Refuge Instructions & Milarepa Teachings (Part 1:Virtue at the Beginning, Virtue in the Middle, and Virtue at the End - Instructions Given Before Giving Refuge Vows) by Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin (14:54)

Summary: Milarepa (11th century), probably Tibet’s most well-known yogi and spiritual-poet, is a great forebear of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Having spent his earlier life oppressed by extreme suffering and in turn engaging in heinous negative actions, Milarepa turned his life around and channeled his fierce and tenacious nature towards transforming his own mind and completely dedicated the rest of his life to attaining buddhahood for the benefit of all. Stinging in his critique of the hypocrisy of both secular and religious authorities of his time, Milarepa was gentle, kind and supportive to all those who came to him seeking guidance. Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin was born in 1970. At the age of 14 he took his monk’s vows and soon after began his Buddhist studies at Samye Monastery, the first monastery ever built in Tibet. In 1987, he traveled to attend the Drikung Kagyu Institute at Jangchub Ling in Dehra Dun, India. The spontaneous devotion he felt for His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche resulted in his request to His Holiness to join the monastery there and continue his education. Having completed the first four years of his studies at Samye Monastery, Khenpo Tsultrim finished the last five years at Jangchub Ling. After three years teaching lower classes in the monastic college, he was enthroned as “Khenpo” in 1998 and spent three more years teaching Buddhist philosophy at the Institute. In April of 2001, Khenpo Tsultrim arrived at the Tibetan Meditation Center (TMC) (Frederick, MD) to assist Khenchen Rinpoche and also to improve his mastery of the English language. He began teaching at the Center in August of that year and today continues as the Spiritual Director of TMC.  www.UDharmaNC.com Urban Dharma NC is a new Buddhist center, a community-in-progress in western North Carolina. We are committed to the growing of Dharma locally, for Dharma to take roots in our lives here in this corner of the world, in this part of North Carolina, on the soil of these Appalachian mountains. Our motto “Changing Minds, Transforming Cities” expresses the vision of living the transformative teachings of the Buddha in a contemporary, urban context where we ground our lives in Dharma. Urban Dharma NC emphasizes integrating rather than compartmentalizing, engaging rather than retreating, communing rather than isolating. http://archive.org/download/RefugeInstructionsMilarepaTeachingsByKhenpoTsultrimTenzin/20121209Part01VirtueAtTheBeginningMiddleAndEnd.mp3