འཕགས་པ་སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱ་རྟགས་པ་བརྗད་པ་ཤས་ལྡན་གྱ་མད 2

2

The god then rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms joined, he bowed in the direction of the Blessed One and repeated this entreaty three times:

“Homage to the blessed Thus-Gone One! Homage to the blessed Thus-Gone One! Out of love for me, may the Blessed One please come here and save me from the lower realms!”

Aware of the sincere intent of that god, the Blessed One went to him and sat upon a seat that had been prepared. After taking his seat, the Blessed One asked that god, “Deva, is it death that you fear?”

“Indeed, Blessed One,” the god responded, “I am afraid to die. Why? Because I foresaw my rebirth in the wretched womb of a pig in Vaiśālī. Once reborn there, I will eat excrement and be killed by a blade. That is why, Blessed One, I am afraid to die.”

The Blessed One said, “Deva, do not be afraid of death! Why? Well, deva, it is not the earth and water elements that transmigrate here and there, but rather your own actions. Come here, deva. Take refuge in the Buddha. Take refuge in the Dharma and in the Saṅgha.”

The god then rose from his seat and addressed the Blessed One: “Yes, Blessed One, I will. I take refuge in the Buddha! I take refuge in the Dharma and in the Saṅgha!”

The Blessed One responded to the god with the following stanza:

“Those who have taken refuge in the Buddha
Will be spared transmigrating to the lower realms.
As they relinquish their divine existence,
They will take up a human existence instead.”