Taking Refuge: Beginning a Buddhist Practice

To be a Buddhist means to take refuge in the the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha. The Buddha is the teacher, the Dhamma is his teachings, and the Sangha is the community – past and present – of noble beings who are well established on the Path of Peace.

One doesn’t “become” a Buddhist. There are no ceremonies, no initiations, no study courses to complete or pre-admission counseling to take part in. One simply takes refuge as the beginning of a life of practice. (Ordaining as a monk or nun, known as “going forth into a life of homelessness” is a different story.)

What does it mean to take refuge? During the time of the Buddha, life was harsh and dangerous. Those with few resources would seek the refuge of a king or other ruler, a benefactor, or a spiritual teacher. Taking refuge was a matter of survival – physical and spiritual.

Today, taking refuge means putting one’s faith in the Three Jewels. Even a householder like me, someone with duties and responsibilities that preclude going forth into a life of homelessness, can take refuge the the Three Jewels. It’s a good and comfortable place amidst a chaotic world.

This is different, though, from putting one’s faith in a savior. The Buddha was not a savior, not a god. He was a teacher who lived and died. His message was not one of eternal salvation. Such a message, among other things, implies there is a being to be saved for eternity and an eternal being to do the saving. This is quite contrary to his teaching. Rather, he offered a means out of the endless cycle of suffering all beings are subjected to.

It’s not necessary, though, to reject one’s current religious beliefs and practices to practice Buddhism. But when one digs into the Dhamma one begins to see things from a different perspective. At the heart of the Dhamma is the teaching that things are not as they seem. To practice Buddhism is to strive to see things as they really are. And this involves, at the very least, examining our beliefs and why we hold them to be true.

Such examination requires an amount of detachment. Detaching from convention brings uncertainty. The realm of uncertainty can be a frightening place. It’s good to have a refuge.