The following is an excerpt from the pamphlet Why Take Refuge in the Three Jewels? by Master Sheng Yen. The pamphlet was translated by Larry Liang and Guogu, edited by Harry Miller with the assistance of Ayn Steele, and excerpted for Chan Magazine by David Berman.
"A path that leads you home is a genuine refuge. Places where you can put up your feet and relax are not worthy refuges. A practice like this would be no different from using a clay ox to cross a river. You may have a sense of security when you first enter the river, but the clay will crumble and you will sink."
What is Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels?
Taking refuge means returning, taking shelter, relying on, trusting. Any action that involves returning, depending, taking shelter, and trusting is considered taking refuge. This phrase is not exclusive to Buddhism.
Children take refuge in their mothers’ embrace; they rely on and trust their mothers, and, as a result, gain a sense of security. This sense of security arises from the power of taking refuge. Any such action that involves trust and a sense of security can be considered taking refuge, whether it is a secular relationship or a religious belief.
However, objects that are temporary, unstable, and unreliable cannot be true objects of refuge. People may climb a tree or a rooftop for safety in a huge flood, but rising water and
strong winds may destroy their sanctuary. A mountain would be a far better haven. Who
wouldn’t choose this option over a house or a tree? Refuge in the Three Jewels is stronger
than any of these. When you see that nothing is permanent and that everything is contingent and interdependent, you come to realize that there is little security in parents, teachers, plans, bosses, fate, strength, wealth—in all the things we take for granted. As objects of refuge they are highly unreliable. Parents pass away, teachings become outdated, plans are thwarted, bosses come and go, and fate is unpredictable. Strength, schemes, and wealth are even more illusory and ephemeral. Today’s king is tomorrow’s prisoner; today’s millionaire tomorrow’s pauper. A path that leads you home is a genuine refuge. Places where you can put up your feet and relax are not worthy refuges. A practice like this would be no different from using a clay ox to cross a river. You may have a sense of security when you first enter the river, but the clay will crumble and you will sink.
Why are the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha called Jewels? It is because they generate an inexhaustible amount of merit and wisdom that they are considered genuine “jewels.” Gold, silver, and precious gems are rare and valuable. That is why they are called “treasures”; the merit and wisdom of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha can bring us benefits in the world and beyond it. They are more precious than ordinary jewels because they bring peace to the world and help us thoroughly transcend our negative emotions and sufferings, and achieve awakening. The Three Jewels are the best of all jewels.
We are originally buddhas, and we are intrinsically connected with the Three Jewels. Because we misunderstand our original nature, we wander the cycle of birth and death without finding the way home. Taking refuge is starting the journey homeward.
Different Levels of the Three Jewels
The Three Jewels may be understood on different levels and in many ways. We will first
divide them into two groups, that of the Phenomenal and the Fundamental. These two
groupings can be understood in the context of the teachings of “two truths” in Buddhism.
These refer to the “absolute” truth and the “conventional” truth. The absolute or fundamental truth is the view of reality as experienced by the enlightened. Since it transcends dualistic logic, it cannot exactly be expressed in words and conceptual constructs. The relative truth is reality on a phenomenal level; it is what ordinary people experience, and is expressed readily in dualistic concepts and words. For a deeply enlightened person who has realized the absolute truth, the two truths are inseparable. But for a person who only understands the conventional truth, absolute truth remains an abstract concept.
These two truths provide a framework to understanding the different levels of taking refuge in the Three Jewels. We start by taking refuge in the Phenomenal Three Jewels, that is, a true refuge in this world that provides insight and guidance toward awakening and
liberation. The Phenomenal Three Jewels are tangible, so they are easily understood by ordinary people. Once nirvana is realized—that is, you are fully awakened to the inseparability of the two truths—you embody the Fundamental Three Jewels. At this point, to speak of a refuge outside of you becomes irrelevant; the Fundamental Three Jewels are inseparable from you. This is abstract to most people, but quite clear to someone who has already actualized the true suchness of self-nature. We will return to this issue below. For now, it is important to know that all sentient beings have buddha-nature, the potentiality for buddhahood. It is only because of the vexations and confusion of karma that we cannot perceive this truth. The reason we take refuge in the Phenomenal Three Jewels is to find and manifest our buddha-nature in the Fundamental Three Jewels.
