The Three Jewels of Buddhism

The Three Jewels of Buddhism are what is considered the three most sacred aspects of the religion. They are as follows:

Buddha

The primal jewel of the three is to take refuge in the Buddha. "But wouldn't that mean also revering him as a god, thus disposing all dependencies on faith in him instead of on ourselves?" Wrong-o.

The Three Jewels of Buddhism

To take refuge in the Buddha is not to rely on him; rather, it is to revere him as the supreme embodiment of purity, wisdom and compassion, the teacher who can guide his followers out of samsara.

Zen teacher Robert Aitken had this to say of the First Jewel:

"[Buddha] refers, of course, to Siddhartha, the Enlightened One, but it also has a far broader meaning. It includes all the great teachers of our lineage ... but also everyone who has realized his or her true nature--all the monks, nuns, and lay people in Buddhist history who have shaken the tree of life and death.

"In a deeper and yet more ordinary dimension, all of us are Buddha. We haven't realized it yet, but that does not deny the fact."

Dharma

Like "Buddha," the word Dharma has several meanings. For example, it refers to the Buddha's teachings, and also to the law of karma and rebirth. It is also sometimes used to refer to ethical rules or thoughts.

Studying the Buddha's teachings is important, but to take refuge in the Dharma requires more than just trust and acceptance of teachings. It's also trusting in one's own practice of Buddhism and the present moment, as opposed to putting faith in something far away.

The ancient Sangha of Buddhism, with Buddha
on the platform

Sangha

In Buddhism, the word sangha means "assembly" or "community." For Buddhists, there are two sanghas that are very important:

1. the community of Buddhist monks and nuns
2. the community of noble disciples

Ultimately, a Sangha is a spiritual family of Buddhism.