An Introduction to Buddhism by The Dalai Lama

Author:The Dalai Lama
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shambhala
Published: 2018-07-16T16:00:00+00:00

GOING FOR REFUGE TO THE THREE JEWELS

As Dignaga states, a buddha is someone who has attained full enlightenment through the cultivation of compassion and the wisdom of no-self, the absence of self-existence. From our discussion we also saw how the Dharma jewel is to be understood as the path by which we can gradually accomplish the same result as the fully awakened Buddha. Likewise, the Sangha jewel is the community of sincere practitioners who have directly realized emptiness, the ultimate nature of reality.

For those of us who consider ourselves to be practicing Buddhists, it is crucial to have this kind of deeper understanding of the Three Jewels when we go for refuge to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. For example, we go for refuge to the Buddha by cultivating a deep admiration for the historical buddhas based on profound devotion and faith in their noble spiritual attainments. When we speak of faith in the Buddhist context, it must be understood in terms of faith that is reinforced by wisdom or intelligence. Faith must be grounded in wisdom and wisdom must be reinforced by faith and compassion, so that each strengthens and complements the other.

But we must also understand that going for refuge to the Three Jewels is related to our own inner spiritual realizations and experience of the path to enlightenment. Our faith or devotion to the Three Jewels must be that of emulation, in that we not only have admiration for them but, more importantly, we also aspire to actualize these three within ourselves. This kind of faith gives us the incentive and inspiration to engage in the practices of the path and cultivate the various levels of realization until we attain Buddhahood. Therefore it is crucial to understand that when we go for refuge to the Buddha, not only do we go for refuge to the historical Buddha but we also go for refuge to our own future Buddhahood.

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