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MARCH, 1894.)
THE REFUGE-FORMULA OF THE LAMAS.
THE REFUGE-FORMULA' OF THE LAMAS.
By L. A. WADDELL, M.B., M.R.A.S. The Refuge-formula' of the Lamas, which I here translate, well illustrates the very depraved form of Buddhism professed by them; for here we find that the original Triple Refugeformula (Skr. Trisarana; Pali Saranagamana) in the Triratana, i.., the Buddha, the Word, and the Assembly has been extended, so as to include within its palo the vast host of deities, demons and deified saints of Tibet, as well as many of the Indian Mahayana and Yogacharya saints. The version here translated is that used by the Karmapa and Nyingmapa sects of Lamas in Sikhim, but it is practically the same as that in general use in Tibet, except among the reformed Lamas the Geluk pas ----, who address a less extensive circle of saints and demons. It is extracted from the manual of worship entitled the Kyabs-hgro, commonly pronounced Kyam-do, which literally means "the going for protection or refuge. The text is as follows:
“We - all beings - through the intercession of the Lama, go for refuge to the Buddha ! "We go for refuge to the Buddha's Doctrine (Dharma)!
"We go for refuge to The Assembly of the Lamas (Sangha)!3 . "We go for refuge to the Host of the Gods, and their retinue of Tutelaries (Yidam) and
Fairies (mKhah-hgro, Skr. Khéchara or "sky-goers'), - the defenders of the religion, who people the sky!
“We go for refuge to the victorious Lâmas, who have descended from heaven, the holders of wisdom and the Tantras.
"We go for refuge to the Buddhas of the ten directions !
“We go for refuge to the all-good Father-Mother, the Dharmakaya Samantabhadra, Yab-Yum Sprul-sku Kün-tu bzang po (the primordial Buddha-God of the Northern Buddhists)!
“We go for refuge to the incarnate mild and angry loving one, the Sambhogakaya Santikhroda-prasaraka (Longs-sku zhi-khrorab-hbyam)!
"We go for refuge to the Nirmanakaya Mahavajradhara incarnation of Sakya-Muni (Sprul-sku-rdo-nje hchhang-chhen)!
"We go for refuge to the diamond-souled Guide, Vajrasattva (sTön-pa-rdo-rje-sems-pa)!
"We go for refuge to the Jina, the victorious Sakya-Muni (Gyal-wa or Sha-kya thub-pa)!
"We go for refuge to the most pleasing Vajra incarnation (Sprul-sko-dgal-rab-rdo-rje)!
"We go for refuge to the fierce holder of the thunderbolt, Vajrapani (Phyag-na-rdorje-ytum-po)!
"We go for refuge to the converted dazzling Goddess-Mother, Marichi-devi (Yum-hgyur Lha-mo-höd zer-chan-ma)!
"We go for refuge to the learned teacher Acharya Manjubri (sLob-dpön-hjam-dpalbshes-bsnyen)!
"We go for refuge to the great Pandita Sri Sinha (Pan-chhen-Shri-Singha)! "We go for refuge to the Jina Lakshmi(?) Suda (rgyal-wa-gYang-na su-da)! "We go for refuge to the great Pandita Bhimala Mitra.
"We go for refuge to the incarnate lotus-born Dharmakaya Padma Sambhava (sPrul-sku Padma hbyung-gnas)!
1 The Tibetan words are transliterated according to the system of Ceoma De Körös. » It is a Lamaist axiom that no layman can address the Buddhas, except through the medium of a Láma.
• The Gelukpa text begins :-Dag-sogenam-mkah dang miyams pahi seme-chan thame-chad bla-ma la skyabe au mchhio. Sangs-gas-kyi skay be su mchhio. Chhos-kyi skyabs su mohhis. Ge-hdun-gyi skyabs su mchhio.
