Three Jewels

Autumn 2006

Volume 1, Number 1

In This Issue

·    Three Jewels

·    Five Attributes

·    New Year Blessing

New Year Blessing

Saturday, December 2, 2006

Congregational Unitarian Church

221 Dean Street, Woodstock, Illinois --- 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Join us for an evening of chant and devotion to prepare the way for the new year to come!

Links to Buddhist Websites

Blue Lotus Temple

Ten Directions Zen Community

Woodstock Zen Group

Dharma.org

Human Potential Foundation

Contact Us

info@bluelotustemple.org

Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple

Board of Directors

Sangha Patron:

   Sujatha Perideniye

President:

   Glen Ebey

Vice President:

   Guy Spinelli

Secretary:

   Nancy Schwab

Treasurer:

   Bill Reddy

Directors:

   Greg Rajsky

   Chandasiri Thumbage

   Jayson Warn

Three Jewels

Buddhang saranang gacchami          I take refuge in the Buddha.

Dhammang saranang gacchami        I take refuge in the Dharma.

Sanghang saranang gacchami          I take refuge in the Sangha.

These are the Three Jewels of Buddhism, and the inspiration for Three Jewels, the newsletter of the Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple community.

The Buddha.  A jewel is a precious stone, highly valued, treasured.  Buddhism has its own jewels – three in fact.  These are the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha.  All three are highly revered, but in different ways.  In Theravada Buddhism, the Buddha is honored as a special human being who, confronted with the palpable suffering in the world and convinced that there had to be something more, sought and won enlightenment.  Buddha means “awakened one,” suggesting that his enlightenment was a waking up to the world as it really is, free from delusion and ignorance.  Consequently, in Buddhism, the Buddha is the prime source of inspiration and authority for adherents.

The Dhamma.  After his enlightenment the Buddha was faced with a decision – either to pass on his profound knowledge or to keep it to himself, fearing that it would be too difficult for most beings to comprehend.  Out of compassion, he decided to pass on his teachings to others.  Collectively, these teachings are known as the dhamma (in Pali) or dharma (in Sanskrit).  The dhamma, therefore, comprises all the essential doctrines of Buddhism – the Four Noble Truths, kamma, rebirth, samsara, dependent origination, and so on.  These teachings were first committed to writing in the Pali Canon in about the first century BCE.

The Sangha.  The third jewel, the Sangha, includes both the monastic community founded by the Buddha, as well as the lay community.  Monks and nuns have special significance because they are seen as making the Buddha’s teachings the exclusive focus of their lives.  They take vows of celibacy and devote their lives to meditation and study, though they often will perform other duties, too.  To the lay community they exemplify the Buddhist life par excellence, providing example, guidance and inspiration.

Taking Refuge.  The three jewels also are referred to as “The Three Refuges.”  This means that the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha offer protection from the fickle and unstable world we live in.  This is why the three jewels often form the foundation of the chant we recite following our meditation practice.

Members of the Blue Lotus sangha met for a day-long retreat on September 24.  Our hosts, Jack and Judy Speer, opened their home to us for the event.  Known as Small Waters (named for the nearby source of the Nippersink Creek, Nippersink being native Potawatomie for small waters), their home offered an ideal space for a gathering like ours.

The retreat was led by Ven. Bhanti Sahti, aided by our own Ven. Chandasiri Thumbage.  The day was spent in seated meditation, walking meditation, and discussion.  The dharma talks were very rewarding.

One of the topics that Sahti Sunim shared with us was the concept that there are five attributes necessary to attaining nirvana.

Faith.  It is essential to believe that we are capable of success.  While walking the path of enlightenment, whether distracted by successes or beset with challenges, it is important to remind ourselves, Yes, I can do this.  Persistence prevails as long as we have faith that we will achieve our goals.

Discipline.  We must be consistent in our practice, diligent in our approach to the work at hand.  We must keep coming back to mindfulness.  As often as we are distracted, we must discipline ourselves to return to the moment, gently, fully, repeatedly.

Listening.  Listening is a form of applied attention.  There is a risk to rush to judgment, but through listening we are able to assimilate information, consider the available input, and attend to true reality.  Listening enables us to wait, to take stock, to proceed mindfully.

Renunciation.  As we drop our attachments and learn to live without desire, we come closer to achieving nirvana.  Losing our attachments to the world is a liberating experience that allows us to apprehend reality in an uncluttered way.  By freeing our minds from material concerns we open ourselves to bliss.

Wisdom.  In this sense, we see wisdom as applied knowledge.  It is not enough to attain knowledge; it is necessary to put it to use.  We must live what we know.  The manifestation of our acquired knowledge and experience is wisdom in action.  It is mindfulness in practice, through every moment.

With these five attributes actively put into play, we are likely to come that much closer to our goal of achieving nirvana.  As we assemble those attributes as part of our daily routine, we learn to live more fully and more compassionately along the way.