taking refuge Flashcards
what does venerable thubten dhondrub say on the 3 refuges
taking refuge is universal. society commonly finds refuge in old age when it comes to safety and comfort - or it could be drugs, money, power etc. although these secular refuges are not reliable as they are temporary and unsustaining. ignorance is the worst disease and we can only find true comfort from taking refuge in the 3 jewels
he describes it as:
buddha = doctor
dharma = medacine
sangha = nurse
what are the 3 jewels
dharma - the buddhist practice and teaching
buddha - source of wisdom and guidance
sangha - a sense of community and support throughout the journey
how does the dalai lama view the 3 refuges?
reduces threat and ignorance. he believes this is done through asceticism. he believes that refuge is sought in the buddha to protect them from rebirth in the lower realms of samsara e.g. hell realm, jealous gods, hungry ghosts, animal realm
how does karin valhalm view the 3 refuges
the purpose of refuge is to help us recognise our karmic actions. we often mistake refuge in drugs to protect our mind, although this leads to further damage. we can accumulate vast merit from taking refuge as we have mental clarity.
what does julia hengst comment about the 4 refuges
she argued that taking refuge in material things will not bring happiness or clarity. more pain than comfort. the more devout you become to refuge, the more fruitful the outcome will be.
what does clive erricker suggest about the 3 refuges
buddha - ‘to not do evil’
sangha - ‘to purify ones mind’
dharma - ‘to cultivate good’
“I got for refuge to the x, y, z” x3
what is the aim of the sangha
a supportive community (including bhikkus and bhikshunis) that will offer physical guidance in you journey. this can be explained about the parable of the elephant - being that our surrounding influence our state of mind and our motivated actions.
criticisms of the sangha
misinterpretations to Buddhist teaching can cause the sangha to become a corrupt place. Futhermore this may not be progressive for the Buddhist path and it enables a reliance on others for support and this may lead to dissatisfaction. the sangha promotes living in the middle path, although, arguably the monk must experience a period of ascetic life to understand the extreme.
what is the aim of the dhamma (sasana)
can enable a calm and sustained mental state through educating yourself of the key teachings. which helps us to identify the consequences of our actions and realise our interconnectedness with nature. it can also help us reflect on experiences.
the buddhas teaching (dhamma/sasana) are found in the pali cannon sanskrit scriptures and these are divided into three sections - for different buddhists:
vinya pitaka - rules of discipline - monastic
sutra pitaka - writing that describe the teaching
abidhamma pitaka - the latter philisophical section
the difference between the lesser dharma and the higher dharma
lesser dharmas - day-to-day experiences that you can reflect and learn from
higher dharmas - Buddhist teachings found withing the scriptures.
how was dharma communicated through history
oral composition or mind to mind transmission - this is a form of upaya (skillful means) used as the buddha believed that this enabled a more indepth and accurate understanding of key buddhist concepts
why does the sangha enable the processes of the dharma
becuase mind to mind transmission/ oral communication is very complex and requires frequent mentoring (10 years) so its an easier process to be surrounded by people of varying skills and knowledge.
where did the formation of the first sangha take place
isipatana
what does jack kornfield say about taking refuge in the 3 jewels
that it enables true freedom - thsat comes from our buddha nature, and our buddha nature comes from the goodness within our hearts.
