Part 4 - The benefits of refuge

a. The benefit of protection in all one’s lives

Now the benefits of refuge are explained. By going to refuge with the outsiders’ Ishvara and so forth, we fall into the lower realms and such:

Those who see that other refuges are deceptive,
Having faith in the excellence of divine compassion,
Will have no fear, but be protected in all their lives.
What greater benefit and happiness could there be?

Simply going to refuge cuts off the door to the lower realms. Establishing the celestial realms, the great path of liberation, and goodness for all one’s lives, refuge is unequalled. The Expression of Realization (rtogs pa brjod pa) says:

Anyone who goes to the Buddha for refuge
Will not have to go to the lower realms.
After they have left their human bodies,
They will be reborn in the realm of the gods.

b. The benefits of perfecting the two accumulations

As for the good individual who has gone to refuge:

Here, when the soil of a mind that is pure as well as faithful
Has been well-moistened by the rain of merit and wisdom,
Sprouts of auspicious Dharma germinate and grow,
Ripening as a crop of perfect victorious ones.

In the ground of faith, watered by the rain of the two accumulations, the seeds of dharmadhatu grow. They ripen as a crop of Buddhas. The Nirvana (myang ’das) says:

Those who go to the three-fold refuges
Accumulating holy merit and wisdom,
By the growth of Dharma that conquers the world,
Will surely attain the level of buddhahood.

c. The benefit of immeasurable virtues

Moreover, when we, as individuals, go to refuge:

We gather the many qualities of Dharmic virtue.
Knowing how to be modest, decent, careful, and mindful.
Dharani^[1]clouds ??? and the sun of wisdom rise in our minds.
We see this even in dreams, and do not lose our awareness.
We are able to remember former lifetimes,
We become elegant with wealth and nobility.

The Sutra Requested by the Child Precious Gift (khye’u rin po che sbyin pas zhus pa’i mdo) says:

As for those who go to refuge with the Buddha, all their virtuous dharmas will grow.
They know how to be decent. They take care.

Those who go for refuge with the Dharma are alert.  They accumulate many virtues.
They remember former lives. They have a share in the good fortune of the Dharma.

Those who go for refuge with the Sangha have workable minds. For them there are many doors of samadhi and dharani. They are always of illustrious family. Even in dreams they are inseparable from the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

d. The good qualities coming from being guarded by the gods on the side of virtue

Because of the rejoicing of all sentient beings,
Both the two benefits are a spontaneous presence.
Finally we are the refuge of all who possess a body.
Befriending a host of beings, we hold the wealth of trikaya.

This is established by our being protected by the joy of the gods, who rejoice in white virtue, and by the increase of virtuous roots. The same text says:

Moreover, we are protected by the gods, who rejoice in virtue, and our virtuous roots increase.

We quickly attain the level of the victorious ones. The Nirvana says:

Whoever has gone to the three-fold objects of refuge
Quickly will become an enlightened being.

Those who have gone to the Buddha for refuge will finally attain buddhahood. Those who have gone to the Dharma for refuge will turn the wheel of Dharma. Those who have gone to the Sangha for refuge will be gathered into the ocean-like irreversible Sangha.

e. As for the benefits being immeasurable

In brief, as for these virtues:

If all the virtues of refuge were to materialize,
Vaster than all of space, they would be limitless.

The Sutra of Spotlessness (dri ma med pa’i mdo) says:

If the merits of taking refuge
Were to take on form,
Having filled all of space,
They would be greater still.

Moreover, as for clearing away all danger and harm, The Sutra of the Holy Victory Banner (mdo rgyal mtshan dam pa) says:

O monks, whether you stay in monasteries, charnel grounds, or in the wilderness, those who have gone to the triple refuge will be without fear and suffering, and no one will say even “I will disturb one of your hairs.”

Moreover, there will be no fear of maras and the lower realms.  The Sutra of the Essence of the Sun (nyi ma’i snying po’i mdo) says:

Sentient beings who go for refuge with the Buddha
Cannot be killed by even ten million vicious maras.
Even with broken discipline and minds that are disturbed,
These will certainly go to the other shore of birth.

In brief, while those with the virtues of refuge are protected from kleshas, afflictions, the paths of the lower vehicles, samsara, the lower realms,  and all  such unpleasantness, they attain all that is high and good. The Ornament of the Mahayana Sutras says:

Always from all the assembly of the kleshas,
As well as all misconduct and wrong doing,
And even the approach of old age and death
They are protected by the Buddha himself.

From all who do harm, as well as the lower realms,
From untimely death, and lower vehicles’ views
Of a transitory collection as permanent
They are protected, for this is genuine refuge.

f. The benefit of being the support of all virtues

If so,

As refuge is the ground of all good qualities,
Why would anyone competent not rely on it?

With these immeasurable virtues, refuge is properly relied on by all those who know what they are doing. The Jewel Heap Sutra says:

Those who are competent will follow virtue.
By its power perfect benefit is established.

That is the way it is.

g. The benefit of clearing away all the continuance of samsara and nirvana

As for abandoning all continuance of samsara and nirvana:

To the friend of all who abandon evil and go to peace,
Bowing our heads in homage with the deepest faith,
We take refuge in the source of happiness,
The wish-fulfilling tree that is the most excellent Leader,
And is all that is meritorious in the three levels.

The supreme refuge for all who are in the world together with its gods is the three jewels. This is because they are protectors from all faults. They are guides that lead us to the peace of nirvana. They are fields of merit, fulfillers of wishes, and holy treasuries of virtue.

The same text says:

These three jewels are worthy of homage by everyone in the world, including the gods.
They are worthy of salutation with joined palms. They are holy fields of merit.

The Bodhicharyavatara says:

Even those who do harm are still connected to goodness.
Let us then take refuge in the source of goodness.

Day and night six times or whatever, and at mealtimes, even if we do not want to eat, we should visualize the three jewels before us in space. Mentally we should prostrate and make offerings, confess evil deeds, rejoice in merit, request the turning of the wheel of Dharma, and supplicate the teachers not to pass into nirvana.  Then, remembering the virtues of the three jewels, we should join our palms thinking, “May I attain this for the benefit of sentient beings.” Thus we build up to the jewel of the Buddha Bhagavat and so forth. As it says in the Moon Lamp Sutra, when we have expressed mindfulness of the three jewels, if we subsequently dedicate the merit, evil deeds will be exhausted, and virtue will increase. We quickly establish enlightenment and attain inseparability with the three jewels throughout all our lives.