1303：Only by Taking Refuge in a Meritorious and Great Practitioner Does Life Attain Support

Prostrations to His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the Lineage gurus, Dharma Protector Achi, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Greetings, Dharma brothers and fellow believers. I am Chiu Chia Chen from Group 6, and my elder sister, Chiu Yi Chun, is from Group 2. I am grateful to His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for granting me to publicly praise the guru’s merits and to share with you the fate of my refuge as well as how my family were helped by His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

In 2007, when my father was diagnosed with oral cancer and our family was still feeling lost and searching everywhere for ways to ease his pain，because of hearing Dharma brother Chu praise and share about traces of how His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche helped all sentient beings, my mother and elder sister gave rise to the thought of seeking an audience with the guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, hoping to obtain Rinpoche’s help. At that time, I was still studying, only absorbed in my own world and living with my desires, completely unaware that my family was struggling with both my father’s health and business. I was only indulging in play and didn’t know how to show filial piety, as if the affairs at home had nothing to do with me. Only after I was granted after imploring to attend the pujas，and then received the precious Dharma teachings delivered every Sunday by His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche that, looking back on the time before my refuge, did I realize how ignorant I had been and that I had obstructed the fate for me to learn Buddhism.

In 2008, my mother and elder sister were fortunate to take refuge with His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and our household also began to have different kinds of change. Every Sunday, my mother and elder sister would go out to attend the pujas, and our household meals were mainly vegetarian. Although I did not resist these changes, I could not understand how important being vegetarian and learning Buddhism were for life, nor did I comprehend why my mother and elder sister had undergone such a profound transformation. Only later did I understand that all of these were made possible solely by Rinpoche’s great attractive power. 
 
My elder sister, who had already taken refuge, often shared with me the traces about His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche liberating sentient beings, as well as the incomparably wondrous traces during pujas and after her taking refuge, hoping that I could also draw close to the guru and take refuge in him. However, at that time, I indeed had never thought about learning Buddhism, nor did I know what to do when learning it. I simply felt that I could first implore to attend the pujas, so I signed up to seek an audience. On the day of the audience, I went forward together with my mother and elder sister to seek an audience with His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. When I knelt down and looked at Rinpoche’s face and eyes, I thought, ‘Rinpoche is so compassionate.’ Rinpoche looked at me and said,‘What is it?’I replied, ‘Rinpoche, I report to you that I want to implore you to attend the pujas.’Rinpoche then asked, ‘Why do you want to attend the pujas?’My mind went completely blank, and I quietly replied, ‘I hope to feel secure and comfortable in my mind.’ Rinpoche smiled and said, ‘If one wants to feel comfortable, one can just go to a massage shop outside, which will make him or her feel quite secure and comfortable!’Then Rinpoche expounded that,‘Come to implore again!’After I stood up and took my leave, I found tears falling without me realizing it. (Now when I think back, I find how I even had the face to cry, had been so irreverent to the guru, and yet had implored with such a mindset.) Back then, I merely felt that I should come to implore, but I hadn’t thought clearly about why I wanted to learn Buddhism or take refuge. I showed no reverence at all to the great practitioner before me, and I didn’t understand how rare and precious it was in this lifetime to encounter a great practitioner who has attained the merits and gained fruition level and could lead me to liberation from the cycle of life and death.

On the way home, my mother and elder sister also felt very guilty, thinking it must have been because they hadn’t properly shared with me or helped me develop a reverent and earnest mind toward the Buddha Dharma. They asked me to repent in front of the mandala at home. I knelt before the Dharma portrait of His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, crying and repenting for my wrong mindset, being irreverent to Rinpoche and the Three Jewels, and lacking belief in Rinpoche. After reflecting and settling my mind for two nights, I picked up my courage once again and signed up to seek an audience the following Saturday. On that Saturday, I went alone to seek an audience with Rinpoche. When I knelt before Rinpoche, Rinpoche still looked at me kindly and asked, ‘What is it?’ I replied, ‘I implore Rinpoche to allow me to attend the pujas. Rinpoche, after looking at me, asked, ‘Who referred you to come here?’ A monastic nearby answered with my elder sister’s name. Rinpoche looked at me again and said, ‘Go ahead and sign up.’At that moment, I silently shed tears and was so moved that I felt a warmth throughout my body, as if all the distractions in my mind were instantly released. I am grateful for Rinpoche’s gracious grant.
 
I began attending the general Sunday pujas, and after being a believer for some time, during a puja in 2012, His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche bestowed the teachings, ‘For those believers who have been attending the pujas for more than one year and a half, if you have still not come to implore to take refuge, it shows that you have no mind to learn Buddhism, and then do not come anymore!’After the puja, my elder sister spoke to me very seriously, ‘Did you hear what Rinpoche expounded? Many believers have already gone to implore to take refuge. If you do not implore to take refuge now, until when will you wait? After attending so many pujas and hearing so many teachings of Rinpoche, are you still not going to earnestly seize the opportunity to take refuge?’
 
