Refuge

A group of members yesterday had taken refuge from the Buddha Dharma and Sangha, and officially a follower of Buddha, and willing to learn all the Buddha-dharma, conducting good virtues, and become a friend and students of all the Sangha members. Yesterday was the previous day of Tsong-Kha-Pa, all of us are celebrating with joy, and we are all rejoice.

Seeing everyone fold the palm into a lotus form, offering our sincerity and humble to the sentient beings. The moment when everyone do prostration to the Gurus, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, it is touched, and I truly believe that the powerful prostration has touched the heart of Buddha and Bodhisattva.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa, geshe for KDU Buddhism Club, who promised to guide us Lam Rin Chen Mo, the path to the enlightenment next year in 2011. It is the concentrated version of Buddha Dharma into 3 volumes by Lama Tsong Kha Pa, which is easier for us to learn. Buddhism Propagation Division of our club is searching for a English medium dharma class, and finally we found one, and it comes with a set – we are truly happy to have Geshe Tenzin Zopa as our teacher.

Geshe Yenzin Zopa grants us the new dharma names which is based on the great panditas, Dromton, Chekawa, and even one of us shared the same name with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Tenzin Zopa, he is also Tenzin Zopa. I was wondering why we are so lucky to have pandita’ names as our new dharma name, then i concluded this rejoice moments with one explanation, all of us who took refuge actually is also the guru in the pass, or maybe the disciple that haven’t gain enlightenment, so we came back to get refuge again and with promise, we will practice on the path of Buddhahood and until the day of enlightenment, we will come back to this samsaric world to teach more people.

Our teacher grants us rosary, a very heavy rosary that has 108 mani pearl, and it is always the thing that I want since I practice Buddhism, but due to unstable financial, I have to give up of getting one for myself – reasoned me lazy to chant, also reason me always forgot the sila, metta and karuna. Now I have a white one, so do everyone who has a crystal clear one, or wooden one, all different but the aim of giving one to us is the same – always remember we are a Buddhist now and we should always remember to practice Buddhism, only prostrate to triple gems, because there are no others great guru other than Buddha, there are no wisdom teaching other than Buddha Dharma and also there are no great companion on the path of enlightenment, other than Sangha.

The ceremony was simple yet serious, everyone was knee down on the right, like the Buddha disciple when Buddha Sakyamuni still alive in this samsaric world, we all follow the words by the Guru, we read we follow, then we get the refuge card like other, and we sat down, then we are officially become a Buddhist, the metta practitioner.

Taking refuge wasn’t a complicated process, yet it is very very important for us as a lay person who wants to become Buddhist, but taking refuge is not about the process, or chanting, is the mindfulness heart that tight the bond between you and Buddha, your bond with the gurus, so when you do anything, you must always remember the Buddha, then when you want to do bad virtues, you will then stop and change; when you do good deeds, you will then multiply your good virtues, do it more.

For my fellow club members that taken refuge, use your dharma name wisely, wisely it shall be; never conduct bad virtues but good deeds are the thing we always need to do, when you able to do so and follow the words of Buddha, then the protection that you gained during the ceremony can multiply, and then the merit can be accumulated more, in the same time your merit can be shared with big group of sentient beings, directly you are doing more good deeds.

I, Kenn Yeap, Tenzin Dorjie Tsering are hereby congratulate you, and wishes you a happy learning path towards the door of Buddha Enlightenment!