THREE PLACE.

Finding refuge - Refuge - is a common Buddhist practice, the basis for the practice of Buddhism. Any Buddhist doctrine, sect, and doctrine are derived from this essential action, which every Buddhist word recites regularly, it is refuge. In Pāli, that action is called  "sarana-gamana"  (refuge). "Gamana"  means go to, refer to, to find. "Sarana"  means to rely on, help, nourish, guide. Taking refuge in a place means going there for help, guidance and support. Often, it is what we do when we face a crisis in our lives when we encounter a difficult reality that we ourselves can not cope with. Therefore, we seek somewhere to ask for help.

What makes a person a Buddhist is not simply finding a place to rely on anything. Often, people seek refuge in something else, such as refuge in family, friends, occupations, positions, business, pleasure, alcohol, drugs, etc. What makes one become a true Buddhist is that one is seeking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha - called the Three Jewels.

The following is a story that chronicles the teachings of the Buddha in the Pearl Sutra for the importance of taking Refuge in the Triple Jewel: 

When the Buddha was at Sāvatthi (Sávatthi). At that time King Pasenadi of Kosala came to the Buddha, and after his homily, he sat down. The Buddha asked:

"Sir, did you come here?"

- The Lord, I have been busy with the work that kings care about, such as how to preserve the power, ensure the security of the country, expand the territory and happy. Enjoy on those wins.

- Great King, what do you think? For example, there is a reliable and trustworthy person from the East who came to the great king and said: "Great King, tell the great king that there is a very high mountain, moving and crushing The great king, please King urgent to do what needs to be done. "

Then another came from the West, then a third came from the North, and a fourth from the South came to the same danger. As such, the great king, from four sides are the huge mountains in abundance. Hearing that, the King was very scared. To destroy a life as a human is terrible. Rebirth is back on the real scene. What should the King do?

Lord Exalted, destroying life as a human is extremely terrible, rebirth back to make people really very rare. As such, I can do no other than try to live a righteous life, justify justice, and do good deeds, create good.

I tell the Great King that old age and death are coming to the Great King. When old age and death are approaching, what should the king do?

- The Blessed One, things like throwing elephants, horses, tanks, and soldiers into the war, the things that bother the kings - that can not do anything to prevent old age and death. White Lord, in the court of skilled soldiers, strong talismans, can prevent all enemy troops. In the treasure, jewelery is stored in stock, enough to withstand any financial strategy. However, the spells and property can not prevent death and old age is approaching the child. Now, I can do no other than try to live righteous life, righteous justice, and do good deeds, create good.

That's right, Grandpa. That's right. As the old age and death approached, the King could do no other than try to live righteous life, righteous justice, and do good deeds and create good deeds.

And the teacher said the verse:

As a large rock, 
Stand up nowhere, 
Towards overflowing, 
Over all four sides. 
Likewise, old age and death 
Scroll to the charming, 
Class Sat-imperial-town, 
Brahmin, Phệ-amnesty, 
prime-momentum, Chien-da-la 
Ke garbage, dumped, 
No one escaped From, 
all conquered.

Here are not statues, 
Not far from infantry, Infantry, 
No battlefields, 
No property battles 
Can help win, 
Fight old, die. 
So the wise, 
see the self-interest, the 
person placed the trust, the 
Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Who with the body, speech, mind, practice 
correct Dharma, 
this life is praised, the 
next, enjoy the sky.

*

Therefore, as Buddhist meditators, we find the most refuge in the world, it is the Three Jewels: Buddha, Bao Bao and Sang Bao. 

The Buddha found the Way to Deliverance, which transcends all forms of suffering of samsaric life in samsara. With immeasurable compassion, He taught the Path to the sentient beings clearly. Phap Bao is the Way, which is his precious teachings. The Sangha are those who have faith in the Buddha, listen to and understand the teachings, strive to follow the path and attain the noble paths. 

1) Refuge the Buddha

Everyday Buddhists recite, reflect and celebrate the Ten Blessings of the Blessed One: the  One Who Opposes, the Transfiguration, the Happiness, the Awareness, the Prayer, the Supreme Master, Thien Nhan, Buddha, the Sun.

