Three Refuges

Category: Marga

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

All Buddhists take the Three Refuges in the Three Jewels. They are :

1. The Buddha, who represents the goal that we can achieve.
2. The Dharma, the teachings that will bring us to that goal.
3. The Sangha, the community that follow the path that leads to that goal.

• Vajrayana Buddhists also take a fourth refuge in the Lama.

History

In Buddhism, instead of looking for any external refuge, we become our own refuge in our Buddha nature: Dhammapada

160. One truly is the protector of oneself, who else could the protector be? With oneself fully controlled one gains a mastery which is hard to gain.

165. By oneself is evil done, by oneself is one defiled. By oneself is evil left undone, by oneself is one purified. Purity and impurity depend on oneself--no one can purify another.

Mahaparinibbana sutta clearly states:

For that which I have proclaimed and made known as the Dhamma and the Discipline, that shall be your Master when I am gone.

Faith

Faith (Pali: saddha) is an important constituent element of the teachings of the Buddha - both in the Theravada tradition as in the Mahayana. Saddha is a beautiful Pali word that is imprefectly mapped to Faith. Saddha has connotations of trust, persevarance, humility and steady effort. Saddha is the result of thorough reasoning and accumulated experience.

In the Kalama Sutra the Buddha explicitly argues against "blind faith" based simply on authority, tradition or similarly questionable grounds. Nevertheless, there remains a requirement for a degree of trusting confidence and belief in Buddhism, primarily in the spiritual attainment and salvational knowledge of the Buddha. Faith in Buddhism centres on belief in the Buddha as a supremely Awakened being, on his unexcelled role as teacher of both humans and gods, in the truth of his Dharma (spiritual Doctrine), and in his Sangha (community of spiritually developed followers). Faith in Buddhism functions as a form of motor, which propels the Buddhist practitioner towards the goal of Awakening (bodhi) and Nirvana.

Vows

Often, one who takes refuge will make vows as well, typically vows to adhere to the Five Precepts (pañca-sila). Laypeople generally undertake at least one of the five. The Five Precepts are not given in the form of commands such as "thou shalt not ...", but rather are promises to oneself: "I will (try) ..."

1. To refrain from harming living creatures (killing).
2. To refrain from taking that which is not freely given (stealing).
3. To refrain from sexual misconduct.
4. To refrain from incorrect speech (lying, harsh language, slander, idle chit-chat).
5. To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness.

In some schools of Buddhism, serious lay people or aspiring monks take an additional three to five ethical precepts, and some of the five precepts are strengthened. For example, the precept pertaining to sexual misconduct becomes a precept of celibacy.

Refuge Advice

Primary guidelines

To actualise refuge in :

- Buddha: commit yourself to one teacher, the Buddha

- Dharma: listen, study and practice Dharma to overcome your own delusions

- Sangha: respect Sangha and train in accordance with their example

Try to :

- subdue the body, speech and mind, instead of letting our senses rule us: do not speak harsh, skeptical things and avoid being judgmental.

- practice ethics and vows.

- be kind and considerate to any living being.

- make special offerings on two special days of the year: the 15th of 4th lunar month (around May), to celebrate birth, enlightenment and passing away of the Buddha, and on the 4th of 6th lunar month (around July) to celebrate the first turning of the wheel - or the first teachings of the Buddha on the Four Noble Truths in Sarnath.

Secondary guidelines

Referring to the refuge in the :

- Buddha: do not follow other, lower beings as ultimate spiritual guides.

- Dharma: do not harm or upset humans or animals.

- Sangha: do not be negatively influenced by any extremists or others opposing our beliefs

Show respect to the :

- Buddha: respect all images of the Buddha, treat these as if they are Buddhas.

- Dharma: respect texts, treat them with utmost care.

- Sangha: respect even piece of robes and all who wear robes (despite behaviour)

Six Points of Training

1. Take refuge in the Three Refuges, do not seek the source of your happiness and problems outside yourself.
2. Offer the first part of food or drink to the triple jewel, by blessing it before eating or drinking by reciting "Om Ah Hum".
3. Encourage others to become inner beings (Buddhists) and to take refuge; but only when one is asked for advice.
4. Recite the refuge prayer 3x in the day and 3x in the night.
5. Follow the example of the Three Refuges, rely on them as the only trustworthy refuge objects.
6. Never lose faith in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Refuge Wording

The Pali Theravada version

buddham saranam gacchami

To the Buddha, for refuge I go

dhammam saranam gacchami

To the Dharma, for refuge I go

sangham saranam gacchami

To the Sangha, for refuge I go

dutiyampi buddham saranam gacchami

For the second time, to the Buddha, for refuge I go

dutiyampi dhammam saranam gacchami'

For the second time, to the Dharma for refuge I go

dutiyampi sangham saranam gacchami

For the second time, to the Sangha for refuge I go

tatiyampi buddham saranam gacchami

For the third time, to the Buddha, for refuge I go

tatiyampi dhammam saranam gacchami

For the third time, to the Dharma for refuge I go

tatiyampi sangham saranam gacchami

For the third time, to the Sangha for refuge I go

Chinese Mahayana version

自皈依佛，當願眾生，體解大道，發無上心。

I take refuge in the Buddha, wishing for all sentient beings to understand the great way and make the greatest vow.

自皈依法，當願眾生，深入經藏，智慧如海。

I take refuge in the Dharma, wishing for all sentient beings to deeply delve into the Sutra Pitaka, gaining an ocean of knowledge.

自皈依僧，當願眾生，統理大眾，一切無礙。

I take refuge in the Sangha, wishing all sentient beings to lead the congregation in harmony, entirely without obstruction.

The Vajrayana version

Until I am enlightened,

I go for refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Through the virtue I create by practising giving and the other perfections,

may I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings.

Levels of Refuge

According to Atisha in the 11th century Lamp for the Path and in the subsequent Lamrim tradition as elaborated by Tsongkhapa, one can distinguish several levels of refuge:

These purposes are introduced using the concept of the 'scope' of a practitioner

• Worldly scope is taking refuge to improve this life (not Buddhist)
• Lowest Buddhist scope is taking refuge to gain high rebirth and avoid the low realms
• Middle Buddhist scope is taking refuge to achieve Nirvana
• High Buddhist scope is taking refuge to become a Buddha
• Highest Buddhist scope is also sometimes included, which is taking refuge to achieve Buddhahood in this life (using Buddhist Tantra techniques)

Another distinction between different levels of Going for Refuge, given by Sangharakshita in his text Going for Refuge is:

• Ethnic Going for Refuge, when one is born into a Buddhist culture and practice is a matter more of social conditioning than personal commitment.
• Effective Going for Refuge, when one has taken the conscious decision to commit oneself to the Three Refuges, typically by joining a Buddhist Order.
• Real Going for Refuge, when the Three Fetters of Conditioned Arising has been broken and Stream Entry has been attained.
• Absolute Going for Refuge, which corresponds with the attainment of Enlightenment.

Verses from the Dhammapada

Driven only by fear, do men go for refuge to many places — to hills, woods, groves, trees and shrines.

Such, indeed, is no safe refuge; such is not the refuge supreme. Not by resorting to such a refuge is one released from all suffering.

He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Teaching and his Order, penetrates with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths — suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering.

This indeed is the safe refuge, this the refuge supreme. Having gone to such a refuge, one is released from all suffering.

- Dhammapada 188-192

See also

• Three Jewels

Reference

• Going for Refuge by Sangharakshita, 1997, Windhorse Publications