Religion
has been the root and source of many if not all of humanity’s civilizations. It
is the heart that pumped life into the social structures, the architecture,
art, and language of these societies. Even in our modern, scientific society religion
continues to be the answer and guide for many people of the mysteries we
associate with life. Religion continues to help us answer perhaps the most
important question we face in our own lives or “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”
The
process through which one comes to answer these questions and in particular the
question of “Who am I?, Why am I here?” is, in
Buddhism, often described as a path. The path to answer these questions is the
path to become a Buddha, or an Enlightened being.
Buddhism begins with Enlightenment or the cessation of human suffering that is possible through wisdom. Because of this, Buddhism does not need to speak of on an omniscient or omnipotent creator. Instead, Buddhism talks about how wisdom can be shared for the mutual Enlightenment of all beings. Wisdom, however, is not seen as just a mental reality, but as something that also needs to be experienced and shared. This sharing of wisdom is called compassion.
What is Buddhism? Many kinds of answers are typically
given but “philosophy of life,” or “way of life” is perhaps the most frequent.
In this answer the common denominator is the exploration of life. Because of
this, Buddhism can be described as a religion, or a system that helps to create
and maintain the culture of what it means to live life as a human being.
In defining religion as the source for human culture,
religion is something that must be experienced and not just studied or
understood. Describing the quality of Buddha-hood—the state of being awakened
fully to the human condition—as the fulfillment of wisdom and compassion also
describes this point. Wisdom fully understands the human condition, whereas
compassion is its shared experience.
In living life as a Buddhist, human life is explored
from three distinct points of view. These are the three treasures of Buddhism
or Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. These three treasures
are the foundations that a Buddhist anchors their life on in order to explore
life as both wisdom and compassion.
This way of living anchored in the three treasures is
expressed as the three refuges. The three refuges are expressed in the
following “pledge” that is often read during the ritual service:
It is difficult to receive a
human body; already, now, have I received it. It is difficult to hear the
Buddha-Dharma[1];
already, now, have I heard it. If this body, in facing this life, does not
cross over, then in facing what life will this body cross over? Together with
the great assemblage[2],
with a true heart I will take refuge in the three treasures.
1
I take refuge
in the Buddha. Truly it is my vow that together with multitudinous beings, I
will understand (with my whole being) the great path and give rise to the
unsurpassed heart.
2
I take refuge
in the Dharma. Truly it is my vow that together with multitudinous beings[3], I
will deeply enter the Dharma Storehouse and become like the ocean of wisdom.
3
I take refuge
in the Sangha. Truly it is my vow that together with
multitudinous beings, I will unify and give meaning to the great assemblage
making it unobstructable to all.
The Dharma that is unsurpassed,
extremely deep, wondrous and rare is difficult to meet even in Hundreds of
Thousands of Tens of Thousands of kalpa.[4] I am
now seeing and hearing, and have gained the receiving and holding of it. It is
my vow to understand the True and Real meaning of the Tathagata.
These three refuges form the general outline of this
on-line introduction to Buddhism.
In order to begin to appreciate the meaning of these
three refuges, we need to have a working definition for Buddha (Tathagata), Dharma, and Sangha.
As an attempt to create such a working definition, let us begin with these
following definitions. A Buddha is a person who is fully awakened to the truth;
it is a person who embodies the truth. As the embodiment of truth, however, a
Buddha is also someone who helps others become Enlightened
themselves. It is this aspect of the truth or reaching out to enlighten others
that Tathagata is used as a synonym for Buddha. Tathagata is a term that
literally means come from or going to “thusness,” a term that was coined
to describe “reality itself.” In other words, “thusness”
is used as a synonym for Truth. It is from this embodiment of the truth that
Buddhism gets its name. As the name for this religious approach to life
Buddha-hood is the goal of all Buddhists. The Dharma is that which a Buddha
becomes Enlightened to. It is the content and source of the Buddha’s
enlightenment. The Sangha is the body that supports,
maintains, and protects the Buddha and Dharma by realizing the Dharma and
becoming a Buddha. It is also the body that supports, encourages, and protects
those who live their lives trying to fulfill this ideal.
Life, perhaps needless to say, must be lived. How does
repeating the three refuges help one to live this life? One way to participate
in the living expression of what it means to take refuge in the three treasures
is through the ritual service. Participation in ritual, however, only becomes
meaningful when it can help the individual to understand or see the Truth one
is participating in. Because of this, ritual is created from and founded on the
doctrinal understanding of truth of the particular faith-tradition. Through
seeing how the transmission of doctrine can be expressed in life, the meaning
of that transmission becomes clearer: it becomes a path that can help one to
not only understand their lives but to live and share that life as well.
Because of this, descriptions of the ritual service
(especially as practiced by the Jodo Shinshu tradition of Buddhism) will be an integral part of
this introduction. This introduction to Buddhism begins with the assumption
that life, like religion, must be participated in and not just studied if it is
to have any deeper meaning.
Whether
you as the reader approach these writings as a way to explore the richness of
human expression, to gain a greater understanding of your life through the lens
of another tradition, are seeking a personal path or hoping to deepen your
commitment to it, it is my hope as the writer that through sharing the triple
perspective of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha that we can
all gain a greater appreciation of the rarity of life and because of that be
motivated to share our joy in being able to participate in the rarest of rare
things: my life.
Go to Buddha
Section
Go to Dharma
Section
Go to Sangha Section
[1] Buddha is the title for an Enlightened parsonage. The Dharma is the truth that a Buddha becomes enlightened or awakened to and shares with others.
[2] Although the term great assemblage originally referred specifically to monks of the Buddhist Order, over time the term has been expanded to include all those who consider themselves Buddhist.
[3] Individuals are referred to as multitudinous in recognition that many lives, or a countless number of causes and conditions, are required to have even a single life.
[4] An unfathomably long period of time