The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
28 August 2024
Q: Is it possible to take refuge from you?
Than Ajahn: I cannot give you a refuge. You have to be your own refuge. I can only give you instruction on how to have a refuge.
When we take the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha as our refuges, it means we take them as our teacher.
That’s all. We believe in our teacher’s teachings and we don’t believe in other people’s teachings. If other people’s teachings contradict with the teachings of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, we will only follow the teachings of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha if we want to get rid of all suffering. So when you asked me questions and I answered your questions, you are already taking refuge from me automatically without having to go through the ritual, ‘Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi, Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi, Sanghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.’
“Dhamma in English, Apr 14, 2024.”
- - - - -
Question: Can Ajahn elaborate on what it means by taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma 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 knew what you are supposed to do, then you have to be your own refuge. You have to apply what you have learnt yourself 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 yourself as your own refuge: you have to do the practice yourself. So you need both: you need to take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha as your teacher and you need to be your own refuge as a practitioner.
“Dhamma in English, May 5, 2017.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
No comments:
Post a Comment