The Three Refuges[1] are:
I TAKE REFUGE IN THE BUDDHA
I TAKE REFUGE IN THE DHARMA
Dhammam saranam gacchami (Namo kye Ho)
I TAKE REFUGE IN THE SANGHA
1) The meaning of taking refuge in
the Buddha
This means to take refuge in Amida Buddha who is the
central Buddha in Jodo Shinshu. Only through Him can we attain Buddhahood
in the Pure Land as He is the only Buddha among all Buddhas who
made the Vow of saving everybody, no matter their spiritual capacities.
By
taking refuge in Amida, we automatically honor and take refuge in Shakyamuni
Buddha as the Teacher who showed us the path of Amida Dharma (His main reason for coming into this world) and in all Buddhas in the ten directions, as all encourage us, teach us
and guide us to entrust to Amida Buddha.
Rennyo Shonin said:
„When we
take refuge in one Buddha, Amida, we take refuge in all the Buddhas.”[4]
Shinran Shonin said:
„The
Buddhas of the ten quarters, countless as the sands of the Ganges,
Teach this Dharma (Amida Dharma/the Primal Vow) that is most difficult to accept;
For the sake of the evil world of the five defilements,
They bear witness to the teaching and protect beings who take refuge in it.”[5]
Teach this Dharma (Amida Dharma/the Primal Vow) that is most difficult to accept;
For the sake of the evil world of the five defilements,
They bear witness to the teaching and protect beings who take refuge in it.”[5]
2) The meaning of taking refuge in
the Dharma
This means to take refuge in the Dharma about Amida that
was taught by Shakyamuni Buddha and further explained by the Masters of our
tradition, especially Shinran Shonin and Rennyo Shonin. It is the Dharma
contained in the sacred texts of our tradition, the Three Pure Land sutras
(especially the Larger Sutra) and commentaries. Other books can be included in
this category only if they do not go against the sutras and commentaries of the
Masters.
By taking refuge in the true Dharma, we
indirectly reject wrong views or opinions that contradict these sacred texts. We
reject such views held today by many, like the denial of rebirth, of cause and
effect, or those regarding Amida as being a symbol, metaphor, fictional character, those who misinterpret the Pure Land as being a state of mind to be
attained here and now, etc[6].
Taking refuge in the Dharma means that we make
the vow of putting the Dharma higher than our own unenlightened opinions and
ideas. We receive and transmit to others only the teaching left to us by
Shakyamuni and the Masters of our tradition.
All genuine Buddhist teachings and practices come
from Shakyamuni and various Buddhas, so they are part of our enlarged family (sangha)
heritage, deserving our respect and appreciation. However, we follow only the
teaching about Amida Buddha and only in it we take refuge.
Also we do not mix the Buddha Dharma with
various religious systems from the past or present. Buddhism is the medicine
prescribed to us by the Buddha, who is supreme among all the teachers in the
three worlds and it is a grave mistake to mix His teaching with those of other
paths.
So, we abandon all non-Buddhist teachings and
select the Buddha Dharma. Next, among all Buddha’s teachings we choose only the
nembutsu of faith in Amida (Amida Dharma/the Primal Vow).
3) The meaning of taking refuge in
the Sangha
This means that we take refuge in those who have received faith
(shinjin) in Amida Buddha in the present life and whose future birth in
the Pure Land is thus assured. By taking refuge in them we
wish to be like them, we consider them to be our teachers and fellow travelers
on the path, our brothers and sisters in Amida Dharma.
Those who haven’t received shinjin yet, should
look for the company of those who are firm in shinjin, listen to their
explanations, and wish to become persons of settled faith themselves.
We do not take refuge in those who
share false views or views that are not in accordance with the words
and instructions of the sutras and commentaries of the Masters.
The Jodo Shinshu sangha (community) is
composed only of those who fully accept the teaching found in the Three Pure
Land sutras and commentaries of the Masters and who have received shinjin or
sincerely aspire to shinjin. Those who do not have shinjin yet can also
become members of the sangha, if they sincerely aspire to shinjin and accept as
true the teaching of the three sutras and comentaries of the Masters. However, the object of our refuge is the sangha
in its aspect of shinjin (arya sangha), that is, practitioners who already
have a settled faith. When those who are not yet established in shinjin
wish to enter the Jodo Shinshu sangha, they take refuge in this shinjin
aspect of the sangha.
