Three Jewels
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The Three Jewels, also rendered as Three Treasures, Three Refuges or Triple Gem (Sanskrit: Triratna, also Ratna-traya, Pali: Tiratana, Chinese: 三宝, Sānbǎo, Japanese: Sambō or Sampō) are the three things that Buddhists give themselves to, and in return look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge. The jewels are: the Buddha (The Enlightened One; Chn: 佛, Fó, Jpn: Butsu), who, in this context, exemplifies an understanding and way of living; the Dharma (The Teaching; Chn: 法, Fǎ, Jpn: Hō), the teachings of the Buddha, on the way of understanding and love; and the Sangha (The Community; Chn: 僧, Sēng, Jpn: Sō), the community of disciples, aspiring to live in harmony and awareness.
Taking refuge in the Three Jewels is central to Buddhist lay and monastic ordination ceremonies, as originated by Gautama Buddha.
The Three Jewels when used in the process of taking refuge, become the Three Refuges.
The expression Three Jewels in the earliest Buddhist literature of the Pali Canon, besides other works there is one sutta in the Sutta-nipata, called the Ratana-sutta which contains a series of verses on the Jewels in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. In the Ratana-sutta, all the qualities of the Sangha mentioned are attributes of the Buddha's enlightened disciples.
The Three Refuges occur very frequently in the ancient Buddhist Texts, and here the Sangha is used more broadly to refer to either the Sangha of Bhikkhus, or the Sangha of Bhikkhunis.
The qualities of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are frequently repeated in the ancient texts. It is a Buddhist practise to reflect upon them.
The Triratna can be found on frieze sculptures at Sanchi as the symbol crowning a flag standard (2nd century BCE), as a symbol of the Buddha installed on the Buddha's throne (2nd century BCE), as the crowning decorative symbol on the later gates at the stupa in Sanchi (2nd century CE), or, very often on the Buddha footprint (starting from the 1st century CE).
The Triratna is also on the 1st century BCE coins of the Kingdom of Kuninda in northern Punjab, surmounting depictions of stupas, on some the coins of the Indo-Parthian king Gondophares, or the coins of some of the Kushan kings such as Vima Kadphises.
The triratna can be further reinforced by being surmounted with three dharma wheels (one for each of the three jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha).
The triratna symbol is also called nandipada, or "bull's hoof", by Hindus.
When we take refuge in the Buddha, we are not taking refuge in any "external teacher", but the teacher within us, this perfect teacher is the "Buddha". We understand this when Buddha taught:
Dhammapada: Self.
Buddham Sharanam Gacchami
Dharmam Sharanam Gacchami
Sangham Sharanam Gacchami
"ガンダーラ美術の見方" (The art of Gandhara), Yamada Kihito, ISBN 4898061060
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.Origins of Different Expressions
Qualities of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
Triratna symbol
The Three Jewels are also symbolized by the triratna, composed of (from bottom to top):
On representations of the footprint of the Buddha, the Triratna is usually also surmounted by the Dharma wheel.Meaning of the Three Jewels
165.
Mahaparinibbana sutta:
Buddha in sanskrit means "knowing (gnosis) wisdom,discerned intelligence, perfectly awakened".
Dharma in sanskrit means "truth"
Sangha is the Arya Sangha or community of saints as well as the community of men and women who share our goals of perfect awakening.
I go take refuge in the guidance of Perfectly awakened wisdom
I go take refuge in THE TRUTH
I go take refuge in the saints and community who share this goal
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