3 Jewels Flashcards
What is refuge in buddhist terms:
It is not a hiding place, it is a place to be purified/transformed, where there is support and guidance. For Buddhists, this is 3 things - the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha - the triratna, or the three jewels. This can be anywhere.
The Buddha:
Not worshipped, not a deity, but a human who is worthy of respect and admiration. Not necessarily Siddhartha either - any/all of the Buddhas. Their lives are examples to buddhists, as they were sammasambuddhasa, enlightened without teaching. They illustrate the core principles like the middle way. Mahayana buddhism focuses more on his metaphysical abilities and powers, and saw him as transcendent on Earth. Zen and Tibetan buddhism focus on the Buddha nature within us that we can attain, and the connectedness that provides.
The Dhamma:
The Dhamma is the teaching of the Buddha, and it differs between traditions. The Pali Canon is viewed as important to theravada buddhism, and has three pitakas (sections, literally baskets) - the vinaya pitaka, rules for discipline in a monastic setting, the sutta pitaka, which describes the teachings in the historical context, and the abhidhamma pitaka, which is more philosophical and the contents differ between schools of theravada buddhism. After the death of the Buddha, there were immediately disagreements as to the interpretation. Tibetan buddhists look at many interpretations and have their own texts, Zen buddhism has the koans, puzzles or nonsensical sayings aimed to trigger enlightenment, although they believe the true Dhamma is only reflected in texts.
The Sangha:
The buddhist community, for help and assistance from other people in the same struggle. Originally it was the community founded by the Buddha, but it became more formalised and rules were developed, which became the vinaya pitaka. The four fold sangha is monks, nuns, and laymen/women (bhikku(ni)s and upasakas/sikas). To become an ordained monk, from age 7 you can become a samanera (novice) and wear a white robe, and full ordination often happens at about age 20, and 5 bhikkus are needed. It’s believed that we pick up characteristics of those around us, so the sangha helps keep them good. The relations between monks/laypeople is good - the sangha give the dhamma, the laypeople give material stuff
Chanting the refuges:
A declaration of adherence to Buddhist ways, often used as a focus for meditation, seen as mental preparation, variations between traditions - as a religion it adapts easily to different cultures, hence so many variations - meanings and roles may be different between country, but still Buddhism, still same goal. This is why the central practices, such as chanting the refuges, is so important. Repetition is also seen as important in itself