In Mahayana Buddhism, the term Arya[7] Sangha
represents the sangha at the ideal level, that is, all of the Buddha’s
followers, lay or ordained, who have at least attained the first level of
the ten bodhisattva stages (ten bhumis)[8].
This is to separate it from the sangha in its conventional level, which means
all Buddhist monks and nuns. However, if we read the first of the ten bhumis,
we see it is none other than the Stage of Joy (Very Joyous) or the stage of
non-retrogression about which Bodhisattva Nagarjuna stated in his Discourse on the Ten Stages (Dasabhumikavibhasa)
that it can be attained either by the path of difficult practice or by the path
of easy practice - faith in Amida Buddha. The difference is that on the path of
difficult practice one attains it by personal power while on the path of easy
practice it is attained through the Power of Amida Buddha (Other Power). This
has always been the teaching of Jodo Shinshu, and Shinran Shonin especially
stressed the importance of entering the stage of non-retrogression (also called
the stage of those assured of Nirvana, the definitelly assured state, etc)
through faith in Amida Buddha.
Those who enter this stage by personal power
earned the merits by their own effort, while those who enter it through the
Power of Amida, avail themselves of His infinite merits which are transferred
to them in the first moment of the awakening of faith (shinjin). Both
categories are worthy of respect because both will never retrogress from the
path to final Liberation or Nirvana. However,
as Jodo Shinshu followers and Amida devotees, when we take refuge in the Sangha
as part of the Three Treasures we do this only in the Arya Sangha of those who
have faith in Amida's Primal Vow which is, for us, the highest
principle and the true reason for Shakyamuni's coming to this world. Thus,
for us, Arya Sangha means the Sangha in its aspect of shinjin (faith).
Also in our case, Sangha in its conventional
level represents all members, lay or ordained, who may not yet be established
in faith, but took refuge in the Three Treasures and are determined to
listen deeply to Amida Dharma in order to receive faith.
Amida
Dharma is the teaching we chose from the various Dharma gates that
Shakyamuni Buddha taught during His lifetime, so it is normal to take refuge in
those who follow this method. Other Buddhists are also
our brothers and sisters in the general sangha, because we are all
Shakyamuni's disciples, but we take refuge only in those who walk the same Path
as us. We do not take refuge in self-power practitioners, no matter how
advanced they are, but only in those who rely completely on the Power of Amida
Buddha, no matter how low and ordinary they are. Of course, not only
ordinary people may have faith in Amida Buddha, but even superior beings very
close to Enlightenment. Thus, if we carefully read the Larger Sutra, we see that many
higly advanced bodhisattvas are part of the Arya Sangha of those who entrust to
Amida, and so they come to be born in the Pure Land from various worlds and
universes. However, personal achievements are not important on the Dharma Gate
of the Primal Vow, so the element of faith (shinjin) is all that matter to us.
The sangha is the place where the true Dharma
is shared and transmitted so that we can receive shinjin and become Buddhas in
the Pure Land. Only in sharing and transmitting the true Dharma does
the sangha have meaning. Without taking refuge in the living Amida Buddha and
accepting the Dharma about Him as it was taught by Shakyamuni and the Masters,
there is no sangha.
Question:
How should we look to other Buddhists that are
not Jodo Shinshu followers?
Answer:
As I said before, they are disciples of
Shakyamuni Buddha too, just they follow other Buddhist methods than us. In
accordance with Master Rennyo’s instruction found in his letters, we should not
despise those who practice other Buddhist teachings than the nembutsu of faith.
“Respect but not follow”, is the rule for treating other Buddhist schools and
their disciples. Buddhists of all schools are brothers and sisters in
the Buddha Dharma as sons and daughters of Shakyamuni and all Buddhas.
