Mahabodhi Sunyata DISCOVERY COURSE

The object of this course is to enter into the apparently simple practices which are used daily as part of larger practices which have been reduced to mere ritual dogma and ceremony. These are not explained as a profound teaching and, as such, actually generate a subtle virus of intellectual indifference towards the practices themselves.

THE TRIPLE JEWEL

Part 1

What do we say when we recite the Triple Jewel?

I take Refuge in the Buddha!

I take Refuge in the Dharma!

I take Refuge in the Sangha!

What is the first error? It is an incorrect view of what that word “refuge” means.

In any dictionary we will find that its base is the Latin word refug(ium), composed of the roots re- (away) and fugere (to flee).

Thus we consider that refuge is a shelter or protection from danger or trouble and, by extension of that idea, anything that we have as recourse for aid, relief or escape. But refuge in the Dharma is NEVER to be considered as an Escape, especially from the suffering of this world.

In the 11th century, in Lamp for the Path by Atisha, several motives for refuge are enumerated:

First the text says there is Worldly motivation, which is taking refuge to improve the lot of this life.

Next there is Low scope, which is taking refuge to gain high rebirth and avoid the low realms.

Next there is Middle scope, which is taking refuge to achieve Awakening.

Next there is High scope, which is taking refuge to achieve Buddhahood.

The Chan Ssu Lun and Mahamudra position refutes all these forms of refuge as an adequate form of refuge, but accepts them as an adequate first approach, which must quickly be changed by correct and noble teaching. This must be always made clear at the beginning, for there must be no dependence upon Buddha, Dharma or Sangha.

These first three approaches presented in a true light require explanations.

Worldly Motivation: To eliminate one's apparent suffering.

Low Motivation: To avoid becoming and rebirth. This is correct, but there is an erroneous belief that high rebirth and avoidance of the lower realms refers to the achievement of a rebirth of the “person” or the “Essence of a person” after death. These realms, referred to by Atisha may well have been useful in his time, but the correct usage for this age is to consider them in the other Buddha Dharma form as “Mundane becoming and birth.” This “mundane Becoming and Birth” actually takes place every millisecond, correlated with constant changes of the person's Identity in this life. Every moment there is first a becoming and then a birth of a new Identity, changed by circumstances continually both internally and externally.

The Low Identity realms or states are:

1.      Dominance of Confusion (Demon of Doubt and Confusion)

2.      Dominance of Greed (Hungry Ghost)

3.      Dominance of Aversion (Hell-fire Savage Beast).

 These you will admit, I am sure, are elegant and apt descriptions of those human states.

The Higher Identity realms are those same realms of this life, but the person has entered the Dharma stream, thus his life stream and future is improved. These states are described as:

1.      Gods

2.      Demi-Gods

3.      Humans

So when we speak of “humans” in teachings be careful, for we may be really talking about a person of Aversion who nevertheless is resolutely upon the Dharma Path.

Clearly later all can move upon the Bodhisattva path and reach eventually the position of a Realized Bodhisattva. But please realize that all these terms related to the realms are only descriptions of internal mental states.

Middle Level Motivation: To achieve Awakening. Now this motivation may seem like noble motivation, but it is not. It is a motivation, like the others, driven by Identity. One must ask oneself always, “Who is it that achieves Awakening?” The answer is clear. There is no one to achieve Awakening.

Likewise we must ask “Who is it that avoids becoming and rebirth of the Identities?” The answer is equally clear. There is no one who exists to avoid the becoming and rebirth. It is no surprise then to find that there is no one who suffers, so there can be no one to avoid suffering.

High Motivation: to achieve Buddhahood. This appears to be an unshakable motivation, but it too, as it stands, is also flawed for the same reason. There is no one who can achieve Buddhahood. Even if one reduces the apparent lofty objective somewhat so that the Motivation is to become a realized Bodhisattva, the same criticism applies.

THE ONLY VALID MOTIVATION

The only valid motivation is to use the illusion of IDENTITY to destroy itself and reveal the TRUE NATURE (the Buddha Nature) of the human creature. Now note exactly what was declared. We declared “of the human creature” not “me.” But we must be aware always that the idea of “human creatures” is just a collection of words and does not represent a collection of existing individual people.

