Taking Refuge

The last couple of days have been pretty exciting. Two pool parties on the 4th, a fantastic hike in Shivapuri National Park (complete w/ a trip to Nangi Gompa), and a day off for the Dalai Lama's birthday. Due to a little local turmoil I wasn't able to get over to Swayambhu Stupa for the celebration today, but I did make it to a local gompa for the tail end of the birthday festivities. The pictures I've included are all from Nangi Gompa up in the mountains over looking the Kathmandu valley. A very cool little community who even made us some butter salt tea (great for energy but an acquired taste). I also figured today was a good day to talk about "Taking Refuge."

Practice #7

Bound themselves, in the prison of samsara,

Whom are the worldly gods able to protect?

Therefore, it is the practice of the bodhisattvas

To go for refuge in the three unfailing Jewels.

(Note: the three Jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha (Note inside of note: the Dharma are teachings consistent with the Buddha, and the Sangha is the community of believers))

The Buddha encouraged everyone to test everything, take nothing at word, and seek to directly experience truths. Upon testing the world Sakyamuni found everything wanting and this dissatisfaction eventually produced the 4 Noble Truths and enlightenment. Today, people interested in Buddhism are encouraged to test the world in the same way. If they find the world wanting, then they are encouraged to test the Buddha's teachings. If the Buddha's teachings stand up to scrutiny then they should seek refuge. Refuge is the total trust in the Three Jewels alone that comes from the knowledge that they are the only unfailing refuge, always and in all circumstances, whether we are happy, sad, in pain, ill, living or dead. Just as taking refuge opens the gateway to all teachings and practices, it is faith that opens the gateway to taking refuge. If you have no faith and devotion at all, you will get absolutely nothing. However, absolute truth is only realized through faith.

Taking refuge is a worldview shift. Part of taking refuge includes not paying homage to any other deities, not harming others and not getting involved with people who denigrate the faith. Additionally, it means respecting and honoring the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in all their forms. A broken statue of the Buddha should not be regarded as trash, scriptures should not be placed on the ground and even items the color of monks' robes should be handled with care. The Three Jewels are to be the focal point of one's life from refuge until enlightenment. A person should picture the Buddha on his/her shoulder as he/she walks around, every bite of food should be an offering, and one should even train one's mind to seek refuge in the Three Jewels during nightmares. The path to enlightenment might be long and difficult, but unless one seeks refuge he/she is trapped in the cycle of suffering known as samsara.

In the past, I was both bored and disillusioned with Christianity. Baptism was an event I couldn't remember, confirmation was something my parents' made me do, and church was a building. Ritual lost meaning and became mundane. I don't think I was alone in these feelings. I have since come to fall in love with liturgy and ritual all over again, but only after a re-infusion of faith and understanding. One of the things that brought me to this rediscovered love affair was a total lack of faith in the world. Upon finding the world wanting, I turned to the teachings of the Christ and found truth. And so I sought to be reconfirmed in the Episcopal Church at age 28. I "took refuge" in a different kind of Three Jewels; the Trinity, the Bible and the Church. I find the methodology of "taking refuge" brilliant, and I believe Christianity would benefit from similar thinking. I am going to basically recopy my Buddhist explanation of "taking refuge" and insert Christian nouns, sayings and nuances, see if it sounds true to you.

St Paul encouraged everyone to test everything, take nothing at word, and seek to directly experience truths. "Test everything and hold on to that which is good." (1Thes 5:21) Upon testing the world Paul found everything wanting and this dissatisfaction eventually led him to proclaim to the Corinthians, "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." (1Cor 2:19) And in contrast to the world, Christ said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. (John 16:4) Today, people interested in Christianity should be encouraged to test the world in the same way. If they find the world wanting, then they are encouraged to test the Christ's teachings. If the Christ's teachings stand up to scrutiny, then they should seek refuge. Refuge is the total trust in the Three Jewels (Trinity, Bible and Church) alone that comes from the knowledge that they are the only unfailing refuge, always and in all circumstances, whether we are happy, sad, in pain, ill, living or dead. Just as taking refuge opens the gateway to all teachings and practices, it is faith that opens the gateway to taking refuge. If you have no faith and devotion at all, you will get absolutely nothing. However, absolute truth is only realized through faith.
Taking refuge is a worldview shift. Part of taking refuge includes not paying homage to any other deities, not harming others and not getting involved with people who denigrate the faith. Additionally, it means respecting and honoring the Trinity, Bible and Church in all their forms. A broken statue of the Christ should not be regarded as trash, scriptures should not be placed on the ground and even items imprinted with symbols of a church should be handled with care. The Three Jewels are to be the focal point of one's life from refuge until glory. A person should picture the Christ on his/her shoulder as he/she walks around, every bite of food should be an offering, and one should even train one's mind to seek refuge in the Three Jewels during nightmares. Pray without ceasing. (1Thes 5:17) The path to glory might be long and difficult, but unless one seeks refuge he/she is stuck in suffering. The gate is narrow and the way is hard. (Matt 7:14)

While the above paragraph might not suit all those knocking on the Church's door I believe it would save folks like me 3 or 4 years of wandering and wondering. I find the spirit of honesty, the openness of invitation, and lack of sugarcoating refreshing. Kudos to the Buddha for such an honest, straightforward and engaging invitation to a faithful life.