First, there is refuge.
Then, the lower objects of refuge are as follows. As said in the sutras:

All people who are overcome by fear will mostly seek refuge in mountains, forests, and groves of trees. Those objects of refuge are not ultimate, for in depending on them, there is no freedom from all forms of fear.

As said, mountains, trees, forests, kings, ministers, the wealthy, worldly gods, powerful lords of the earth, and so on, are the lower objects of refuge. Why is this so? This is because each one of them is still not free from their own form of fear. The supremely sublime objects of refuge are the Three Jewels. As Loppon Chenpo Padmasambhava said:

No matter how excellent a worldly leader may seem, he will deceive you.
The holy objects of refuge, the Three Jewels, are deceitless.

Thus it is said.

The main object of refuge is the pure aspect of the essential nature, which is from the beginning the stainless Dharmakaya; the pure aspect of freedom from temporary obscuration, the immeasurable appearances of the qualities of Dharmakaya, as the Sambhogakaya; and the manifestation of these Sambhogakaya appearances in the realms of sentient beings to guide them, the Nirmanakaya. These are the Three Kayas. Although these Three Kayas appear separately from the aspects of their qualities, they are actually indivisible as Svabhavikakaya, or Vajrakaya, which is the fourth Kaya.

The unobstructed appearance of all qualities of existence and enlightenment is mirrorlike wisdom.  No matter how diverse the wisdom manifestation of existence and enlightenment may appear to be, whatever arises, there is actually not even a subtle particle of goodness or negativity. Because the qualities of the nature of the basis and the way of appearing are the great nature of purity and evenness, it is the wisdom of equanimity. The appearances of the oceanlike realms of the phenomena of existence and enlightenment are nonconceptual yet simultaneously and undistortedly known. This is the wisdom of discernment.  Buddha’s simultaneous wish-fulfilling activity occurs effortlessly as whatever is needed to benefit sentient beings, pervading everywhere according to time and place without anything missing, and it is always self-accomplished. This is the wisdom of all- accomplishing activity. These are the Four Kayas and the five wisdoms.

 

A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar
by Thinley Norbu
Shambhala Publishing

 

Fourth, the contemplation on the faults of existence and the aspiration to engage in Dharma.

The continuous character of the three realms of samsara is an ocean of suffering. By remembering this, may my mind turn to the holy Dharma. Thus the root verses say.

In general, human beings suffer from the four great rivers of suffering, which are birth, old age, sickness, and death. Furthermore, humans espe- cially have the suffering of the anxiety of encountering enemies, the suffer- ing of the prospect of separating from loved ones, the suffering of sudden unwanted events, and the suffering of not being able to acquire what is desired. Future suffering that begins before previous suffering has finished is called the suffering of suffering. Even though at present one may be extremely content and happy, this happiness can suddenly change to suf- fering with the occurrence of some circumstance of suffering; this is called the suffering of change. Although suffering may not be conspicuous in the present, whatever thoughts or actions have occurred are the seeds of suf- fering that have been planted. This is called pervasive compounded suffer- ing. Since there is no one in existence who is not bound by the chains of these three types of suffering, therefore, wherever one is born within the three realms of samsara, the continuous character of suffering is vast and deep like the ocean. By remembering this nature ofsuffering, may my mind wish only to reach the constant state of bliss and turn to the holy Dharma, which is the sublime path to liberation.

A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar
by Thinley Norbu
Shambhala Publishing

Third, the contemplation on the undeniable karma of cause and result. The root verses read: The cause and result of virtuous and nonvirtuous actions cannot be denied.

When the result of suffering and unhappiness from nonvirtuous actions and the result of benefit and happiness from virtuous actions accumulated in this life are experienced as ripening in this immediate life, this is called the karma of obviously experienced phenomena. Even if the result of sinful actions accumulated in this life does not ripen in this immediate life, suffering will be experienced in the next life, and likewise, even if the result of virtuous actions accumulated in this life does not ripen in this immediate life, the result of happiness will be experienced in the next life. This is called the karma of what will be experienced in the next rebirth. If the time does not arrive in this life or the next life for the ripening of the result of suffering from the cause of nonvirtue and the result of happiness from virtue, it is certain that it will be experienced in another future life. This is called the karma of what will be experienced in far future lives. In this way, according to how the cause of either virtuous or non-virtuous karma is accumulated, the result will ripen undeniably.

A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar
by Thinley Norbu
Shambhala Publishing