-  who Arhat  (Araham) , also transliterated as Arhat, because he has dignity completely clean, pollution eradicated, shuns the latent mental impurities. He broke away and came out of the cycle of rebirths, ending the long chain of birth and death and ceasing to be reborn in this Taisha. He is the most holy deity, worthy of the devas and humanity worship offerings. 

-  who is the chief variable Prophet  (Sammasambuddho) , because he smoothly legal in a righteous way and his self realization, not teachers teach. Here, "no teacher just teach" means that no teacher teaches him the method of cultivation to attain Satanic Fruition. In the past, he had studied with teachers such as Ālāra Kālāma, Uddaka Rāmaputta to understand the worldly law, but to progress to the supramundane he himself has to look inside, find the truth inside. Enlightened liberation, He realized the ultimate truth, never known.

-  who Minh Hanh Tuc  (Vijjacarana-sam Panels) , for He is full with intellect and morality, intelligence staff, both profound and vast sweeping, noble virtue transcending.

-  Sugato  (Sugato)  had come true. He walks right down the path of the Noble Path, the Noble Eightfold Path. He followed the righteous deeds, for he ceased all attachment and toward the state of perfection. The goal of His journey is righteous because it is Nirvana. He walked righteously for straight, no winding or winding.

-  who is the World League  (Lokavidu) , because He informed throughout the Three Realms include sphere, Lust, Caution and Formless. He experienced and thoroughly understood the world in all its aspects, such as his personal nature, the arising, the cessation and the means leading to the end of the world.

-  The Master  (Anuttaro) , no one matched, unparalleled , infinite. In the whole of the three realms, the Buddha has many noble qualities, more than all, in virtue, in meditation, in wisdom, in liberation, in liberation, The throne.

-  who Diaoyu macho  (Purisa-damma-Sarathi) , because he was predestined to lead people deserve instructive. He trained, unmoulded, enclosed the precepts of sentient beings who needed to be trained and sent those sentient beings to pure virtue.

Please note here that the Supreme Master and the Trivial Treasure can also be generally understood as a title of "Supreme Master of the Treasure".

-  whom God Sphinx  (sattha Devamanus-Sanam) , master of the gods and mankind, for he taught the law benefit in current money, at this place, with interests in the life of the future and the legal guide To the ultimate goal of Nirvana.

-  the Enlightened One  (Buddho) . From the dream of ignorance, he awakened, realizing the Supreme Fruit under the Bodhi tree. This is the result of the elaborate practice of practicing the full thirty bahamas through many lifetimes. In the last of his life, after a marvelous, marvelous six-year battle, without the help of the outside and without the guidance of a supernatural power, alone, Gotama, then thirty-five years old, eradicates all dormant pollution from immeasurable pre-existence, ceases all craving, and realizes the true nature of all things, becomes a Buddha, All-enlightened.

-  Blessed  (Bhagava) , a noun expressing devotion glass tomb. This is a special commendation that he achieved by the supreme uplift, the Right Enlightenment, with perfect perception. 

When understanding the virtue, wisdom, merit and immeasurable compassion of the Buddha. We feel the need to pay tribute to a pure ideal. In our hearts are filled with thoughts of gratitude, respect, devotion, love. When he honors his body, he finds an abundant source of energy, urging him to build a dignified place of worship in his heart, and try to prepare his heart to be worthy of receiving his image. Position this image into the inner temple with full of potential love in the heart. Before that altar, we vow every day to offer to the Buddha the gifts, not the candles to wear or the flowers must wither, but acts of love, high sacrifices, the sacrifice Alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt alt It is a gift that we pray daily to offer to the Buddha.

I firmly believe that it is the fullest refuge for sentient beings, and thus a firm belief in the Master, and from the bottom of my heart, I voluntarily:

"Buddhaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi" 
- I will take refuge in the Buddha.

2) Meditate on the Fa

The Buddha was a noble refuge, but he passed away. Before he entered Nirvana,  Ānanda  (An Nan) asked: "After his death, who will replace him to lead the Church?", The Buddha said:

"Ānanda, may I think that the Supreme Teaching will no longer teach, you will not have the guidance of the Master." Ānanda, you should not think so. Ānanda, when the Tathra is extinguished, this Dhamma-Vinaya will be your Master. "  (Eight Great Square, Truong Bo)

This is a very clear teaching. From that day, more than two thousand five hundred years have passed, the golden jade teachings, which during the 45 years of the Buddha has been teaching in many different ways, is handed down completely. The teachings, or teachings of the Blessed One, are fully preserved in the three organs: Law, Sutta and Dhamma. That is the treasure of France. 

