THE THREE REFUGES

 

“We Take Refuge in the Sangha” centers on the helpfulness of practicing with others, even when this is not easy. The Sangha is the third of the Three Refuges (or Three Treasures) of Buddhism, which are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. As Rev. Clairissa says, “The Sangha carries us along, like the current in a stream.”

 

She begins by reading the lines from the Shushōgi (What is Truly Meant by Training and Enlightenment),* a work distilled in Japan over a century ago from the teaching of Great Master Dōgen (1200-1253): 

 

We take refuge in the Buddha since He is our True Teacher; 

We take refuge in the Dharma since it is the medicine for all suffering; 

We take refuge in the Sangha since its members are wise and compassionate. 

 

…take refuge quickly in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha for therein is to be found utter enlightenment as well as freedom from suffering.

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*  From Rōshi P.T.N.H. Jiyu-Kennett, Zen Is Eternal Life, Shasta Abbey Press, 1999. Used with permission.