TAKING REFUGE IN THE THREE JEWELS WITH LAMA SONAM TASHI RINPOCHE IN THE DUDJOM TERSAR LINEAGE

A Lifelong Commitment

According to the commitments presented by Lama Sonam Tashi Rinpoche, taking Refuge is more than participating in a ceremony or receiving a Dharma name.

Practitioners make a lifelong commitment to rely upon the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha as their sources of Refuge on the path to liberation and awakening.

Refuge establishes the direction of Buddhist life:

• The Buddha is the guide;
• The Dharma is the path;
• The Sangha is the community that preserves and practises the teachings.

The meaning of Refuge is revealed through one’s conduct after the ceremony: studying the Dharma, preserving the precepts, and gradually transforming body, speech, and mind.

1. Taking Refuge in the Buddha

The disciple makes the commitment:

For the rest of my life, I take Refuge in the Buddha, the Awakened One and supreme teacher of gods and human beings.

Taking Refuge in the Buddha means accepting awakening as the goal and the Buddha as the guide.

Practitioners pay reverence to images of the Buddhas in their different forms. These images serve as reminders of awakened wisdom, compassion, and qualities.

2. Taking Refuge in the Dharma

The disciple makes the commitment:

For the rest of my life, I take Refuge in the Dharma, the teaching that leads beyond cyclic existence to liberation and awakening.

Taking Refuge in the Dharma means relying upon the Buddha’s teachings and their practice as the path for transforming ignorance, afflictive emotions, and suffering.

Practitioners respect Dharma scriptures and authentic teachings in their different forms. Genuine respect involves not only placing texts in a clean and elevated place, but also reading, contemplating, and applying their meaning.

3. Taking Refuge in the Sangha

The disciple makes the commitment:

For the rest of my life, I take Refuge in the Sangha, the harmonious community that preserves and practises the path of awakening.

Taking Refuge in the Sangha means relying upon realised beings and the genuine community of those who study, practise, and transmit the Dharma.

Respect for the Sangha does not require believing that every individual within a community is perfect. It means valuing the Sangha and those who sincerely preserve the teachings.

The Five Precepts

Together with Refuge, disciples are instructed to preserve five fundamental precepts.

1. Not to Kill

Practitioners refrain from deliberately taking the lives of sentient beings and endeavour to protect life and cultivate compassion.

2. Not to Take What Has Not Been Given

Practitioners refrain from stealing or taking money, possessions, or resources without the owner’s consent.

3. Not to Engage in Sexual Misconduct

Practitioners avoid sexual conduct involving deception, coercion, betrayal, exploitation, or harm.

4. Not to Lie

Practitioners refrain from deliberate falsehood and from using speech to deceive or harm others.

They endeavour to speak truthfully, harmoniously, and meaningfully.

5. Not to Use Intoxicants or Addictive Substances

Practitioners avoid substances that cause heedlessness, loss of awareness, or addiction.

This precept protects mindfulness, health, and self-control.

Three Practices to Cultivate

1. Reverence for Images of the Buddhas

Practitioners respect images of the Buddhas in their different forms and treat them as reminders of awakened qualities rather than ordinary decorations.

2. Reverence for Dharma Scriptures

Practitioners respect Dharma texts and teachings of different kinds.

The deepest form of respect is to study, contemplate, and put the teachings into practice.

3. Reverence for the Sangha and Practice Community

Practitioners respect the Sangha and sincere practitioners at different stages of the path.

They endeavour not to look down upon beginners, compete over spiritual status, or use the Dharma to elevate themselves above others.

Three Things to Avoid

1. Not Taking Worldly Deities as the Ultimate Refuge

The Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are accepted as the ultimate sources of Refuge on the path to liberation.

This means not replacing the Three Jewels with complete reliance upon worldly gods, supernatural powers, or other objects that cannot lead to complete liberation.

2. Not Harming Sentient Beings

Practitioners endeavour not to harm beings through body, speech, or mind.

When they are unable to help, they should at least try not to increase the suffering of others.

3. Not Keeping Harmful Company

Practitioners should be careful about close association with people who repeatedly encourage unwholesome conduct or firmly promote extreme wrong views.

The two extremes mentioned are:

• Eternalism: belief in a permanent, unchanging self or entity;
• Nihilism: denial of moral causality, karma, or the consequences of one’s actions.

This does not mean hating or abandoning people with different beliefs. Practitioners may still treat them with compassion while protecting their own understanding and direction of practice.

Maintaining Refuge in Daily Life

Refuge is not preserved only in temples or ceremonies.

It can be maintained by:

• Remembering the Three Jewels each day;
• Reciting the Refuge prayer;
• Studying and contemplating the Dharma;
• Preserving the Five Precepts;
• Avoiding harm;
• Respecting Buddha images and Dharma texts;
• Respecting the practice community;
• Acknowledging and correcting mistakes;
• Dedicating wholesome actions for all sentient beings.

Practitioners are not expected to become perfect immediately. What matters is maintaining the right direction and returning to the Three Jewels whenever they recognise that they have moved away from the Dharma.

Refuge Is Not the Same as Ngakpa Vows

Refuge is the common foundation of Buddhist life. Ngakpa vows are a separate commitment for those who wish to live as non-monastic Vajrayana practitioners.

A person who takes Refuge alone is not automatically required to:

• Receive Ngakpa vows;
• Prepare Ngakpa attire;
• Maintain commitments specifically assigned to Ngakpas;
• Accept the samaya of a yidam;
• Practise restricted Vajrayana teachings without empowerment.

Each commitment should be studied and received separately under the guidance of Lama Sonam Tashi Rinpoche.

Conclusion

The Refuge commitments presented by Lama Sonam Tashi Rinpoche consist of four principal areas:

1. Lifelong Refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha;
2. Preservation of the Five Precepts;
3. Three practices of reverence connected with the Three Jewels;
4. Three actions to avoid in order to protect one’s Refuge.

The ceremony marks a beginning. Continued study, ethical conduct, and practice bring the commitment to life.

Note

This article follows the Refuge commitments provided for those taking Refuge with Lama Sonam Tashi Rinpoche. The precise instructions given during the ceremony should be followed according to the teacher or an authorised representative.

Furhter reading:
Lama Sonam Tashi Rinpoche: Preserving the Lineage Through Practice and Service

REFUGE AND NGAKPA VOWS: WHAT TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE MAKING A COMMITMENT