This teaching has the character of preserving, protecting and supporting sentient beings to practice correctly, not to fall into misery. The teachings bring light to dark people confused, help distinguish the right to wrong, wrong way. The Dhamma indicates the law of "karma-rebirth" to help sentient beings to follow their corrective paths, paving the way to peaceful and happy states. Moreover, if practiced properly, the Dhamma will lead us to escape from all forms of suffering of samsara, to permanent tranquility. It is a refuge. 

The verse praising the  Dhamma Guaa  which the Buddhist daily recited has the following meaning: " Dhamma preached by the Buddha  , perfect, current, instant results, inviting Come to see, have the ability to navigate, be the level of self-knowledge. "

-  The teachings of the Buddha preach the Great Teaching  (Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo).  The entire Dhamma is taught perfectly by the Buddha because it is perfect in the beginning, perfect in the middle and perfect in the end. And because the Dhamma opens the way to a perfect purity of life.

In other words, the whole Dhamma is perfectly fine at the beginning as "precepts", because the precepts bring about the state of well-being; Perfectly in the middle is "Concentration" (ie, meditation) because Dhyana brings the state of peace and insight; And perfectly fine at the end of the Path and Nirvana.

In addition to this, the Tripitaka Dharma, from the Vinaya to the Vinaya and the Vinaya, if analyzed in part, the verse is perfect because it is meant to deliver.

-  Present  Perfect (Sandiṭṭhiko), meaning that when fully practiced, the practitioner  sees clear, obvious results, right in the present. When he completes his journey on the Path, he will naturally come to an absolute peace. And this state of absolute peace is the self he created for himself, not by anyone. 

The reason we are so distressed is because we still harbor in our minds such as greed, hatred, jealousy, jealousy, conceit, wrong view, and because we are blinded by ignorance. Be true We see the fictional truth, the impermanence of change is often thought, the pain of happiness, and the pursuit of the fanciful, not real. The obvious result must be failure and hence generate dissatisfaction, unhappiness and suffering. The Noble Man who purifies all impurities - subtle and subtle - has developed his insight. At that time, no need to reward anyone, he naturally see, direct the real nature of all things, realization of the results.

-  Akāliko , without waiting time, means that when the path is acquired then immediately immediately after. Normal personality, when the action of good or evil, this action is the cause. Human beings are sown, fruits will appear, sooner or later, in present life or in a future life. It is the fruit in the world  (vipāka). The result here belongs to the  supramundane, phala  of the Path  (magga).  The path is the mind of one who enters the stream of liberation. When the path has arisen, it immediately ceases immediately after it  arises. For this reason, one of the characteristics of the Dhamma is that when the Path and the Fruit arise, do not wait .

- Invite to see  (Ehipassiko) , meaning worthy to invite others to see.  Why? Because inside the Dhamma contains rich content, and because the Dhamma leads to pure life style. If the other person has nothing in his hand, or in his hand, he has dirty hands, he does not say that he has a gold ring in his hand and will not invite anyone to come. Here, in this Dhamma, there are clearly and clearly there are nine supramundane (Four Paths, Four Fruits, and Nibbàna) and pure life, so worthy to invite to see, to observe .

-  Opanayiko,  this is the Dharma leading beings, leading to the ultimate liberation is Nirvana.

-  Be wise proving Know  (Paccattamveditabbo vinnuhi'ti). On the path leading to Nirvana, only the level of good will be able to grasp the Dhamma, can not understand the ignorance. It should be noted here that understanding the Dhamma means enlightenment, understanding by virtue, not knowledge at the intellectual level, theoretical books. And each individual can only realize himself.

The above is the grace  (guṇa)  of France. Those who have understood the characteristics and imbued the meaning of the Dharma will feel fond of, admire the devotees, worship those golden words. His beliefs are growing stronger. From reason to emotion, he firmly puts his life under the guidance and protection of the Dhamma. 

From the bottom of the heart, he sincerely volunteered:

"Dhammaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi" 
- I will take refuge in Dhamma.