They are part of our larger Buddhist family and sangha, which contains all
Buddhists, but we specifically take refuge in the sangha of those who have
faith in Amida Buddha.
Admonition against breaking
the Refuge Vows
The Three Refuges are, as the term
implies, a „refuge” but also an engagement, a vow and comitment, that from now
on we will forever take refuge in Amida Buddha (and automatically in all
Buddhas) , we will listen and accept the Dharma about Him, and we’ll become
persons who entrust to Him.
When we say „I take refuge in the Buddha” it
means ONLY in the Buddha, when we say, „I take refuge in the Dharma” it means
ONLY in the Dharma, and when we say, „I take refuge in the Sangha” it means
ONLY in the Sangha. The three refuges
are exclusive vows. One should stop any non-Buddhist religious activities
after taking refuge in the Three Jewels. If one prays to other non-buddhist
divine figures, engages in non-buddhist practices and has non-buddhist
religious teachers from whom he receives teachings and instructions, that
person breaks the Refuge vows and from then on he or she can no longer be
considered a Buddhist. This is extremely important.
Shinran Shonin
never put on the same level the teaching of the Buddha with nonbuddhist
teachings. He was very clear when it came to differentiate between them:
"The
emancipation of non Buddhist ways is called impermanent; the emancipation of
Buddhist ways is called eternal".[9]
"The
ninety-five nonbuddhist teachings[10]
defile the world;
The Buddha's path alone is pure.
Only by going forth and reaching Enlightenment can we benefit others
in this burning house; this is the natural working of the Vow".[11]
Quoting, The Awakening of Faith, Shinran said:
The Buddha's path alone is pure.
Only by going forth and reaching Enlightenment can we benefit others
in this burning house; this is the natural working of the Vow".[11]
Quoting, The Awakening of Faith, Shinran said:
„Maras
and spirits may cause you to attain states that in small part resemble the
various samadhis. These are all nonbuddhist attainments and not true samadhis.”[12]
He also said:
„Know
that none of the samadhis of nonbuddhist teachers is free from wrong views,
attachment, and self-conceit”".[13]
Thus, no matter how impressive the so called
„attainments” or concentrated states of mind (samadhis) of nonbuddhist ways may
seem, we should not be fooled by them, as none are genuine attainments based on
the true reality, but on various levels of delusion. Because they rely on
unenlightened gods or spirits, or on their own limited mental capacities, none
of the nonbuddhist teachers can escape wrong views. A true disciple of Amida,
Shakyamuni and all Buddhas, should accept religious instructions only from
Buddhist teachers, and never follow nonbuddhist teachings.
Many people during
Shinran’s time, even monks, did not understand the meaning of the Three
Refuges, and so he criticized them a lot in his hymns. Unfortunately, we can
see such a behavior in our days, too, as we also live in the age of the five
defilements[14].
After Buddhism came to non-asiatic countries, many false teachers who broke
their refuge vows tolerate or even promote various nonbuddhist elements and
beliefs into their communities. How true Shinran’s critics sound nowadays:
"As
a mark of increase in the five defilements,
All monks and laypeople of this age
Behave outwardly like followers of the Buddhist teaching,
But in their inner thoughts, believe in nonbuddhist paths.
How lamentable it is that monks and laypeople
Select ‚fortunate times’ and ‚auspicious days’,
And paying homage to gods of the heavens and earth,
Engage in divination and rituals of worship.
Monks are no different, in their hearts, from nonbuddhists,
Brahmans, or followers of Nirgrantha;
Always wearing the Dharma-robes of the Tathagata,
They pay homage to all gods and spirits.
How lamentable it is that at present
All the monks and laypeople of Japan,
While following the Buddhist rules of conduct,
Venerate gods and spirits of the heavens and earth".[15]
All monks and laypeople of this age
Behave outwardly like followers of the Buddhist teaching,
But in their inner thoughts, believe in nonbuddhist paths.
How lamentable it is that monks and laypeople
Select ‚fortunate times’ and ‚auspicious days’,
And paying homage to gods of the heavens and earth,
Engage in divination and rituals of worship.