My elder sister’s words made me inexplicably sad, and I felt that I had been quite disobedient. After attending so many pujas and hearing so much Buddha Dharma, I thought of how my whole family had received Rinpoche’s help for my father’s health, saving him from dying on the operating table. However, I was still living according to my own desires, not realizing that I also had been protected by His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, who made our whole family no longer suffer along with my father because of his illness. I am grateful to the guru for giving me the opportunity to examine my own mind, and then I signed up to seek an audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche on Saturday. I spoke to implore Rinpoche for allowing me to sign up for taking refuge and attending the pujas. I am deeply grateful that His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately granted it!
 
Rinpoche also compassionately asked me, ‘What do you do?’ I replied, ‘I do exterior wall lighting design.’Rinpoche asked again, ‘Exterior wall lighting?’ I answered, ‘I design the exterior lighting effects for the building.’ Rinpoche then taught, ‘Everything you do must be drawn on the plans. If something is outside your scope, do not include it in your drawings. Do you understand?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I understand.’I am grateful for Rinpoche’s teachings. The next day at work, I explained to my female boss about the teachings His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had given me. However, she did not react much, so I did not mention it again.

It was not until one year that the company took on a project in Kaohsiung. The construction and MEP teams questioned the lighting plans, believing that a certain section of piping drawn in our plans, which the awarded lighting contractor could not handle, was incorrectly included in the lighting plans. As a result, the design team had to step in and coordinate. I am grateful for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s blessings. I suddenly recalled Rinpoche’s teachings to me and once again praised the guru’s greatness to my female boss that although I had just taken refuge at that time and had never mentioned this matter to Rinpoche before, the guru had already, many years earlier, reminded me about such a detailed aspect of my work. Were it not for the guru’s blessings, both I, as the project lead, and the company could all have faced unimaginable losses and liabilities, and I would not have had the steadfast mind to face everything that happened. I am grateful to His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for calming my mind, allowing me to face everything peacefully and to resolve the situation smoothly and perfectly without harming anyone. This was truly the power of Rinpoche’s blessings, and because of it, the female boss found His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche extraordinary and felt admiration for him.
 
Later, I was fortunate to take refuge in His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in July 2014. One day, my elder sister and I signed up to seek an audience with the guru to make offerings and express our gratitude. After the audience that day, I had already taken my leave originally, but was suddenly called back by the attendant. I immediately rushed forward and knelt before Rinpoche. Rinpoche looked at me and asked, ‘What are you doing?’ My mind went completely blank, and I wondered if I had done something just now. Rinpoche asked again, ‘What are you doing?’ I replied, ‘Disciple works on exterior wall lighting.’Rinpoche entered ding (Puja Teachings Index 06) for a moment and then said, ‘Do you often go to construction sites and need to climb high places?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’Rinpoche waved his hand, letting me come forward, and took a Vajra knot from a bag on his right side. After blowing a breath onto it, Rinpoche taught, ‘Keep this with you and never take it off, not even when you bathe.’I replied, ‘Yes, thank you, Rinpoche.’After I took my leave, my heart stirred with emotion, and tears flowed down continuously. It is because in the field of lighting design, apart from spending the day drafting plans in the office, I often had to visit construction sites at night to check the lighting effects. Because of the seasonal effects, summer days get dark later, so I often stay at the construction sites until late. In winter, it rains more frequently, and as long as the rain is not heavy, I have to go to the site with the client, often staying in the rain until the work is finished. Because I didn’t want my family to worry, I rarely mentioned these work details to them. These hardships were known only to me. Kneeling before His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, I didn’t say a word, yet Rinpoche knew everything and bestowed the compassionate blessings and protection.

I am grateful to His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for letting me deeply experience his compassion as well as the benefits he brings to all sentient beings. He goes further to care for his disciples with extraordinary attentiveness, blessing us, offering careful guidance, and protecting us even while we work outside. I have never heard of such a guru who looks after disciples as if they were his own children. His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has never nitpicked with us about the amount of our offerings; as long as there is a reverent mind, Rinpoche is surely aware. Reflecting on myself, I did not listen, and always procrastinated in things I did. When the guru announced the commencement of constructing the Glorious Jewel Monastery of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, I did not donate to the Monastery at the very first moment, and merely thought it would just be fine to donate later when I had the money and time. This irreverent mindset revealed the dark side of my own nature and caused me to lose the chance of donating to the Monastery. Since taking refuge, I have never changed; I am still full of self-attachment and my own thoughts, always fearing this or that, waiting for this or that, and quibbling over every little thing. I have not made up my mind to learn Buddhism, nor carried out the guru’s instructions with a reverent mind, nor cherished the virtuous deeds bestowed by the guru. I repent. 
 