This is important to understand. Where does this true motivation arise? From the Life Force, which is alien to Identity motivation. It is there. All you have to do is look for it.

But we must add an important qualification to the motivation. The natural motivation of the Life Force, provoked by the presence of debilitating Identity and Duality concepts, is “to use the illusion of IDENTITY to destroy itself and reveal the TRUE NATURE (the Buddha Nature) of the human creature, whatever that may be.” Can you see how important that little addition is? It means that one must assure that Identity does not add the slightest expectation to the natural motivation.

Now taking the pledge is in order, but before one does so we must add a little element to the idea to keep the motivation from being just an intellectual idea. How can we do that?

THE BOY SCOUTS AND GIRL GUIDES

Now what a surprise that must be to find Lord Baden Powell’s famous Christian fellowship mentioned here. It is mentioned because every Boy Scout or Girl Guide was sworn in, taking a pledge. What was that pledge? It was, “I promise to de my best, to help other people at all time, and to obey the Scout or Guide law.”

We must use that same idea when taking the pledge of the Three Jewels.

1. I promise to do my best. This may be pretty obvious, but you would be surprised how many people take refuge, receive their little refuge booklet, perform the rites and ceremonies and do NOT do their best. That is because they are not really prepared to make a commitment. That commitment is to never, never, never give up. One may fall, but one must really understand the necessity and make that effort of will to always get up and get on with the task no matter what the apparent difficulties. If one cannot do that then the “refuge” is a farce.

2. I promise to help other people at all time. We would change that of course to “help all living creatures at all times.” Why is this so important? It is important because if one has that apparent objective in mind (realizing that individuals do not exist as such), the Identity is weakened, and the more the Identity is weakened, the stronger is the Motivation of the Life Force. Gradually the natural attribute of the human creature will awaken and the practitioner will find that he or she cannot avoid helping other human creatures. It is not that he will have developed a habit; it is that that attribute is a major part of released and correct human nature.

3. I promise to follow the natural law. This is a simple promise to be aware at all times of the false Identity presence and to be aware that there really exists a true human nature which is our true guide for living.

THE THREE JEWELS

I go for Guidance to the Buddha!

I go for Guidance to the Dharma!

I go for Guidance to the Sangha!

Here we have a better understanding, but it requires development.

Now we have a situation which is rather polemic.

It is clear that Buddha was conscious of three clear parts and that he referred often to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in his teachings. For example in the Mahâ-Parinibbâna-Sutta (v. and vi.) of the Digha-Nikâya he declared in the moments before his death,

   "It may be, O priests, that some priest has a doubt or perplexity respecting either the Buddha or the Doctrine or the Order or the Path or the course of conduct. Ask any questions, O priests, and suffer not that afterwards ye feel remorse, saying, 'Our Teacher was present with us, but we failed to ask him all our questions.'"

Yet he, upon being questioned about, who would be his successor, said the following, which was presented in the Digha Nikaya 16 Mahâ-Parinibbâna-Sutta:

"Now I am frail, Ananda, old, aged, far gone in years. This is my eightieth year, and my life is spent. Even as an old cart, Ananda, is held together with much difficulty, so the body of the Tathagata is kept going only with supports. It is, Ananda, only when the Tathagata, disregarding external objects, with the cessation of certain feelings, attains to and abides in the signless concentration of mind, that his body is more comfortable.

33. "Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external refuge; with the Dharma as your island, the Dharma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge.

"And how, Ananda, is a bhikkhu an island unto himself, a refuge unto himself, seeking no external refuge; with the Dharma as his island, the Dharma as his refuge, seeking no other refuge?

34. "When he dwells contemplating the body in the body, earnestly, clearly comprehending, and mindfully, after having overcome desire and sorrow in regard to the world; when he dwells contemplating feelings in feelings, the mind in the mind, and mental objects in mental objects, earnestly, clearly comprehending, and mindfully, after having overcome desire and sorrow in regard to the world, then, truly, he is an island unto himself, a refuge unto himself, seeking no external refuge; having the Dharma as his island, the Dharma as his refuge, seeking no other refuge.

