Taking Refuge The Tibetan word for refuge means to be protected by.

Every day we wake up and tacitly take refuge in something that we think will offer us security and protection. Most of the time we put our poker chip on the little thing that says desire. We spend our time chasing worldly gains. We take refuge in comfort, in having things, in being busy. While theres nothing inherently wrong with external pleasures, when we believe that our happiness depends on them, were reinforcing a circular and endless process that results in pain, suffering, and disillusionment. This is called samsara. We work hard for what we think we want and when we get it, we dont feel the happiness we expected. In formally becoming Buddhists we take refuge in the three jewels: the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha. We take refuge in the Buddha as teacher, our example of an awakened being. The Buddha also represents the potential for enlightenment that we all possess. Taking refuge in the Buddha is taking refuge in our own enlightened aspect. Hes our role model for someone who went through a personal struggle and came to rest in wisdom and compassion. We also take refuge in the dharmathe truth that the Buddha expounded. This includes his literal words as well as the inner truth to which the words are pointing. Fundamentally were taking refuge in the notion of selflessness or emptiness, luminosity, suchness. The dharma is the fundamental nature of things. Its the way things are. We discover it through meditation. The third jewel is sangha, a community of individuals who come together to practice, who know what to accept and what to reject in order to go forward on the path. We come together to cultivate the qualities that take us toward enlightenment. We reject the qualities that take us in another direction. When we first set foot on the path, we dont know what to accept and what to reject. We know things arent working out, but were not sure why. Its usually because whatever we encounter, we're reacting with aggression, attachment, or confusion. These three poisons disturb our inherently peaceful mind, reinforce the notion of a solid self, and

cause more suffering. When we practice peacefully abiding meditation, we look at our minds and see whats happening. Were able to say, Oh, here comes a moment of anger. We begin to see how we use anger to maintain the solidity of me, even if it means hurting others. We also begin to see how often we use anger as a way to work things out: Im gonna get angry. Then Ill get what I want. But looking at the dharma of the situation shows us that the real result of anger is always more pain. We see how desire creates fixation and dualitya separation of self and other in terms of what we experience and whats projected. We begin to understand that whatever were after is conditioned by impermanence; it is not a solid entity. Neither are we. We work so hard to get something, and even when we think weve succeeded, its falling apart right in front of our face. We cant really hold on to anything. We experience the process of trying to hold on as sufferinga sense of agitation and impending loss. Then were likely to say, Next time will be better. I didnt have enough desire. If I have enough desire, Ill get what I want. Thats how we usually engage with our lives. The Buddha saw this seemingly simple truth and showed us how to open our eyes and see whats actually going on. Is there anything in our lives thats ever remained permanently? No, theres only impermanence. Is there anything we experience in which we can find a solid identity? No, were always in a state of flux. Is there any situation that isnt inhibited by suffering? Our happiness is a slippery situation. Suffering is always going to catch up with us. The Buddha taught that we need to see the truth of how things are. In fact, as real as it seems, the pain too is ephemeral, empty, and without entity. Taking refuge in the three jewels, we begin to see a larger perspective: living as if aggression, desire, and confusion is going to lead to true happiness is like planting tomatoes when what we want is apples. Taking refuge is a moment when we say, Id like to do things differently now. At that moment it is said that the seed of enlightenment is born in us. It takes tremendous conviction to give up being mad, to give up being jealous, to pull our heads out of the sand and acknowledge 2

suffering. Its not an easy path to follow. But when we take refuge, we aspire to turn our minds away from the samsaric way of living and to cultivate compassion, loving-kindness, and wisdom instead. We decide to nurture the seeds of genuine happiness. Its difficult to do this on our own. So we take refuge in the sangha. These are people who can support us, to whom we can look for guidance. Together were trying to understand that ultimately, dwelling in anger, desire, and confusion is not going to lead to liberation. To get what we want, we need to plant the seeds of virtue: love, compassion, and wisdom. In order to create that space where were not inundated by negativity, we need to settle the mind, settle the body, and begin to breathe. Meditation is how the sangha steps onto the path of virtue. Together were taking refuge in the Buddhas teaching that theres a way out of the circle of aggression, fixation, and ignorance. By practicing peaceful abiding together, were offering each other the strength and courage to develop our enlightened qualities. Were tilling the soil, planting the seeds, and watering the love, compassion, and wisdom that sprout forth. Were acknowledging that before we can better the world, we need to relate to whats happening within our own minds. At the same time were developing a community through which we can engage the world in a different way, with the view that everyone has the genes for enlightenment. October 2009