Monks are no different, in their hearts, from nonbuddhists,
Brahmans, or followers of Nirgrantha;
Always wearing the Dharma-robes of the Tathagata,
They pay homage to all gods and spirits.
How lamentable it is that at present
All the monks and laypeople of Japan,
While following the Buddhist rules of conduct,
Venerate gods and spirits of the heavens and earth".[15]
Shinran Shonin insisted
very much in the last chapter from his Kyogyoshinsho,
by quoting many sutras, on the fact that the disciples of the Buddha should NOT
take refuge in non-Buddhist teachings, venerate any divinities outside
Buddhism, and not rely on superstitions, lucky days, propitious or unpropitious
times, etc. Here are a few revealing passages:
"Here,
based on the sutras, the true and the false are determined and people are
cautioned against the wrong, false, and misleading opinions of nonbuddhist
teachings:
The Nirvana Sutra states:
'If one has taken refuge in the Buddha, one must not further take refuge in various gods.'
The Sutra of the Samadhi of All Buddhas' Presence states:
'Take refuge in the Buddha yourself, take refuge in the Dharma, take refuge in the Sangha. Do not serve other teachings, do not worship devas, do not enshrine spirits, do not heed days considered lucky.'
Further, it states:
'must not worship devas or enshrine spirits.'"[16]
The Nirvana Sutra states:
'If one has taken refuge in the Buddha, one must not further take refuge in various gods.'
The Sutra of the Samadhi of All Buddhas' Presence states:
'Take refuge in the Buddha yourself, take refuge in the Dharma, take refuge in the Sangha. Do not serve other teachings, do not worship devas, do not enshrine spirits, do not heed days considered lucky.'
Further, it states:
'must not worship devas or enshrine spirits.'"[16]
"Chapter
Eight, 'Evil Spirits' Attainment of Reverent Trust', part one, of the Great
Collection 'Moon-Matrix' Sutra, fascicle five, states:
The Buddha said, 'venerating the Three Treasures, you will not trust in gods. Adopting right views, you will not decide propitious or unpropitious times according to the season, day or month. [...] parting from views of annihilation and eternality, you will believe in the law of causation".[17]
The Buddha said, 'venerating the Three Treasures, you will not trust in gods. Adopting right views, you will not decide propitious or unpropitious times according to the season, day or month. [...] parting from views of annihilation and eternality, you will believe in the law of causation".[17]
Among the wrong views counteracted by Buddhism
are the two extremes of nihilism (annihilation) and eternalism (eternality).
The first maintains that only the material world exists, that there is no
rebirth or life after death, while the second contains elements like belief in
an eternal creator god who rules and judges all beings[18].
Both views deny the law of karma (causation) and should not be accepted by
Buddhist disciples.
“Those
who take refuge truly and wholeheartedly, freeing themselves from all
delusional attachments and all concern with the propitious or unpropitious,
must never take refuge in false spirits or non-Buddhist teachings.”[19]
“Good
sons and good daughters of pure trust must never serve gods to the very end of
their lives.”[20]
Hearing the above golden instructions from the
sutras and our Founding Master, we should take them to heart and never deviate
from them. I repeat what I said previously, the Three Refuges are exclusive vows. We take refuge only in the
Buddha, only in the Dharma and only in the Sangha. Nothing is above these Three
Treasures.
A person who has genuine faith in Amida Buddha
will automatically accept and be in accord with the Three Refuges. Even without
reading the above explanations, a Nembutsu devotee will naturaly follow them.
Namo Amida Bu
[1] When someone becomes a Jodo Shinshu follower in the Romanian sangha,
he/she says these refuges together with Ryogemon (Jodo Shinshu Creed) in front
of the altar and, if possible, in the presence of the sangha.