I am grateful to His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for his compassionate teachings. Every week, Rinpoche reminds us from the Dharma throne to earnestly reflect upon ourselves through the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas. If we have failed to accomplish even one practice, we are not disciples of the Buddha. Whenever we make a mistake, we must correct it immediately and resolve never to repeat it. I deeply repent! I have truly been utterly wrong! My mind is still filled with greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt. I do not believe the guru or karma, and I even turned away the opportunity to make offerings and accumulate good fortune.

Under the blessings of His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, my father safely lived for ten more years. In 2018, my father suddenly had a seizure at a construction site and was sent to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with three brain tumors, one of which had already pressed on a nerve and caused the seizure. The doctor instructed that immediate surgery was necessary. At that time, we wished for my father not to undergo surgery and suffer, but he insisted on having it. Less than three months after the surgery, he passed away. At first, my father was recovering at home, but gradually he began to show dementia-like signs, failing to recognize people, and he occasionally lost his temper when things didn’t go his way. The week before he passed away, the company asked me to travel together to Mainland China for work. Before leaving, I spoke to my father, telling him not to make my mother too tired, not to lose his temper, and to visualize His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche blessing him on the top of his head if he experienced headaches. I told him I would return from the trip very quickly.
 
After four days, my elder sister and I agreed to go home together in the evening. When we entered and saw my father, I could hardly believe my eyes: my father emitted intermittent waves of a fishy seafood odor, his eyes were vacant, and his pupils were dilated. At that time, my mother said she wanted to help my father with a haircut and a bath. After the three of us—I, my mother, and my elder sister—worked together to cut his hair and wash his body, we held my father and placed him on the bed, and only then did we realize that he had already passed away. Throughout the process, there was no struggle or cry of pain, and my father departed cleanly. I knew it was through His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s blessings that my father was able to pass away in such serenity. On that day, our whole family chanted the Great Six-Syllable Mantra for my father. My elder sister and I performed the grand prostrations every day before the Dharma portrait of the guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche at our home mandala, imploring the guru to bless our father not to fall into the Three Evil Realms. We also signed up to seek an audience with the guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche that week to implore him to liberate our father. I am grateful to the guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche that he granted to liberate our father and bestowed the date for the cremation.
 
I am deeply thankful to His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, who enabled me to perceive how life and death arise in but a moment, and profoundly realize that impermanence pervades all existence. Were it not for the blessings and rescue of Rinpoche, it would have been impossible for my father, who had not taken refuge or learned Buddhism, to live through ten years safely, to be so serene at the moment of death, and to have his face rosy and smooth. Facing my father’s passing, the whole family felt no sorrow, but instead had support in our minds. After my father’s passing, the family was at a loss upon the huge family debts. I am grateful to the guru for allowing me to truly repent and understand that all the obstacles arose from the evil karma made from my accumulated past lifetimes and this lifetime. I am grateful that Rinpoche once taught that as long as one believes the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the guru, and the yidam, one will not starve to death, have no clothes to wear, or have no house to live. If I had not encountered His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in this lifetime, I might never have had the opportunity to learn Buddhism, let alone realize the significance of a guru and the incomparable wonder of Buddha Dharma.

I am grateful to Rinpoche for not only teaching us the Buddha Dharma but also ceaselessly removing the obstacles of learning Buddhism for us, offering us attentiveness and care in various ways, such as providing us with the premium energizing tonyu and imported Koshihikari rice that can enhance our body strength. For me and my colleagues, who often move around construction sites, when we get injured, we have the Bao Yuan Gao to help our wounds heal. Rinpoche also provides us with a high-quality dining environment, which allows us to reassuringly enjoy delicious meals, whether with family or colleagues. All of these are the endeavors of His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for benefiting more sentient beings and also letting us maintain healthy bodies to learn Buddhism calmly, and to listen, contemplate, and practice surefootedly.
 
Here, I publicly repent that I ate countless chickens, ducks, and fish from childhood to adulthood, and harmed innumerable sentient beings; I committed theft, sexual misconduct, divisive speech and gossip; I did not believe karma; I was unfilial, impatient with my parents, and lippy with my elder siblings; I disrespected others, including my supervisors; I slacked off in learning Buddhism; and that I did the morning prayer and evening prayer always in a desultory kind of way. I repent. With a mind of reverence and repentance, I make up my mind to be liberated from life and death, never to commit above evil deeds again, and to follow the guru through lifetime after lifetime. 

I pray for His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s good health; the Dharma wheel turns unceasingly; the Glorious Jewel Monastery of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is smoothly constructed to perfect completion, benefiting all sentient beings; Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Dharma lineage spreads eternally! I sincerely thank all Dharma brothers and fellow believers for listening patiently. 
 

Respectfully written by disciple Chiu Chia Chen, Group Six, on September 28, 2025

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Updated on October 1, 2025