The Phenomenal Three Jewels can be divided into the Abiding Three Jewels and the Manifested Three Jewels.
The Fundamental Three Jewels can be divided into the Three Jewels of One Essence and the Three Jewels of Principle.
The Phenomenal
The Abiding Three Jewels
The Abiding Three Jewels describe aspects of the Three Jewels that are directly perceivable in the ordinary, phenomenal world: 1) The Buddha Jewel—statues of the Buddha made of jade, stone, gold, bronze, clay, and wood or images of the Buddha in oil paint, ink, silk embroidery, and drawings. 2) The Dharma Jewel—the three collections of scriptures that include the sutras (recorded words of the Buddha), the shastras (treatises and teachings by eminent practitioners), and the vinaya (the body of texts containing the precepts, which serve as a guide for the behavior of Buddhist practitioners). 3) The Sangha Jewel—Buddhist monastics that shave their heads and wear the prescribed robes. Their work is to perpetuate Buddhism in the world.
The Manifested Three Jewels
The Manifested Three Jewels refer to what brought Buddhism into the world: The Buddha Jewel here is the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, who attained enlightenment and entered nirvana; the Dharma Jewel constitutes the teachings he gave during that time—the Four Noble Truths, the Six Perfections, the Eightfold Path, the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination—important teachings that all Buddhists should know; the Sangha Jewel are those who followed him during that time. Thus, the Buddha appeared in the world, gave teachings, and formed a community of monastic practitioners. (For those of you who wish to learn more about the teachings that constitute the Dharma Jewel, please refer to, There is No Suffering: A Commentary on the Heart Sutra, for a full explanation of these teachings.
The Fundamental
The Three Jewels of One Essence
Each of the Three Jewels contains the virtue and merit of all of the Three Jewels. First, the
Buddha illuminates and enlightens, so he is the Buddha Jewel. He gives Dharma teachings, is free from the bounds of all phenomenal reality, and has the ability to preserve and
maintain the purity of the teachings. Hence he is also the Dharma Jewel. The Buddha is
free from transgression and contention, so he is also the embodiment of harmony, which
represents the Sangha Jewel. Second, the Dharma awakens beings to Buddhahood, so
it is the Buddha Jewel. It has the function of preserving itself, so it is the Dharma Jewel.
Because all Dharmas are equal and mutually non-obstructive, it is equanimous and harmonious. Therefore, the Dharma is also the Sangha Jewel. Third, the Sangha Jewel includes those who are wise and luminous, so it includes the Buddha Jewel. Because its purpose is to preserve the Dharma, it is also the Dharma Jewel. Moreover, it is harmonious, so it is the Sangha Jewel as well.
The Three Jewels of the Principle
The Three Jewels of Principle refer to ultimate reality or the absolute truth in the two truths paradigm. It is the world as experienced by someone who is enlightened. For this reason, it is the ultimate place of refuge.
Venerable Master Yinshun (1906-2005) explains the Three Jewels of Principle from two
perspectives: that of Hinayana, personal liberation, and of Mahayana, universal liberation. The Hinayana and Mahayana are two main paths of Buddhism. The former focuses
on the awakening of oneself; the latter on the awakening of all beings. Both paths identify
the Three Jewels in terms of their intrinsic virtue. This virtue has many names, as seen
above, but the essence is the same—the state of liberation and full awakening itself. Master Yinshun states:
“The real object of refuge lies in the actual virtues of the Three Jewels. These virtues
have been discussed in many ways; two points of view will be introduced here. The
first sees the Buddha Jewel as identical with the Buddha’s faultless virtues. According to
the teachings of individual liberation, the Buddha’s faultless virtues are the five attributes of the Dharmakaya (or “true body of reality”), although in the Mahayana teachings they are embraced by perfect enlightenment (the fourfold wisdom). The Dharma Jewel is the true Dharma—that is, nirvana itself. The Sangha Jewel is identical with the faultless virtues of those who are still learners and those who are not. According to the individual liberation path, the faultless virtues are those of the four stages and four grades of sainthood; but according to the Mahayana path of universal liberation, they are the faultless virtues of the Bodhisattva Way (or the ‘universal liberation way,’ which includes those who gained individual liberation upon hearing the Buddha’s teachings and those who gained liberation without a teacher by contemplating dependent origination).
