Explore/Chapter 2 - Confession of Negativity: Difference between revisions
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<h4>Refuge</h4> | <h4>Refuge</h4> | ||
The chapter then goes on to discuss the Buddhist method of refuge. We take refuge in the Three Jewels. | The chapter then goes on to discuss the Buddhist method of refuge. We take refuge in the Three Jewels. | ||
Refuge is the key orientation for Buddhists which is essential in considering ourselves to be Buddhist. We place our trust in the Three Jewels and commit to relying on them whatever is happening in our lives. It is not just a request seeking help when times are hard | Refuge is the key orientation for Buddhists, which is essential in considering ourselves to be Buddhist. We place our trust in the Three Jewels and commit to relying on them regardless of whatever is happening in our lives. It is not just a request seeking help when times are hard but an understanding of the qualities of the Three Jewels, and particularly the Dharma Jewel, which is said to be the real refuge. | ||
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Refuge is a shared practice across all the Buddhist traditions. Because Śāntideva is introducing us to the conduct of the bodhisattvas then here the refuge is specifically Mahāyāna refuge. We go for refuge for the purpose of attaining the unsurpassed fully-enlightened state for the welfare of all sentient beings. We carry this refuge with us until we reach the ultimate state of buddhahood, where we will then be able to spontaneously and most effectively work for their benefit. Khenpo Kunpal reminds us of the general way in which we take refuge: | |||
Refuge is a shared practice across all the Buddhist traditions. Because Śāntideva is introducing us to the conduct of the bodhisattvas then here the refuge is specifically Mahāyāna refuge. We go for refuge for the purpose of attaining the unsurpassed fully-enlightened state for the welfare of all sentient beings. We carry this refuge with us until we reach the ultimate state of buddhahood, where we will then be able to spontaneously and most effectively work for their benefit. Khenpo Kunpal | |||
{{QuoteCite | {{QuoteCite | ||
|quote-text=In accordance with the formula "The Buddha is the teacher unsurpassed; the sacred Dharma is the guardian unsurpassed, the Sangha is the leader unsurpassed," the actual protector or refuge for beginners is in fact the Dharma. The Buddha said, "I have taught you the methods that lead to liberation. Practice with diligence; your liberation depends on you."<ref>Helena Blankleder and Wulstan Fletcher (Padmakara Translation Group), trans., ''The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech: A Detailed Commentary on Śāntideva's Way of the Bodhisattva'' (Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2007), 90.</ref> | |quote-text=In accordance with the formula "The Buddha is the teacher unsurpassed; the sacred Dharma is the guardian unsurpassed, the Sangha is the leader unsurpassed," the actual protector or refuge for beginners is in fact the Dharma. The Buddha said, "I have taught you the methods that lead to liberation. Practice with diligence; your liberation depends on you."<ref>Helena Blankleder and Wulstan Fletcher (Padmakara Translation Group), trans., ''The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech: A Detailed Commentary on Śāntideva's Way of the Bodhisattva'' (Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2007), 90.</ref> | ||
