Taking Refuge – first steps on the Buddhist path

Taking Refuge is a practice common to all Buddhist traditions around the world and dates back to some of the first teachings given by the Buddha himself.

The Buddha taught that spiritual practice could create a refuge from suffering. He likened himself to a doctor who can give a clear diagnosis of the disease of suffering and who can who also prescribe a suitable medication to overcome that disease. He explained that the teachings, the Dharma, was the medicine to counteract and uproot the causes of suffering and that the community of practitioners, the Sangha, were like a nurse who provided support and guidance to apply the correct treatment. The Buddha then was the teacher and the guide, a symbol and an example of all the qualities of compassion, wisdom, power and omniscience that define Enlightenment. The Dharma was all the instruction and especially the inner realisations that made Enlightenment possible. The Sangha were all the beings who mastered the teachings and gave concrete expression to their reality and veracity.

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These three jewels – the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha – then became the three priceless aspects of a suitable refuge. The Buddha taught that seeking refuge or protection from these three was the first and most important method for overcoming suffering and eventually reaching Enlightenment.

Right back to the time of the Buddha the formal ceremony of ‘taking refuge’ is how one starts out on the Buddhist path. This simple and moving ceremony can be performed by any suitably qualified Buddhist teacher and is conducted at Jamchen Buddhist Centre on regular occasions.

When we see Buddhist students bowing before an image of the Buddha this is the formal expression of their taking refuge in the three jewels and is an expression of their commitment to following the Buddhist path. In the classical Tibetan Buddhist writings the commitments that flow from taking refuge are as follows:

  1. Taking refuge in the Buddha means not taking refuge in other teachings that contradict the four seals (see below). To formalise our refuge in the Buddha we recite a refuge prayer three times in the morning and three times at night.
  2. Taking refuge in the Dharma means embodying kindness and not harming other sentient beings.
  3. Taking refuge in the Sangha means not taking as a spiritual friend someone who does not believe in the teachings, and also means encouraging others to take refuge.
  4. Making offerings daily and on special days by symbolically offering the first part of food to the triple gem.
  5. Performing all actions with trust in the triple gem, by treating Dharma objects – such and pictures and texts – with respect.
  6. Not forsaking the triple gem even at the cost of ones life.

Adherence to the Four Buddhist seals, the core aspect of the Buddha’s teaching, is how one can decide if one wishes to be a Buddhist. The four seals are:

  • all phenomena are impermanent,
  • all contaminated experiences are unsatisfactory,
  • all phenomena are empty and selfless,
  • and Nirvana (or Enlightenment) is peace.

Belief in these four foundational teachings of the Buddha is what defines one as a Buddhist.