Taking Refuge

We take refuge in the Three Jewels:

Buddha, or our own capacity for mindfulness and wakefulness,
Dharma, or the essential characteristics of reality as embodied in nature, and as articulated by the Buddha in his teachings,
Sangha, or Community.

We take refuge every time we put our trust in one of these jewels, follow our trust, and act on it. When we feel irritated, if we get caught up in our irritation and wallow in it, we are taking refuge in our irritation. But if we see irritation for what it is, a passing emotion, and just witness it, and then take time to look deeply into its causes, we are taking refuge in the Buddha. We are seeing irritation from the Buddha's point of view. That is the first step. When we trust this insight sufficiently to act on it (this "action" may actually be non-action, or just not doing or saying anything impulsive that might make the situation worse), at that moment we are taking refuge in the Buddha.

A member of our practice community tells this story: One night she was awakened by the sounds of her son playing computer games at 3 am. This had been happening before, and she had exploded in irritation. This time, she decided to follow her practice, breathed deeply, and waited for the acute phase of the irritation to pass. She felt at that moment that she had taken refuge in the teachings in a real sense.

Taking refuge in someone whose practice is strong, we encounter an open heart, and a non-judgmental mind. We can feel our heart expand to take in the other person when we open up in this way, and we can feel stronger.

Taking refuge in nature, we can discover that the Dharma is embodied in nature. Unlike the picure of the sunset on the wall, the real sunset changes from moment to moment, day to day. There is nothing permanent in nature. There are also no concepts like good, bad, dirty or clean. What may appear as kitchen scraps or manure one moment can turn into a rose the next, and it smells so good! Each flower is so fresh. The whole universe is inside a flower, and inside each of us as well. When we can accept that each day will be different and will bring different gifts and demand different offerings, and accept each person as she is at that moment, we are taking refuge in things as they are, and not in our opinions.

Taking refuge in the Three Jewels formally is a gesture of solidarity we undertake as much for others as for ourselves. When we put our trust in the Three Jewels, and act out of that trust consistently, we are already taking refuge. In taking refuge formally, we are motivated to declare our faith publicly.

Taking Refuge and taking the Five Mindfulness Trainings are part of the same traditional ceremony. During this occasion, the participant publicly declares her wish to receive the trainings, and receives a Dharma name. There will be opportunities to take refuge during one of the Mindfulness Days each season. If you are interested please inform Joseph Emet of your intention as early as possible so that the event can be scheduled at everyone's convenience.