results of our virtues, or spending the wealth of our virtues for this aim.

If people of this world have the opportunity to practice Kadam Dharma, they will be able to develop inner peace. If they are peaceful, outer peace will come. Other than Lamrim, it is very difficult for this to happen. If Lamrim flourishes throughout the world, the other dedications will happen naturally. So the very first dedication is very important. We will also accumulate great merit by performing this ceremony, reciting prayers, taking the vows, generating bodhichitta. These are powerful ways of creating great merit. If we do this with concentration and good motivation, the benefits will be received by all living beings throughout the world.