“The second view of the real virtue of the Three Jewels draws from the Mahayana teachings of universal liberation, according to which the Buddha treasure is identical to the pure realm of ultimate reality—revealed ultimately, completely, and perfectly (in essence, form, action,
and function). The Sangha treasure is the pure realm of ultimate reality that is partially revealed. That is, it refers to those who have reached profound states of realization
of the teachings. The Dharma Jewel is the universal realm of ultimate reality—without increase or decrease, neither dualistic nor discriminating (and called suchness, reality, and so on). The other standard terms for the Three Jewels—the Three Jewels in One Essence, the Three Jewels of Principle, and the Abiding Three Jewels – all refer to the same Three Jewels discussed above, but they are explained in different ways.”(The Way to Buddhahood, pp. 23-24; translation slightly modified)
The five attributes of the Dharmakaya refer to the virtues of a fully awakened being. They are: moral perfection, cessation of deluded ideas, the wisdom of omniscience, attainment of nirvana, and the perfect knowledge of the state of liberation. Nirvana here means the cessation of greed, aversion, and ignorance and the perfection of awakening. This relates to perfect enlightenment, the content of which is known as the four wisdoms. Each of these four wisdoms describes a function of a buddha’s insight. They are: the “great mirror wisdom,” which reflects all forms exactly as they are; the “wisdom of equality,” which is the result of being free from self-grasping; the “wisdom of wondrous observation,” which is the ability to discern with precision the various workings of the phenomenal world; and lastly the “wisdom of unrestricted activity,” which is the ability to save sentient beings according to their spiritual capacities. We all have these perfect virtues within us—all of the qualities of the buddhas are ours if only we can free ourselves from the bondage of karma, vexations, and self-referential clinging. It is in this way that the virtues function: when we take refuge in them, we take refuge in what is most intrinsic in ourselves, our potential to be awakened and to perfect that awakening.
Just as conventional truth is inseparable from absolute truth, we must realize that without the Abiding Three Jewels, the Three Jewels of Principle will not manifest. Without the Three Jewels of Principle, the Abiding Three Jewels could not exist. The Abiding Three Jewels are the great function of the Three Jewels of Principle. The Three Jewels of Principle are the whole of the Abiding Three Jewels. Faith in Buddhism should begin with believing in the Three Jewels. The reason for believing in the Abiding Three Jewels is to facilitate understanding of the Three Jewels of Principle.
There are some Buddhist devotees who, without having any real understanding of the true meaning of the Three Jewels of Principle, claim that they only believe in the Three Jewels of Principle. In other words, they disregard the significance of the Abiding Three Jewels. This is not only an upside down view, but a position that is completely contrary to the Buddhist path.
Ordinary people can only perceive the phenomenal Three Jewels, and of these, the Manifested Three Jewels only existed when Sakyamuni Buddha lived. After the passing of the historical Buddha, only the Abiding Three Jewels are left. Within the Three Jewels, the Buddha is most precious, the Dharma is most rare, and the Sangha is most holy. After the passing of the Buddha, it is the Sangha that safeguards Buddhist monasteries, preserves collections of Dharma teachings, and maintains Buddhist culture. The Sangha also transmits Buddhist culture and teaches Dharma to the laity.
When the Buddha was in the world, he was the center. After his passing, the Sangha became the center, so we must take the Sangha as our refuge, and we must take the Sangha Jewel as the object of our veneration. But we must remember that within the Sangha Jewel, there is a mixture of “dragons and snakes,” a Chinese term meaning virtuous and non-virtuous people. We should choose teachers who are virtuous, but we should respect all Sangha members. It is said in the sutras that even though a monk has transgressed the precepts, he is still the teacher of men and gods. In our hearts, we should not entertain ideas of the virtuous and the non-virtuous, and criticize others, let alone criticize the Sangha Jewel.
