Three Jewels Buddhism The Means Taking Refuge O
Three Jewels Buddhism: The Means
Taking Refuge O They go to many a refuge, to mountains, forests, parks, trees, and shrines: people threatened with danger. O That's not the secure refuge, that's not the highest refuge, that's not the refuge, having gone to which, you gain release from all suffering and stress. O But when, having gone for refuge to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, you see with right discernment the four Noble Truths — stress, the cause of stress, the transcending of stress, and the Noble Eightfold Path, the way to the stilling of stress: O That's the secure refuge, that, the highest refuge, that is the refuge, having gone to which, you gain release from all suffering and stress. — Dhammapada, 188192
The Three Jewels O The Three Jewels are: O Buddha, O Dhamma O Sangha O Also known as Three Treasures, Three Refuges, or the Tiratana. O The Dhamma could not have been taught without the Buddha, and could not have been followed without the Sangha, so the three are inseparable.
O They are known as the Three Refuges, because the Buddhist promise of devotion says: “I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dhamma, I take refuge in the Sangha. ”
Theravada Buddha O Theravadins believe the Buddha was superior to Arhats because the Buddha discovered the path all by himself and taught it to others. O Arhats, on the other hand, attain Nibbana due in part to the Buddha's teachings. O Theravadins take refuge in the historical Buddha, Siddartha Gotama, but also recognise the existence of other such Buddha's in the past and future.
Mahayana Buddha: Trikaya O Trikaya = Three Bodies (of the Buddha) 1. 2. 3. Human form: sent to teach humans, many different bodies (Siddhartha Gotama was one). Eternal Buddha ie what gets embodied in human form, eg in a ‘future Buddha’. Ultimate reality: Buddha nature (is in all beings, we just have to discover our Buddha nature ).
Dhamma O The Buddha has a special status because he discovered the Dhamma (he wasn’t taught about it by someone else). O The Buddha discovered the ‘truth’ so the Dhamma is sometimes understood as the eternal truth of all things. O The Buddha taught the Dhamma, so it also means the teachings of the Buddha including scripture.
Sangha O World wide community of Buddhists. O World wide monastic community. O A specific monastic community.
Questions What is dhamma? 4 KU What is the sangha? 2 KU Compare and contrast Theravada and Mahayana understandings of the Buddha. 8 AE Which of the Three Jewels are most important to Buddhists? 8 AE
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