“You have to do the practice yourself.”

The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

28 July 2023

“You have to do the practice yourself.”

Question:  “What does it mean by taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha? I also read that one should be one's own refuge. What is the difference?”

Than Ajahn:  “Taking refuge in Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha means you take the Triple Gem as your teacher. 

Before you can teach yourself, you need someone to guide you because in the beginning you don’t know what you should do. So you need a teacher to tell you what to do. You need the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha as your refuge, as your teacher.

Once you have learnt from the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha and once you know what you are supposed to do, then you have to be your own refuge. You have to apply what you have learnt because the Buddha cannot do it for you, the Sangha cannot do it for you. You have to do it yourself. So this is what it means by taking your self as your own refuge: you have to do the practice yourself. 

You need both: taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha as your teacher and be your own refuge as a practitioner.”

Q&A, May 05, 2017.

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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