Secret teaching from Guru Padmasambava (1)

Secret teaching from Guru Padmasambava
about taking refuge  asked by lady tsogyal
source : from the Book Dakini Teaching

There are eight trainings.

First there are the three special trainings :
1. Having taken refuge in the guru, you should not feel ill will toward him or even the intention to deride him.
2. Having taking refuge in the yidam, you should not interrupt the meditation of the yidam's form or its recitation.
3. Having taken refuge in the dakini, you should not break the periodical offering days.

The five general trainings are the following.

1.Consecrate as nectar,
the first part of whatever you eat or drink. Offer it visualizing the guru above your head. offer it visualizing the yidam in your heart center and the dakini in your navel center. You should train in partaking of food in this way.

2. In whichever direction you go, supplicate the guru, yidam, and dakini. Visualize the guru above your head, Visualize yourself as the yidam and visualize the dakini and the dharma protectors as your escorts. This training in walking.

3. Even the cost of your life or limb. You should train in regarding the guru to be as dear as your heart, the yidam as dear as your eyes, and the dakini as dear as your body.

4. No matter what happens, such as sickness, difficulty or ease, joy or sorrow, you should train in the supplicating the guru, making offering to the yidam. and giving feasts and torma to the dakini. Other than that, you should not pursue other means such as soothsaying and shamanistic rituals.

5. Recollecting the virtues of the guru, yidam and dakini, you should take refuge again and again, By taking refuge in the guru, obstacles are cleared away. By taking refuge in the yidam the body of mahamudra will be attained. By taking refuge in the dakini you will receive the siddhis.