The Merits of Taking Refuge in
His Holiness Living Buddha Lian Sheng

His Holiness Living Buddha Lian Sheng has the dharma title of “Great Blessing Vajra” and he is the Root Guru of True Buddha School. True Buddha disciples who cultivate the Root Guru Practice will be able to achieve spiritual union and responses from the Root Guru, which is a great blessing. With the Root Guru’s blessing, one can gain health, long life, a harmonious family, fortune, wisdom, and the fulfillment of all wishes in the mundane realm. In the transcendental realm, one attains bodhisattvahood.

According to the Sutra of Consecration, students are protected by thirty-six guardians after taking refuge, which are sent by the Four Heavenly Kings (devarajas). If these students can also cultivate the Root Guru Practice, then Vajrayaksa, his retinue of five hundred, and multitudes of bodhisattvas will also provide protection.

All students who take refuge and receive the necessary empowerments shall, through the diligent cultivation of the Root Guru Practice, benefit both themselves and others due to the boundless merits of the Root Guru Practice. All transgressions will be extinguished, and all evil shall depart. The Root Guru Practice is the most efficacious of all practices and should be widely propagated.

The Importance of Lineage

The lineage transmission represents a dharma stream that flows and originates from the Root Guru’s blessings and empowerments. Vajrayana Buddhism places great importance on lineage transmission and regards the act of respecting one’s Root Guru as the most important. This is because, without the blessings and empowerments from the Root Guru, one cannot receive the Vajrayana teachings and cultivate the teachings.The Root Guru is the embodiment of the Triple Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. He is the origin of all blessings and empowerments because all future accomplishments in one’s cultivation of Buddhism originate from the Root Guru. Also, the Root Guru is a cultivator with genuine realization. The blessings and empowerments bestowed by him are the same as those bestowed by the Buddha.

How to Take Refuge

True Buddha School welcomes all regardless of race, nationality, gender, religion, etc. Reincarnated masters and sinners looking to reform are equally welcome. It offers all services on a “by donation” basis with no set fee, so anyone anywhere can join. Not only anyone wishing to join may join, anyone wishing to leave may leave. Either way, there is no block or manipulation.

Online:

At 7:00 a.m. (your local time), on either the first or the fifteenth of every lunar month, face the direction of the rising sun. With palms joined, reverently recite the Fourfold Refuge mantra three times: “Namo Guru bei, Namo Buddha ye, Namo Dharma ye, Namo Sangha ye. Seeking Living Buddha Lian Sheng’s guidance, I am taking refuge in the True Buddha,” and prostrate three times.

Then, complete the refuge form here. His Holiness will perform the refuge empowerment remotely, and you will receive a refuge certificate and guidance on practice by post.

In Person:

You may obtain the refuge empowerment personally from His Holiness in Redmond, Washington, USA, or from a True Buddha acharya who confers the empowerment on his behalf by visiting a True Buddha temple, chapter, cultivation group, or by attending a True Buddha ceremony.

In Writing:

At 7:00 a.m. (your local time), on either the first or the fifteenth of every lunar month, face the direction of the rising sun. With palms joined, reverently recite the Fourfold Refuge mantra three times: “Namo Guru bei, Namo Buddha ye, Namo Dharma ye, Namo Sangha ye. Seeking Living Buddha Lian Sheng’s guidance, I am taking refuge in the True Buddha,” and prostrate three times.

Send a letter to the True Buddha Foundation to indicate your wish to receive the refuge empowerment. State your name, address, age, and enclose a voluntary offering to the contact address of Living Buddha Lian Sheng. Upon receiving the letter, His Holiness will perform the refuge empowerment remotely, and you will receive a refuge certificate and guidance on practice by post.

The address is: 

Grand Master Sheng-Yen Lu
17102 NE 40th Ct.
Redmond, WA 98052
USA

Upon receiving the refuge request letter, the True Buddha Foundation will send you a refuge certificate, a picture of Living Buddha Lian Sheng, and instructions on how to start cultivation of the Four Preliminary Practices.