3) Buddhist monks

In the midst of the immense jungle of life in the cycle of samsara, in the midst of a run-of-the-mill run to find a way out of the jeopardy of that forest, the Bodhisatta has worked hard in many ways. Lifetimes to realize the Way of Deliverance. In the last incarnation, when it reaches the end of the Path, realizing the Supreme Fruit, the Chief Enlightenment, the Transfiguration, the Buddha is not afraid of merit, going from village to village, from one region To the other side, traveling on large and small roads, and throughout northern India to spread the message of compassion and wisdom, bringing peace to all sentient beings. 

In the first years after the Enlightenment, he sent sixty Arahants to teach the Dharma with the following message:

"Bhikkhus, you have escaped the bondage of the heavens and the human." Bhikkhus, take the journey for the good of many, for the welfare of many, for the love For the sake of the world, for the sake of evolution, the benefits, the welfare of gods and humanity, do not go two people in the same way. The middle, and perfect at the end, meaningful, have a message. Promote the sacred, noble and pure spiritual life. 

"There are those who are less polluted, because they do not listen to their teachings, but if they understand the Dhamma, they will advance"  (Great Law, Vinaya).

Thus, the basic ministry of the Arahants, the saints who have achieved the goal of liberation, is to uphold the moral life of others, by setting a good example and imparting the Dhamma . 

The Master is the one who discovers and enlightens the Path. Dhamma, His teachings, is the Path. The Way is still there, but if there is no goer, the shoots will grow back and will fill the path. Again, although there is a Path, but if no one leads, I will go astray. The Sangha are those who followed the footsteps of the Master walking on the Path and, in accordance with the Buddhist doctrine of "self-awareness", they are willing and happy to guide those who are determined to walk Follow your feet. 

The verse reciting the praises of monks increases the meaning as follows:

"They increase the disciple of the Buddha is the degree of good conduct, they increase the disciple of the Buddha is the Way of the Lord, they increase the disciple of the Buddha is the degree of virtue; The Purpose of the Blessed One is the Truthfulness of Righteousness, They increase the disciple of the Blessed One if there are four, if there are eight, they alone. Receive the gifts, worthy of welcome, worthy of offerings, worthy to welcome, worthy of blessed fill in the highest life.

- They increase the impostor of the Buddha is the Supreme Good  (Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho).  They have good qualities or good deeds  (supaṭipanno) , because they go to the right path, the straight path does not return, the path to the Truth, the path to Dhamma. The Buddha explained perfectly. 

-  They increase the impassioned Prince of the Blessed One  (Ujupaṭipanno bhavagato sāvakasaṅgho)  because they go down the road upright, not crooked, not crooked, the right way, true way.

Their way is straight because they go in the middle, away from the two extremes of asceticism and asceticism, away from the oblique corners of the body, speech, and mind. That way is righteous because it is the path of the Arahants. It is true that the Way is the path to liberation, Nibbana.

-  They increase the disciple of the Buddha as the  Noble King (Ñāyapaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho)  because they go through the three stages of Gender, concentration, knowledge of the Way.

- They increase the disciple of the Buddha is the Chief Justice  (Sāmīcipaṭi panno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho) because they diligently  step on the way out of all forms of suffering .

- They increase the disciple of the blessed Buddha If the Fourth and then the individual turns eight  (Yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha ​​purisa-puggalā esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho). There are four Paths: The Path, the Path, the Path, and the Path, and the Four Paths, the Result, the Hypocrisy, the Hypocrisy and Arhat. If there are duality in the Path and Fruit, there are four pairs. If there is a singularity, there are eight or eight. 

- Feeling Worthy of  Love (Āhuneyyo). The offerings mentioned here are four essential items in life: food, clothing, medicine, and shelter. Monks are monks who are pure virtue, deserving of the gifts offered by the donor who can go from far away, or have made a great sacrifice, and give respectfully. 

-  Acceptance (Pāhuneyyo). The warm hospitality that the  patron saint usually offers to welcome the precious guests or relatives from distant places, holy monks are those who deserve warm welcome reception. 

-  Dakkhi ṇeyyo  in the sense that they help the gifts are pure and capable of creating many blessings . 

-  Añjalikara-ṇīyo  because they have more virtuous virtue.

