{"id":725,"date":"2024-07-21T16:33:03","date_gmt":"2024-07-21T15:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rebelrebel.org.uk\/?p=725"},"modified":"2024-07-21T16:43:32","modified_gmt":"2024-07-21T15:43:32","slug":"dharma-day-the-three-jewels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rebelrebel.org.uk\/?p=725","title":{"rendered":"Dharma Day: The Three Jewels"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mini-Reflection #87 (21st July 2024 at Essex Church \/ Kensington Unitarians)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This morning\u2019s service marks the festival of Dharma Day (otherwise known as Asalha Puja) \u2013 particularly associated with the Theravadan Buddhist tradition \u2013 a day which marks the Buddha\u2019s first sermon and thus the founding of Buddhism as a religion. There is, of course, much wisdom to glean from the Buddhist tradition (or we could say the Buddhist traditions as there are many different strands), and I could have picked any number of teachings to highlight today, but I\u2019ve long thought that \u2018The Three Jewels\u2019 offer some insight which can really speak to us Unitarians, so that\u2019s the teaching which we\u2019re going to focus on in this morning\u2019s service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not yet familiar with \u2018The Three Jewels\u2019, fear not, as we\u2019ll hear several perspectives on them during the next hour, but as an introduction I\u2019ll just share this quote from the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chagdud Tulku who said: \u2018We take refuge in the Three Jewels \u2013 the Buddha, the dharma, and sangha. The Buddha is like one who has walked a certain road and, by virtue of having reached the destination, knows the route and can show us the way. The road itself is the dharma. And those with whom we travel, those who offer us support and on whom we rely, comprise the sangha.\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

As I said at the top of the service today, we\u2019re marking this festival of Dharma Day by focusing on one particular bit of Buddhist wisdom, this idea \u2013 this framework for understanding \u2013 known as \u2018The Three Jewels\u2019. It\u2019s always wise to tread carefully when introducing concepts from traditions that aren\u2019t your own \u2013 and so our two readings came from Buddhist teachers \u2013 putting across the teaching in their own words and in their own context (albeit tailored for western ears).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I want to do in this mini-reflection is offer just a little bit of commentary on how \u2018The Three Jewels\u2019 might offer a useful framework for Unitarians too. I see it as a really helpful way of thinking about religious life \u2013 how we might live religiously and live well \u2013 how we might chart our course through life in a way that balances the different spiritual dimensions (rather than living out-of-balance, perhaps paying too much attention to one or the other of them, and neglecting the others).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that last reading we heard, from the Lotus Zen Meditation Group, they drew interesting parallels between The Three Jewels as understood in their own Buddhist tradition, and equivalent aspects of the Christian tradition. And \u2013 whatever our own particular spiritual outlook might be \u2013 I reckon we can probably each do our own internal translation of \u2018the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha\u2019 <\/em>\u2013 to make sense of the wisdom of this teaching in the context of our own time, place, and religious path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thich Nhat Hanh said something very interesting about this in \u2018The Heart of the Buddha\u2019s Teaching\u2019. He wrote: \u2018At first, our Buddha may be a book we\u2019ve read, our Dharma a few encouraging words we\u2019ve heard, and our Sangha a community we\u2019ve visited once or twice. But as we continue to practice, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha reveal themselves to us more fully.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I ask you to consider this: At this point in your life, who or what is your \u2018Buddha\u2019? Who or what is at the spiritual centre of your religious life? Who is the key teacher, or exemplar \u2013 what is the touchstone of goodness, or your north star? I think of this as the most inwardly-focused of the three jewels. It\u2019s about the heart, it\u2019s about relationship, maybe it\u2019s about devotion and trust. As Thich Nhat Hanh puts it: \u2018I take refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows me the way in this life.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And consider this: At this point in your life, what is your \u2018Dharma\u2019? What are the teachings and practices that you are deeply engaged with or committed to? What is the way you are following? This one seems to be more about engagement with a particular path and way of living \u2013 it involves ethics, values, and conscience \u2013 think of the Buddhist eightfold path about \u2018right action, right speech, right livelihood, right understanding, and so on\u2019. This is about how we conduct ourselves in the world. As Thich Nhat Hanh puts it: \u2018I take refuge in the Dharma, the way of understanding and love.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And consider: At this point in your life, what is your \u2018Sangha\u2019? What is your community of practice? (Of course I hope at least some of you are going to say it\u2019s here with Kensington Unitarians!) To call it a sangha I think it has to be a community where we\u2019re truly engaged \u2013 somewhere we\u2019ve got stuck in and rolled up our sleeves \u2013 where we see ourselves as being in covenant with others, working through difficulties together, committed to stay in relationship even when the going gets tough. I think the idea is that committing to a community like this is a kind of crucible for our transformation \u2013 it is challenging, it stretches us spiritually and ethically, to bump up alongside other imperfect humans \u2013 even as we all try to do the right thing, live according to our values, keep each other on track. Thich Nhat Hanh says: \u2018I take refuge in the Sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha \u2013 however we might make sense of those concepts \u2013 they point to three dimensions of the religious life that are important for all of us to honour. We might find that we are more drawn to one of them, or more averse to another one, just through our natural temperament. Perhaps the heart-centred life, the life of devotion, comes most naturally. Perhaps the life of practice, discipline, and action is what calls to us. Or maybe it\u2019s community that we\u2019re drawn to and what really matters most to us. At different times of our life each of us may give more weight to one or another of these dimensions of religious life \u2013 and that\u2019s OK. But it seems important to me that, over the course of our lifetime, we do pay attention to all of the \u2018Three Jewels\u2019 and make the effort to cultivate and develop those dimensions we\u2019ve perhaps been neglecting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to close this mini-reflection with some with words from Thich Nhat Hanh\u2019s \u2018The Heart of the Buddha\u2019s Teaching\u2019 \u2013 a kind-of affirmation of the three jewels \u2013 or perhaps a prayer. Considering your own understanding of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, see how this lands with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buddha is the teacher showing the way,
the perfectly awakened one,
beautifully seated, peaceful and smiling,
the living source of understanding and compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dharma is the clear path leading us out of ignorance,
bringing us back to an awakened life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sangha is the beautiful community that practices joy,
realizing liberation, bringing peace and happiness to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I take refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows me the way in this life.
I take refuge in the Dharma, the way of understanding and of love.
I take refuge in the Sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dwelling in the refuge of Buddha,
l see clearly the path of light and beauty in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dwelling in the refuge of Dharma,
l learn to open many doors on the path of transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dwelling in the refuge of Sangha,
I am supported by its shining light that keeps my practice free of obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking refuge in the Buddha in myself,
I aspire to help all people recognize their own
awakened nature and realize the mind of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking refuge in the Dharma in myself,
I aspire to help all people grasp the way of practice
and walk together on the path of liberation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking refuge in the Sangha in myself,
I aspire to help all people build fourfold communities
and encourage the transformation of all beings. (pause)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May it be so for the greater good of all. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflection by Jane Blackall<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An audio recording of this sermon is available:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\nhttps:\/\/www.kensington-unitarians.org.uk\/pod2011\/KU_jane.blackall_hybrid_sermon_21.07.24.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n