Once we take the Three Refuges, we have a strong platform of faith on which to begin
our practice. There are five stages to building one’s practice:
Stage 1
The Three refuges of turning away from heterodoxy—
the initial entering of the door of Buddhism.
Stage 2
The Three refuges of five precepts—when one receives the five precepts
after having developed confidence in the Three Jewels.
Stage 3
The Three refuges of eight precepts—the traditional ritual days when
one maintains eight precepts for the duration of twenty-four hours.
Stage 4
The Three refuges of ten precepts—the precepts one receives when
one enters the monastery as a novitiate.
Stage 5
The Three refuges of complete precepts—
the full precepts of monks and nuns.
Taking refuge in the Three Jewels is always a part of all ceremonies involving the receiving
of precepts. This is also true for the higher precept ordinations of monks and nuns, when
the precept essence is conferred. Taking refuge is also necessary after repentance and
making vows during the ceremony of receiving the bodhisattva precepts. The ceremonies of taking refuge and receiving precepts are mutually supportive. Taking refuge is the basis of daily practice for all Buddhists. It is included in the daily liturgy in monasteries as well as at the conclusion of every Buddhist event. South Asian Buddhists consider this ceremony to be of highest importance and they chant the refuge as a blessing to the laity.
The Benefits of Taking Refuge
There are numerous benefits from taking refuge in the Three Jewels which can be reaped in present and future lives and can ultimately lead to the happiness of full liberation. These benefits can be divided into eight categories:
1. Becoming a follower of the Buddhas.
2. Establishing a firm basis for receiving precepts.
3. Diminishing karmic obstacles.
4. Potential to accumulate a vast amount of merit.
5. Avoiding rebirth in lower forms of existence.
6. The quality of not being disturbed by humans and non-humans.
7. The ability to accomplish all virtuous deeds.
8. Ability to become a buddha.
There are also many stories and parables in Buddhist scriptures that detail these benefits. For example, it is said that if you take refuge in the Three Jewels, you will acquire an inexhaustible amount of merit in the future. It is like a great repository of wealth. Even if everyone in a nation were to make withdrawals for seven consecutive years, there would still be considerable wealth left. The merit derived from taking refuge in the Three Jewels is thousands and millions of times greater than all the wealth in such a repository. (From the Scripture of Lay Bodhisattva Precepts)
There was once a celestial being in the Indra heaven whose lifespan was approaching its end. His celestial body began to deteriorate and he had only seven days to live. He had a vision that he would be reborn as a boar and he became distressed. Then he asked Indra, the celestial king, to help him, but even Indra could not do anything. Indra asked him to seek out the Buddha for help. The Buddha bestowed the refuges upon him. He was reborn as a human and later met and received teachings from Shariputra (one of Buddha’s principle disciples, renowned for his wisdom), and, consequently, reached full enlightenment.
Taking refuge in the Three Jewels is something precious. The buddhas have stated that once you take refuge in the Three Jewels, you will be protected by the four guardian gods who protect the four quarters of the universe: In the east, Dhrtarashtra; in the south, Virudhaka; in the west, Virupaksha, and in the north Vaishravana. These four guardian gods send thirty-six guardian angels to protect the recipient from harm. Each prevents different kinds of harm. Some prevent sickness, hunger, delusion, aversion, greed, thievery, fear, and so on.
Lastly, I must stress that taking refuge in the Three Jewels is only the first step in becoming a Buddhist. Once we have taken refuge, we must embark on the path of spiritual cultivation, which involves finding a teacher and developing a regular practice. Doing so will decisively set you on the Buddhist path of awakening to wisdom and compassion.
Take Refuge in the Three Jewels with Abbot Guo Yuan
Venerable Guo Yuan will be administering Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels on Sunday, August 23, right after GMCNY’s Sunday Online Meditation Group Session (around 4pm ET / 1pm PT). If you’re interested, visit the link below for instructions and online application.