Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The Three Gems or the Three Jewels, along with the Five Precepts constitute the most basic and elemental teachings of Buddhism.
"I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dhamma, I take refuge in the Sangha".
To take refuge in the Buddha is to recognize that a truly remarkable person had achieved Awakening, Enlightenment, Unbinding. This experience in the earliest known of the Buddhist teachings is
"profound, hard to see and hard to understand, peaceful and sublime, unattainable by mere reasoning, to be experienced by the wise".
Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta 26
To take refuge in the Dhamma/Dharma(Pali, Sanskrit) means to embrace the teachings of conditioned arising, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path. The Dhamma is the accumulated teachings of Siddhartha Gautama.
To take refuge in the Sangha in the Theravada world is to embrace a monastic life. The Sangha is currently interpreted to mean a group of like-minded people who are also following the Middle Path. As I understand it, the Sangha can be any group that seeks understanding.
For the lay followers , the Three Gems and the Five Precepts are simple and applicable to every day life. It also leads to the Eightfold Path, in a sort of feed back loop. Right Action, Right Belief, and Right Understanding start with the Three Gems and Five Precepts.
Interesting, thanks for posting. Buddhism in ways appeals to me more so than how I was raised as a Christian. I think we could all learn from different religions, although I'm personally not a fan of how most predict an afterlife.
Buddhism doesn't appeal to me. Largely because it seems so inner-focused as to be selfish.
I don't want to restrict my worldview to what's going on inside my head.
I'm not Buddhist, per se.
Selfishness, centering on Self is good. But I'm an old Ayn Rand reader...all it is to me
is placing your O2 mask on first.
From that point...you're centered and clear to proceed out in the world.
There is too much co-dependent dysfunction in the world, imo.
Take time to Know Thyself...and voila...peace and more clarity of mind.
It's actually very un-selfish to do this for those around you...giving them the 'best you'.
My perspective.
It is not in your head. You never looked deep inside to know better.
Superficial glomming will result only in superficial prejudice.
A new adept once approached Sukyamuni and asked: Please, tell me what should I do to make humanity happy? Sad smile crossed Sukyamuni's face.
How can you make humanity happy, if you are not happy yourself? was his response.
To extrapolate, Trout, how can one be unselfish if he does not know what Self is?
It is not in your head. You never looked deep inside to know better.
Superficial glomming will result only in superficial prejudice.
A new adept once approached Sukyamuni and asked: Please, tell me what should I do to make humanity happy? Sad smile crossed Sukyamuni's face.
How can you make humanity happy, if you are not happy yourself? was his response.
To extrapolate, Trout, how can one be unselfish if he does not know what Self is?
It is not in your head. You never looked deep inside to know better.
Superficial glomming will result only in superficial prejudice.
A new adept once approached Sukyamuni and asked: Please, tell me what should I do to make humanity happy? Sad smile crossed Sukyamuni's face.
How can you make humanity happy, if you are not happy yourself? was his response.
To extrapolate, Trout, how can one be unselfish if he does not know what Self is?
You never saw one? When a person smiles sadly realizing futility of what is going on? Many of buddha statues have it.
Sukyamuni smile actually does not express, well, is not supposed to express, any particular emotions.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