[4] Rennyo Shonin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo,
translated from the Japanese (Taisho, Volume 74, Number 2668) by Ann T. Rogers
and Minor L. Rogers, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research,
Berkeley, California, 1996,p.65
[5] Shinran Shonin, Hymns of the Pure Land (Jodo Wasan), The Collected Works of
Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha,
Kyoto, 1997, p.347
[6] See chapters “Those who deny the existence of Amida don’t have
shinjin”, “Honen Shonin on Amida Buddha”, “Pure Land is not here and
now”, “The Pure Land in the teaching of Jodo Shinshu”, from the book Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Teachings, Dharma
Lion Publications, Craiova, 2012, pages 186, 189, 193,198 and the second part of The True Teaching on Amida Buddha and His
Pure Land, Dharma Lion Publications, Craiova, 2015, p.13-58.
[7] Arya (Sanskrit,
also ārya; Pāli: ariya) is a term frequently used in
Buddhism that can be translated as "noble", "not
ordinary", "valuable", "precious", etc. I decided
to use it here, so that people can better understand the meaning of Sangha as
object of refuge in a Jodo Shinshu context. In our school we also recite the
Three Refuges when we receice kikyoshiki (confirmation ceremony) or kieshiki
(refuge ceremony), so it is important to have a good understanding of what we
are doing.
[8] The ten bhumis are the
ten stages on the Mahayana bodhisattva's path to Buddhahood. The Avatamsaka Sutra refers to the
following ten bhūmis: 1) the Very Joyous (Skt. pramuditā), 2) the
Stainless (Skt. vimalā), 3) the Light-Maker (Skt. prabhākarī),
4) the Radiant Intellect (Skt. arciṣmatī), 5) the Difficult to Master (Skt. sudurjayā),
6) the Manifest (Skt. abhimukhī),
7) the Gone Afar (Skt. dūraṃgamā), 8) the Immovable (Skt. acalā),
9) the Good Intelligence (Skt. sādhumatī), 10) the Cloud of Doctrine (Skt. dharmameghā).
The Seeker's Glossary of Buddhism, Sutra
Translation Committee of the United States and Canada. The Corporate Body of
the Buddha Educational Foundation/Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc., Taipei,
2nd ed. pp.759-760
[9] Nirvana Sutra quoted by
Shinran, Kyogyoshinsho, chapter V, Kyogyoshinsho - The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation
Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.182
[10] Shinran explained that by „ninety-five
nonbuddhist teachings” he meant not a fixed number but that the nonbuddhist
paths are divided into numerous kinds.
[11] Shinran Shonin, Hymns of the
Dharma Ages, The Collected Works of
Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu
Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.401
[12] Shinran Shonin, Kyogyoshinsho,
chapter VI, Kyogyoshinsho - The Collected Works of Shinran,
Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.275
[13]Shinran Shonin, Kyogyoshinsho,
chapter VI, Kyogyoshinsho - The Collected Works of Shinran,
Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.275
[14] The five defilements are
the five marks of decay of the world we live in: 1) the defilement of views,
when incorrect, perverse thoughts and ideas are predominant, 2) the defilement
of passions, when all kinds of transgressions are exalted, 3) the defilement of
human condition, when people are usually dissatisfied and unhappy, 4) the
defilement of life-span, when the human life-span as a whole decreases –
according to the sutras, when it is less or close to one hundred years, 5) the
defilement of the world-age, when war and natural disasters are rife.
[15] Shinran Shonin, Hymns of the
Dharma Ages, The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism
Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.422-423
[16] Shinran Shonin, Kyogyoshinsho, chapter VI, Kyogyoshinsho
- The Collected Works of Shinran,
Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.255
[17] Shinran Shonin, Kyogyoshinsho,
chapter VI, Kyogyoshinsho - The Collected Works of Shinran,
Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.259-260
[18] See the first chapter „The True
Teaching on Samsara” from my book, The
True Teaching on Amida Buddha and His Pure Land, Dharma Lion Publications,
Craiova, 2015, p.13-58
[19] Sutra
of the Ten Wheels of Ksitigarbha, quoted by Shinran in Kyogyoshinsho, chapter VI
Kyogyoshinsho
- The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto,
1997, p.273
[20] Sutra
of the Vows of Medicine Master Buddha, quoted by Shinran in his Kyogyoshinsho, chapter VI, Kyogyoshinsho - The Collected Works of Shinran, Shin Buddhism Translation
Series, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, 1997, p.273
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