Taking Refuge (ritual, tradition, doctrine, experience, dogma)

[Green Gaia]

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


What does taking refuge mean to you?

[Prima]

To me, taking refuge is remembering what life is really all about. When I get caught up in the daily stress, I take refuge and remember what I should really be worried about. It may just be a quick thought, or it may be an hour-long meditation, or an ongoing project. But I'm taking refuge from my pain and stress (or whatever is keeping me from peace)

[Lightkeeper]

I think it's like the Christian practice of turning everything over to God. In other words you release your problems to a higher state.

[Master Vigil]

To me its like this. If I'm worried about anything, I sit myself down and I ask myself. "Am I ok?" Right now, at this very moment, am I ok. And you know, I haven't had a time where I said "no." I take refuge in the present state, knowing that I'm ok.

[Green Gaia]

This is what Lama Surya Das had to say about Taking Refuge:

"What does it mean to take refuge? It means to make a commitment to awakening. That's the Buddha-awakening; Buddhahood; Buddha-nature; Buddha-mind; enlightened mind; truth; reality; realization. That alone is a refuge, a sanctuary, an authentic reliance. That's what it means to take refuge in awareness itself, which is freedom and peace. To make a commitment to awakening. Not just to bow down to an idol, not just to subscribe to a dogma, but to make a commitment to knowing the truth. That's what it means when you say "I take refuge in Buddha, the enlightened teacher." It means the Buddha within, to know how things are. That's the ultimate refuge. That's the inner truth, the inner teacher, the absolute guru-to know the truth, to know how things are. Not just know with the mental computer, the brain, but to know with the heart-mind. Not just to know information with the mind, but to know through intuitive experience, self-realization. That's finding refuge, something to rely on-enlightenment itself, within one's own experience. Knowing the truth is the ultimate reliance, the ultimate refuge. To realize truth for one's self, to find refuge in the Trikaya-the three kayas or Buddha-bodies, Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya-within the empty openness, the luminous clarity and the unobstructed compassionate responsiveness of your own true nature. The three innate jewels. The good, the true, and the beautiful: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

What does it mean to say "I go for refuge in the Dharma"? The Dharma is the truth, the teaching, the Buddhist doctrine; not just something to believe in, like dogma. It is the truth of how things actually are. We find refuge in expressing that truth, learning that truth, integrating that truth. That's the Dharma teaching. That's the way to find refuge in that way of life: speaking the truth, sharing in the truth of realization. That's the Dharma. The Dharma is what relieves suffering and confusion, alleviates pain, and heals our ills in the deepest sense. It is something we can rely on, and find refuge in-the truth, not just Buddhist doctrine, but truth; being truthful and straightforward, having good character, integrity, and impeccability; in harmony with life as it is. It's where we can find refuge from all of this confusion and madness that we see around us, and within us. That's a refuge, a sanctuary, an oasis. The Dharma, the truth: awakening to that and living it. Speaking it, sharing it, being honest, straightforward, impeccable, genuine. Even being ourselves is Dharma, our own home Dharma. That's true. Being true to ourselves; not just living someone else's life, doing something because we think we should. How about walking our own path? That's finding refuge in the truth, in Dharma; living truly. That is a reliable sanctuary or refuge. If we lie and so on, we can't really say we are seeking truth, because that's crooked, not straight.

And finally, taking refuge in the Sangha, in the community. Buddha is knowing the truth; Dharma is speaking the truth or living truly; Sangha is being the truth, embodying the truth. Of course, all of these are very much connected: three facets of one single jewel. Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are traditionally called the Triple Gem, the Triple Jewel. So Sangha is embodying the truth, living the truth; it is those who live the truth and live truly. It's a great support, something we can all rely on in the midst of all the confusion and agitation, all the distress and alienation of these times. It is a commitment to living harmoniously with others and to awakening together, and working to bring all beings along with us towards lesser suffering and greater freedom, peace, and clarity. That's refuge in Sangha; not just taking refuge in people who have orange monastic robes. Not just taking refuge in other hippies or Buddhist groupies. Not just taking refuge in people in our little Buddhist ghetto here. Rather, it is taking refuge in true community itself; communion with others-collaboration, connectedness, engagement, responsibility. That would be finding refuge in Sangha, rather than falling into alienation, isolation, and egotism.

Listen to the beautiful rain. We also take refuge in things as they are. It is very enlivening. Every drop, every sound radiates the sublime Dharma. It says in the sutras that the devas (celestial beings, archangels, gods) rain down blessings when the Dharma is expounded. So when we take refuge in the Three Jewels, in the outward way it is Buddha-the beautiful Buddha statue, representing on one level Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical enlightened teacher who is an example and inspiration for us all-but in an inner way it is taking refuge in knowing truth for ourselves. Knowing truth within, the genuine wisdom of awareness itself. That is Buddha-nature. That is the refuge. And the Dharma is living truly, speaking truth, expressing truth, not just the Dharma doctrines and teachings. And the Sangha is the entire community; for all beings are spiritual beings, living spirit-let's face it. Let's affirm our connection with them. That's our real community. Not to mention the Dharma brothers and sisters that we are consciously walking together with on the path; the slippery, muddy, uphill-seeming path to enlightenment. Here we are, paving and making that beautiful path with our awkward footsteps. We can rejoice in that. It's a lot of fun, also. This is a good time to be good Buddhist bulldozers and Buddhist steamrollers, icebreakers, pioneers, bridge-builders between East and West, between past and future, too. Not just for ourselves-always having to achieve something-but for the community, being snowplows clearing and opening a path that all can walk on."

[michel]

Strange that you should quote that definition, Maize. I answered Master Vigil's thread early this morning about 'whispering trees'; when I took my 'jessie' out for our daily walk, as soon as I entered the woods surrounding the park, I became aware of 'something within me' changing whenever I go there.

I was enjoying hearing the birds, the sound of 'nature undefiled'; I even thought how much I'd love to camp out there at night ! (I'm not so sure that the physicall would take it!), but I really did 'feel at one'. It also made me think that I never posted to the thread about lovely views where you live; and I thought, "I must bring my camera tomorrow"; I love that place so much!