The Three Jewels

Introduction

When I first started practising meditation and I heard people speaking in terms of "jewels" and "dharma", "sangha" and "boddhisatva", and especially when I heard phrases like "taking refuge", I was completely turned off.

My judging mind would kick in immediately and address the people in question with something to the effect of, "look, you can take your Buddha and your boddhisatva and whatever, and do what you like with them. I'm just here for my med sesh, and that's it for me, is that OK? I really have no idea what you're talking about, but whatever it is, I'm sure it doesn't apply to me. If you decide to turn all fanatic and dress in white or crimson or bright yellow robes, change your name, shave your head, stop eating animals, stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking and enjoying life, then that's fine, my friend, I have nothing against it, but all this talk about "taking refuge" is just nonsense, and I'm not interested in the least, and if you go on about it too much, you'll bore me to tears and I'll just walk away, because - seriously - I just can't be bothered with all of that."

But these devoted practitioners... just can't keep their mouths shut, can they (she says, chuckling). And walk away I did, in fact - for years - thinking all that "balderdash" was definitely not for me, and stepping into, quite voluntarily (but unconsciously - and this is how I know that ignorance is at the root of our psychological suffering) the realm of form, of what happens, of the story of my life. You know - the place where most of us live and dwell. And therefore, I stepped right back into the path that leads to the opposite of well-being, ie, I U-turned into ill-being (although I didn't know it at the time).

But of course, that's what needed to happen, so that I could experience well-being followed by ill-being, and make an informed decision based on the understanding acquired through these experiences.

Point being that if you're also put off by terms such as "taking refuge in the three jewels", this post is an attempt to illustrate, with examples, what such a strange and seemingly outdated expression means in the context of this woman's life, here, today, in Mexico City, 2017.

So what are the 3 jewels?

The calligraphy is my teacher Thay's, by the way, and it's just occurred to me as I upload that I shall have it printed and framed, so I can hang it up at home: Buddha. Dharma. Sangha 💗💓💗

Let's look at them one by one. Each one is so valuable and beautiful. And to think we don't have to go anywhere to find them. We don't have to buy them! We already have them, they're within us.

Buddha

This was the least of the turn-offs because I tended to think of the Buddha as the person, Siddhartha Gautama, the man who, at the age of 29, some 2,500 years ago in northern India (now Nepal), decided to sit under a tree and not move until he was Enlightened.

I enjoyed learning about the story of his life. Here is a short video highlighting some of the most well-known information we have about him today.

One thing the video doesn't mention though, is that Siddhartha's mother died during child-birth, so although he may have been surrounded by attention, beauty and luxury, he knew about suffering from the very start, and the "discovery" he made that day in the parade was not so much a discovery as a recognition, something that mirrored and reflected his own experience (that suffering exists). It must have been such a profound relief to corroborate the reality of suffering all around (it's not just "me"), although much effort had been made to hide this fact from him and/or deny it throughout his upbringing.

But the man Buddha is only in part represented in the first jewel, Buddha. The jewel contains the message that the Buddha is in you, too, and in me. We are all potential Buddhas, because we are all capable of enlightenment. Watering the Buddha seeds that are in us already refers to looking deeply at the way things are and cultivating understanding, kindness and compassion. Looking deeply at the way things are is simple, all you need to do is sit in meditation. But it isn't easy. It takes determination and stamina to sit and contemplate, and to overcome the obstacles we've created for ourselves with veil after veil (conditioning and patterns of consumption), that obscure our view.

So how do I recognise Buddha-like qualities in myself? (Not that I'm calling myself a Buddha! Only aspiring to be one through - more often than not - unskillful practice).

In no particular order:

1) when there is clarity of thought

2) when I understand situations better than I used to

3) when I'm able to focus and concentrate

4) when I recognise limitation in myself and in others and I'm forgiving of that

5) when I can breathe knowing that I'm breathing

6) when I can drop unhelpful thought patterns and bring myself back to the present moment with a smile

7) when I knowingly treat others with respect and kindness

8) when I listen carefully, without judging and without reacting

9) when I'm knowingly fully present, enjoying the moment, like right now, sitting in my little terrace, Sashi lying in the gentle sunshine, colourful flowers blooming, birds singing, writing this post

10) when I knowingly refrain from saying something that might not be helpful

11) when I knowingly refrain from doing something that might not be helpful

12) when I recognise space within myself (when I look up and see the sky), when I enjoy silence

13) when I understand the interconnectedness of things

14) when I don't resist the way things are (when I accept the way things are)

15) when I feel calm and I can smile with the inside of my cheeks

16) when I recognise the absence of anxiety - jaw relaxed, palms dry, hands soft

17) when I recognise the absence of pain - body relaxed

18) when I recognise the absence of sorrow

19) when I feel grateful

20) when my heart feels expansive

Doesn't mean it's always this way (that's why it's a practice 😊), but I know from experience that these things are possible, and so I take care of them, notice them, cultivate them as much as I am able. In the words of the wonderful Thay: I am the gardener, and I take care of the garden of my heart.

Dharma

Taking into account that I'm no scholar or expert, I'm doing my best to illustrate the meaning of Dharma by saying that it refers to the Buddha's teachings. It's everything that can be learned intellectually about cultivating the garden of our hearts and becoming enlightened ourselves.

So how have I taken refuge in the Dharma?

1) By reading books written by spiritual teachers

2) By listening to Dharma talks online

3) By doing research and finding out more

4) By really contemplating and processing the teachings, making connections and creating and fostering a spirit of understanding

5) By sharing what I've learnt

Sangha

A sangha is a group of practitioners. People who have experienced the benefits of the practice and understand the power of the collective energy generated by practising together.

We are more than individuals, we are social animals. We need to rely on one another, help one another, live joyfully together, be skillful in creating harmony within ourselves and with the people around us. Challenging!

And so how do I take refuge in the Sangha?

1) By attending retreats, like the one in the photos above, at Plum Village, a life-changing experience. I've attended other retreats too - at the Rivendell and at the Dhamma Makaranda centres.

2) By forming part of, practising regularly and contributing to the Monday morning Sangha at Creeser

3) By guiding meditation sessions (and therefore building a sangha) at work

And there you have it, the Three Jewels:

Hope this is useful to you somehow!

🙏