35. "Those bhikkhus of mine, Ananda, who now or after I am gone, abide as an island unto themselves, as a refuge unto themselves, seeking no other refuge; having the Dharma as their island and refuge, seeking no other refuge: it is they who will become the highest, if they have the desire to learn."

Do you see that Buddha declared clearly “abide as an island unto themselves, as a refuge unto themselves, seeking no other refuge; having the Dharma as their island and refuge, seeking no other refuge"?

HOW THEN CAN WE PERFORM THE APPARENT REFUGE WHEN BUDDHA DECLARED OTHERWISE?

We can only advance if we can see that there is no conflict. But if there is an incorrect interpretation or if there is incorrect teaching then we fall into the trap of ignoring Buddha’s recommendations.

Guidance from the Dharma

We can indeed without reproach go for Guidance in the Dharma which is within each one of us, expressed as teachings externally by the Buddha, so there is no problem there. But we must realize profoundly that that Dharma is a natural guide within us. It always was within us and will continue to be within each human creature, not static, but growing as the human creature grows and develops.

Guidance from the Buddha

But one must realize that this Dharma is like the contents of a Natural Encyclopedia.

So we can say that the Dharma is contained in this magnificent Natural Encyclopedia. Do you see that?

Perhaps then you can see the next point of understanding. That Natural Encyclopedia is the Buddha which is within each one of us. When we go for guidance to the Buddha, we do not continue seeking external refuge. We need not look to the historical Buddha or any other conceptual idea of Buddha, for we have the Buddha, our own apparent Buddha, inside ourselves. We may use but we do not require images of Buddha to guide us nor do we need an external image of Buddha. If it helps, so be it, but if you really pledge to go for Guidance in the Dharma you know where it is, in the BUDDHA WITHIN YOURSELF.

Thus going for guidance to this Buddha which contains the details of the Dharma is not in conflict with Buddha’s recommendation.

Guidance from the Sangha

Clearly one can obtain guidance from any noble Sangha, but as a part of the Triple Jewel that would be in clear conflict with Buddha’s teaching. That is to say, it would be if the Sangha was not the Dharma.

Is any Noble Sangha the logical equivalent to the Dharma? It clearly is not, but it is evident that every human creature has Buddha and Dharma within. Does that help? Can we seek guidance then from every human creature? That would be absurd, for we would be faced with Babel of nonsense. We would be better assuredly to go for Guidance to a Noble Sangha who, at least in theory, have uncovered much of the darkness of Ignorance. But why go to the Buddha Dharma of others if we have that within ourselves?

It is perhaps easier, but that is not what Buddha said to do. 

“How… is a bhikkhu an island unto himself… ; (he is so,) with the Dharma as his island, the Dharma as his refuge, seeking no other refuge."

If we look deeply at the problem we see one solution. It arises if we are conscious of the presence of the opposition to the Dharma within us: it is Identity. We must, if we wish to see the Dharma correctly, not fall in the trap of thinking or claiming that it was our individual Buddha and Dharma. Do you see that?

To prevent that, we can make clear statement within our rendition of the Three Jewels. We can understand clearly that one does not go for guidance in the Sangha at all really.

What one is really declaring is “I go for Guidance to the same Buddha and Dharma that is within the Sangha.” It is not MY BUDDHA, nor is it MY DHARMA. It is the Dharma possessed by all human creatures and it is the Dharma that is evident in the realized arahats of the Noble Sangha.

In this way you avoid the Identification of a false self with the Buddha-Dharma which is your heritage.

This conceives the Sangha too as within each one of us.

Thus the correct rendition of the Triple Jewel is:

I go for Guidance to the Buddha (which is the Buddha within me)!

I go for Guidance to the Dharma (which is the content of the Buddha within me)!

I go for Guidance to (Buddha and Dharma, which is identical to that of) the Sangha within me!

Perhaps then you can see the Wisdom better in the Three Jewels if you avoid the traditional pitfall of rites, ceremony and dogma which is mindless.

Shan-jian Da-shi