The Cosmic Refuge Tree
commentary by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche
In the space before you, visualize that there is a very beautiful lake, called Danakosha. The water is clean, cool and soothing. It is surrounded by beautiful meadows, trees, hills and mountains. Right in the center of Danakosha Lake is the Wish-Fulfilling Tree. It appears like a large lotus with five branches, one in each of the directions, including the center. It has many different flowers, leaves and numerous small branches and twigs. Each flower and leaf has a beautiful fragrance that pervades in all directions, bringing peace and happiness to sentient beings. The flowers also radiate light.
Guru Padmasambhava is seated on the central lotus upon sun and moon disks in the royal relaxation posture as you see in thangkas, embracing his consort, the Wisdom Dakini, Yeshe Tshogyal. This form is sometimes known as Guru Padmasambhava Vajradhara. Both figures are radiating the light of the five wisdom colors. Their presence is full of love, skillful means and compassion for all living beings. They are looking right at you and smiling. Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tshogyal are not solid form bodies, but wisdom-light bodies, like rainbows.
On the branch in front of Guru Padmasambhava is Buddha Shakyamuni. On the right side of Buddha Shakyamuni is the past Buddha, Dipankara. On his left side is the future Buddha, Maitreya. All three Buddhas are seated on lotuses surmounted by moon disks, radiating wisdom lights and regarding you compassionately with a half-smile. On the branch to the right of Guru Padmasambhava are all the Bodhisattvas like Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, Vajrapani and Akashagarbha. All these great Bodhisattvas are compassionately smiling at you, wearing different colored silk Sambhogakaya robes, long hair, and jeweled crowns. They are a display of wisdom.
On the branch to the left of Guru Padmasambhava, visualize all the great arhats like Ananda, Kashyapa, Sariputra, Maudgalyayana, Mahakashyapa and Subhuti. They all have monks robes and regard you with a half-smile. On the branch behind Guru Padmasambhava, are all the Dharma teachings of the nine yanas. Each text is magically self- reciting and luminous. The different self-sounding voices of the vowels and consonants radiate wisdom light. This represents the Prajnaparamita teachings which are also known as the Mother of All the Buddhas.
In the sky above Guru Padmasambhava, visualize the whole Dzogchen lineage of the Nyingma School. There are many, many great masters, like the twenty-five students of Guru Padmasambhava and the eight Vidydharas. From the root teachers all the way up to Samantabhadra, all are sitting in a rainbow in the sky, radiating wisdom-light and lineage blessings while smiling at the practitioner.
Between the branches, in the forks, all the other wrathful and peaceful deities, Buddhas and Mahaherukas surround Guru Padmasambhava, and below them are all the different dharmapalas. The herukas are beings like Vajrakilaya, Hayagriva, Yangdak and Shincho Heruka. The peaceful deities are the Dhyani Buddhas such as Amitabha and Vairocana. The most powerful and special dharmapala of the Dzogchen teachings is Mama Ekagrati. She is standing in front of the lineage in the lake, surrounded by many other dharmapalas, like Rahula, Dorjeloka and Mahakala, all radiating wisdom light and ready to remove the obstacles and obscurations of practitioners. They are on duty twenty-four hours a day like the Fire Department, ready for action as soon as you dial the hotline. All these objects of refuge are aspects of the lineage teacher, Guru Padmasambhava.
The refuge tree comes right out of the center of the lake. There are also many beautiful birds and swans singing Dharma songs and dancing, making every kind of gesture and movement expressing love, peace and bliss. They are also performing the mudras of all the different teachings of the Buddhadharma. There are beautiful animals in the meadowlands and valleys and many different trees and flowers. In the sky there are rainbows, celestial voids, beautiful clouds and small fogs rising. That is the visualization. It is said that the moment you think of it, it should bring peace and happiness to your mind. We should take refuge in front of this tree with deep respect, devotional longing, happy thoughts and the Three Homages honoring the body, speech and mind.
The gesture of respect pertaining to the body is prostration. The gesture of respect in honor of speech is the chanting of words such as these refuge lines. The attitude of respect honoring the mind consists of devotion, confidence and happiness. While prostrating, it is also good to visualize that every single sentient being is doing prostrations with you. In the teaching, it is said, at your right side is your father and on your left side is your mother. You are surrounded by your friends. Even your enemies are doing prostrations and taking refuge.
On the branch in front of Guru Padmasambhava is Buddha Shakyamuni. On the right side of Buddha Shakyamuni is the past Buddha, Dipankara. On his left side is the future Buddha, Maitreya. All three Buddhas are seated on lotuses surmounted by moon disks, radiating wisdom lights and regarding you compassionately with a half-smile. On the branch to the right of Guru Padmasambhava are all the Bodhisattvas like Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, Vajrapani and Akashagarbha. All these great Bodhisattvas are compassionately smiling at you, wearing different colored silk Sambhogakaya robes, long hair, and jeweled crowns. They are a display of wisdom.
On the branch to the left of Guru Padmasambhava, visualize all the great arhats like Ananda, Kashyapa, Sariputra, Maudgalyayana, Mahakashyapa and Subhuti. They all have monks robes and regard you with a half-smile. On the branch behind Guru Padmasambhava, are all the Dharma teachings of the nine yanas. Each text is magically self- reciting and luminous. The different self-sounding voices of the vowels and consonants radiate wisdom light. This represents the Prajnaparamita teachings which are also known as the Mother of All the Buddhas.
In the sky above Guru Padmasambhava, visualize the whole Dzogchen lineage of the Nyingma School. There are many, many great masters, like the twenty-five students of Guru Padmasambhava and the eight Vidydharas. From the root teachers all the way up to Samantabhadra, all are sitting in a rainbow in the sky, radiating wisdom-light and lineage blessings while smiling at the practitioner.
Between the branches, in the forks, all the other wrathful and peaceful deities, Buddhas and Mahaherukas surround Guru Padmasambhava, and below them are all the different dharmapalas. The herukas are beings like Vajrakilaya, Hayagriva, Yangdak and Shincho Heruka. The peaceful deities are the Dhyani Buddhas such as Amitabha and Vairocana. The most powerful and special dharmapala of the Dzogchen teachings is Mama Ekagrati. She is standing in front of the lineage in the lake, surrounded by many other dharmapalas, like Rahula, Dorjeloka and Mahakala, all radiating wisdom light and ready to remove the obstacles and obscurations of practitioners. They are on duty twenty-four hours a day like the Fire Department, ready for action as soon as you dial the hotline. All these objects of refuge are aspects of the lineage teacher, Guru Padmasambhava.
The refuge tree comes right out of the center of the lake. There are also many beautiful birds and swans singing Dharma songs and dancing, making every kind of gesture and movement expressing love, peace and bliss. They are also performing the mudras of all the different teachings of the Buddhadharma. There are beautiful animals in the meadowlands and valleys and many different trees and flowers. In the sky there are rainbows, celestial voids, beautiful clouds and small fogs rising. That is the visualization. It is said that the moment you think of it, it should bring peace and happiness to your mind. We should take refuge in front of this tree with deep respect, devotional longing, happy thoughts and the Three Homages honoring the body, speech and mind.
The gesture of respect pertaining to the body is prostration. The gesture of respect in honor of speech is the chanting of words such as these refuge lines. The attitude of respect honoring the mind consists of devotion, confidence and happiness. While prostrating, it is also good to visualize that every single sentient being is doing prostrations with you. In the teaching, it is said, at your right side is your father and on your left side is your mother. You are surrounded by your friends. Even your enemies are doing prostrations and taking refuge.
(Visualizing in this way... prostrate with devotion and chant the refuge prayer.]
