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Summary

The gist of our discussion of the Triple Gem comes down simply to this:

A. ‘Buddha’ can be divided into a number of levels. The ‘Buddha’ of his physical representatives refers to Buddha images, stūpas, and places worthy of veneration such as his birthplace, the place of his Awakening, the place where he delivered his first sermon, and the place where he entered total nibbāna, which at present lie within the boundaries of India and Nepal. All of these things qualify on the physical level as symbols of the Buddha for those who revere them, but they may be disqualified if the people who revere them lack the necessary inner qualifications.

Take Buddha images as an example: You should understand Buddha images as having three characteristic types –

In other words, Buddha images can be beneficial or harmful depending on how they are used by those who revere them. Even people who use them as charms in committing robbery, casting spells, or performing black magic may get results because of the power of their conviction. But if we can be selective and use these images in ways that are right, the potency they contain will benefit us, bringing us blessings and protecting us from danger. Thus, the symbols of the Buddha can function in various ways. There is much more to this topic, but if we were to discuss it here, it would draw things out even further. These images can either qualify or be disqualified as symbols of the Buddha, depending on the people who revere them, but the images in themselves are neutral.

The important point for people who hope for true welfare, though, is to invest themselves with the qualities that serve on the inner level as symbols of reverence for the Buddha. These qualities are three –

B. Dhamma: Good Dhamma is of three sorts –

1. Pariyatti-dhamma: This refers to studying and memorizing passages from the Discourses, the Vinaya, and the Abhidhamma, which qualify on the physical level as a symbol of the Dhamma or of the Buddhist religion. But this, too, can either qualify or be disqualified as a symbol. Some people, for example, use passages from the Dhamma in committing robbery or casting spells. For instance, they repeat the chant of the virtues of the Dhamma or the phrase, ‘Namo buddhāya,’ three times or seven times, and then commit thievery or highway robbery, believing that they have made themselves invincible. Or when casting spells, they repeat the phrase, ‘Na-mettā, mo-karuṇā, da-love me, I won’t go, you come, omasavāha’ – they say that this makes a woman really fall for a man. This sort of thing disqualifies the phrase, even though its original meaning may have been something good.

But if we revere the Dhamma and make use of it through the power of our conviction, memorizing passages of Pali for the sake of what is good and pure, and then putting them into practice, they will give rise to merit and skillfulness. For example, if we repeat the phrase, ‘Dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi (I go to the Dhamma for refuge),’ or ‘Namo buddhāya (Homage to the Buddha),’ with heartfelt conviction, giving rise to a sense of joy, this mental state can then serve to protect us from certain kinds of accidents and harm. We may reap real benefits from the phrase we repeat. This is something that people who have respect for the Dhamma should investigate carefully.

These passages, then, can qualify as symbols of the Dhamma – or be disqualified, if we don’t know their true purposes.

2. Paṭipatti-dhamma: This refers to behaving sincerely in line with the Buddha’s teachings:

3. Paṭivedha-dhamma: This refers to disbanding defilement completely, releasing the mind from all suffering and stress. This qualifies as the true treasure of the Dhamma.

All three of the levels mentioned here form the inner qualifications of those who truly revere and follow the Dhamma.

C. Saṅgha: If we translate this as a substantive, it refers to those who shave their heads and wear the yellow robe as a sign of having been ordained. These people can qualify on the external level as symbols of the Saṅgha or they may be disqualified. To qualify, they have to meet three criteria:

When an individual ordains in line with these criteria, he qualifies as a symbol of the Saṅgha. But viewed from another angle, if the individual has met these criteria and becomes a monk but doesn’t behave in line with the Dhamma and Vinaya – disobeying the training rules established by the Buddha, committing major and minor offenses with no sense of shame – he becomes disqualified on the personal level, just as a Buddha image that has been properly consecrated but is then put to improper uses by evil or low-minded people is bound to lead to harm. A monk with no sense of shame or compunction is like a Buddha image inhabited by an angry demon. Normally, when an angry demon takes possession of a person, it reveals itself by its behavior. For example, when some angry demons take possession, they like to run around naked, harassing other people. If a person has no sense of shame or compunction, it’s as if he were possessed by an angry demon. In other words, if he doesn’t have any moral restraint, it’s as if he lacked the clothing needed to hide his nakedness. And when this is the case, he is disqualified as a symbol of the Saṅgha.

A person who meets the three external qualifications mentioned above has to behave in line with the inner virtues of the Saṅgha –

If a monk has these qualities (termed deva-dhamma, the qualities of heavenly beings), it’s as if he were inhabited by a deva (uju-paṭipanno).

All four of these qualities form the inner qualifications of the Saṅgha.

Speaking in terms of these inner qualifications, every person can become a member of the Saṅgha. But if we don’t develop these qualities within ourselves and then take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha only on the external level without practicing, how will we get the full benefits? We’re taught that if we can’t depend on ourselves, how can we hope to depend on others? For example, if an evil person breaks the law, commits robbery, and then asks the government to give him help, you can rest assured that the only help the government will give him will be to build a home for him to live in discomfort – a jail. In the same way, if we don’t practice in line with the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha, how can we go around taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha? The Buddha taught:

So we should develop the inner qualifications of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha within ourselves. Then we will belong to the company of the Buddha’s followers. If we belong to the religion as laywomen, we’re called upāsikā. If we belong as laymen, we’re called upāsaka. If we observe the ten precepts and are endowed with the virtues of the Saṅgha, we’re termed sāmaṇera. If we take a vow to join the community of those who fully observe the 227 precepts, we’re termed bhikkhu. When we join the company of the Buddha’s followers (Buddha-parisā) in this way, all people in general who practice and revere the teachings will benefit – just as when we meet the qualifications of a good citizen as set out by the policies of the government: If we are trained and educated to be good, we are bound to help the nation progress and prosper. But if we don’t view ourselves as part of the nation and don’t think of making a living to support ourselves, and instead simply go around looking for pleasure or for help from others, the results are bound to be bad.

Therefore, we as Buddhists have to study and practice before we can be Buddhists of virtue and value. We will then reap rewards in the visible present. And even if we are no longer able to live in this world, then when our bodies die and we head for another world, we have a good destination awaiting us, as in the verse from the Mahāsamaya Sutta:

‘Those who reach the refuge of the Buddha (in their own hearts, with purity) will close off all four of the lower realms (such as hell). When they leave this life they are bound for a good bourn (heaven), there to fill the ranks of the gods.’