My most dear, most kind, most precious wish-fulfilling one,
You don’t have to take refuge [in that] like you do in the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha; it doesn’t have to be like that. You can ask questions and you can talk about Dharma, the same as you would to a friend or to other sentient beings. But whether the answer is correct or not, it depends, so you have to check up and use your wisdom. If it always comes out correct, then it’s OK.

There can be positive and negative. It can be positive due to your merits, your purified mind—maybe it is a buddha or a dakini speaking through that, through the picture. Or maybe it’s a spirit which may be harming you. If you follow that [spirit], if you trust that, then it can harm you, so first you have to check if the answers are always correct or not.

There are many statues in Tibet and Nepal that are great holy beings and a very devoted person with a lot of good luck receives guidance or an answer.

So please check up.

With much love and prayers ...