何所庇护？Where to Seek Protection?

It is necessary to rely on good-knowing advisors in the practice of Buddha Dharma.
We get to take the initiative to seek good-knowing advisors, and to keep a strong resolution to seek the Dharma.
Buddha’s teachings arise in dependence on many conditions.
While good-knowing advisors are intent on handing down the Dharma, we, as buddhist practitioners, must pursue and plead for it.  Buddha Dharma can only be handed down under our vast desire.
 
 The Master’s Daily Teachings
      --- Where to Seek Protection?
           Dec.20, 2017

To go to a place where one has never been before,how is it possible without a teacher?
Without the good-knowing advisors to counsel, to lead and to guide us,  it will be difficult to eliminate all hindrances on the way.

Only when one reaches the level of forbearance on the path of preparation of Mahayana,can he be securely not to fall into the Three Evil Paths.
As long as we don’t take refuge in Buddhism sincerely，it is always possible that we fall into the evil paths.
Two reasons why is it difficult to resolve to take refuge:one is unwholesome action, and the other indeterminate activity. These two actions mislead us to care about petty, mere trivial things, with no concern about important matters, resulting in the declining faith in the power of the Three Jewels, and no confidence in multiple benefits of the Three Jewels.
 
 Reflection:
What are the good qualities of the Buddha?
How shall we understand them?
How can the living beings in the universe gain protection from the Buddha？
 
(Main text:)
 
So in the vast and boundless sea of Buddha Dharma, we definitely need good-knowing advisors to counsel, to lead and to guide us. Otherwise, all our hindrances will be difficult to eliminate.
It is mentioned in “The Septuagint on the Three Refuges”:
“The Buddha, teachings and Sangha are the refuge for those who desire liberation”.
The Three Jewels are refuge for the people who seek for liberation.
And there is a parlance, that only a person who reaches the level of forbearance on the path of preparation of Mahayana, can be certain not to reborn in the three miserable realms. That is to say, anyone who has not yet reached the level of forbearance on the path of preparation of Mahayana, is likely to reborn in the three miserable realms. Given that anyone might reborn in the three miserable realms, if we don’t confess earnestly, if we don’t practice the teachings diligently, if we don’t apply our heart of sincerity and our respect on taking refuge of the Three Jewels, we will be likely to fall into the three miserable realms.So going for refuge, for us monks, is of great importance.
The Buddha has three bodies, Dharma body，reward body and response body. The Buddha’s body, speech, mind and enlightened activities contribute to the four good qualities of the Buddha,as mentioned in “The Great Treaties on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment” (Lam Rim Chen Mo), which are those of the body, speech and mind,and of the enlightened activities,four good qualities in all.
What about the good qualities of the Buddha’s body? We always say, the Buddha has thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks. Marks refer to characterastics of the great virile personage, and minor marks show that the Buddha has boundless intrinsic merits, which are a symbol and sign of boundless majesty. And each of the various good marks of the Tathagata represents the Buddha Dharma.
Why is it so? Take a Buddha’s finger, or a tooth for example. For thousands of years, see how many people have been worshipping and making offerings to.
Because of these parts of the Buddha’s body, respect, joy and faith have arisen in the hearts of many. As a result, people are protected and liberated,which is the good qualities of the Buddha’s marks.
As the Buddha became the Buddha, The six faculties can substitute each other, because of which,his whole physical actioncan teach the Dharma.It is said in “Amitabha Sutra’’:“Each of the Buddhas in the six directions displays his superior power of speech in the form of broad and long tongues, covering the whole universe.” What does that mean? On each of our daily chanting service, we read the following in front of the memorial:
“The awakened One who attained the Perfection of enlightenment
 transformed into the world and left signs in the West(India), and              whose heart cares for the whole universe and embraces worlds as                    numberous as Gange’s sands”.
His heart is able to embrace all the worlds as immeasurable as Gange’s sands.
As it is expressed in the scripture：
“Ever since he has received his precepts, his heart always works in this way. ”His lovely concern covers all the universe.
In other words, for all the living being in the universe, if anyone of us take refuge in the Three Jewels, and bear in mind the Buddha’s grace, he will gain the protection and be protected.
But why is the Buddha Dharma, such an important issue, difficult to initiate our resolution of going for refuge?
The reason is as follows: Since beginningless time, on one hand,we have made a lot of unwholesome actions by doing bad things; on the other hand,we have conducted many meaningless things--the indeterminate activity. One is unwholesome action, the other is indeterminate activity.
That is to say, very often,what we care much aboutare rather meaningless, petty, trivial things of no importance. Perhaps every day, one is concerned with trifles.The actual important things are not what he cares about. What he cares about are trifles.
That is to say, inside ourselves, the effort, the level, the power of going for refuge towards the Three Jewels is rather too weak.
And in the mean time, as regards the various good qualities of theThree Jewels, on which, truly speaking, we haven’t gained confidence.
Such factors above cause people either to do something bad or to do nothing.So are their ways of wrongdoings or of inaction, either playing, or with nothing to do anyway, or paying special attention on having funs, idling every day. Many Buddhists have similar problems.