-  deserves Phuoc Dien Supreme above for  (Anuttaram punnakkhettam lokasa'ti),  within the meaning of His supreme land for people to sow blessings. 

Thus, the Sangha is certainly a refuge. When we fully understand this, we place our full faith in the Sangha and voluntarily:

Saṅghaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi 
- I will take refuge in the Sangha.

*

Three refuge prayers originated from the time of the Buddha, and are often spoken out by the lay people after being taught by him, clearly understanding the noble benefits of the Dhamma. Buddhists, and volunteer to follow the Path that He preached. These three prayers are often recorded at the end of many sutras, in the first chapter of the Great Book, and recorded in the Subsection,

Buddhaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi  
Dhammaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi  
Saṅghaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi 

Dutiyampi Buddhaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi  
Dutiyampi Dhammaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi  
Dutiyampi Saṅghaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi 

Tatiyampi Buddhaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi  
Tatiyampi Dhammaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi  
Tatiyampi Saṅghaṁ saranaṁ gacchāmi 

Meaning:

I will take refuge in the Buddha 
I asked for refuge in the Dhamma 
I would rely on the Sangha

The second time, I will take refuge in the Buddha The 
second time, I will take refuge in the Second Dhamma 
, I will take refuge in the Sangha

The third time, I will take refuge in the Buddha. 
The third time, I will take refuge in the Dhamma 
Third, I will take refuge in the Sangha

Later on, in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, the above three Three Refuges are amended, with additional meanings. However, the Buddhists in the Theravada Buddhist tradition still respect, preserve and recite the three vows intact, in the original Pali language and may be followed by translations in the local language. This prayer is often recited daily, at home, at the temple, and at Buddhist meetings.

Sometimes, a newcomer is invited to attend a meditation with a respected monk, and ask him to give a meditation. This is a very good thing, has a long-term psychological impact, helps to grow faith in the place where the Buddhist. However, it is only a promotion clause in some Buddhist communities, not necessarily a necessity and not entirely universal in other Buddhist communities. It is important to note here that the voluntary spirit of each individual in the decision to receive the Three Jewels as a spiritual abode, in which the Sangha is a sect of saints, Liberation (four pairs, eight of them) in the home and home. The role of the monk in the Refuge is just to demonstrate sincerity in volunteering to take refuge in the Buddha's Three Jewels.

*

When volunteering to follow the footsteps of the Buddha, following his teachings and putting himself under the guidance of the holy monks, Buddhists must know how to cultivate themselves, because the Buddha taught:

"Self-doing evil,  
self-defilement, 
self-do not do evil, 
self-purification. 
Pure, not self-purification, 
no one pure net." 
(Dhammapada, v. 165)

The Buddha is the Master of immeasurable mind, boundless compassion, but He can only bless us by discovering and enlightening the Path. It is we must set foot on the road and move on, we must take responsibility to purify our body and mind. Although a great compassionate Buddha, he can not wash his face because of his faith in him and his prayers. The Buddha said,  "You must try, the Buddhas are the only teachers."

The Buddha is the essence of humanity. We are volunteers who follow in his footsteps. Before the Buddha we respectfully worship. It is a form of respect for Buddhists. It is not the "blind faith" that ordinary people understand, not just closed eyes, not on the basis of reason, in fact of life. Faith in the Three Jewels,  saddhà, on the  contrary, is the trust, the sincerity arises from the mind through understanding, when one realizes the value of self-control virtue, self-control, heart Sacrific sacrifice, when we feel the Buddha's mind and compassion for all of us, and when we realize the precious value of the precious legacy that the Buddha left us, An invaluable treasure, His teachings. 

Someone views Buddhism as a philosophical system. To others, it is a moral system. There are also advocates that Buddhism is a religion. Whatever brand one can attach to the teachings of the Buddha, Buddhism is a way of life that embraces religious, moral, and philosophical alliances, a way of life that purifies the mind. And develop the mind to the highest state that human beings can reach. This is not a doctrine for debating, nor is it a doctrine for the study of learning, in order to satisfy knowledge. The Buddha himself referred to this teaching as  "Dhamma Vinaya" , the Dhamma - Vinaya, and he always emphasized the pragmatic nuance of that teaching. END=NAM MO AMITABHA BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH GIAC TAM.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN AMITABHA PURELAND=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.19/4/2017.