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The Means
Three Jewels
The Three Jewels
• The Three Jewels are the
Buddha, Dhamma, and
Sangha
• Also known as Three
Treasures, Three
Refuges, or the Tiratana
• The Dhamma could not
have been taught without
the Buddha, and could
not have been followed
without the Sangha, so
the three are inseparable.
•
They are known as the Three Refuges,
because the Buddhist promise of
devotion says:
“I take refuge in the Buddha,
I take refuge in the Dhamma,
I take refuge in the Sangha.”
• Taking refuge is making a promise to be devoted
to the Buddha and his teachings.
• It is also a sign of the support structure of the
religion – a refuge is somewhere you turn for
security and guidance
Trikaya
• Trikaya = Three Bodies (of the Buddha)
• This is a Mahayana concept, NOT a
Theravada one!
• Theravada focus on the HISTORICAL
example of the man Siddhartha Gautama /
the Buddha
• Mahayana see different aspects to ‘him’ –
the historical and the supernatural /
metaphysical side
Buddha - Trikaya
1. Nirmanakaya – Human form sent to
teach humans / many different bodies
(Siddhartha was one)
2. Sambhogakaya – Eternal Buddha / what
gets embodied in human form, the ‘future
Buddha’ Maitreya, etc
3. Dhammakaya – Ultimate reality / Buddha
nature (in all beings)
Different Interpretations of Buddha (Historical V Trikaya)
2 – Dhamma-Kaya (Truth Body) –
Qualities that make up the ‘buddha-nature’
/ truth of reality.
3. Sambhoga-Kaya
(Enjoyment Body) –
e.g. Bodhisattvas
1 – Nirmana-Kaya
(Physical Body) –
Siddhartha
Gautama [Buddha
Shakyamuni]
Mahayana
Historical
Buddha
Shakyamuni
TIME
Theravada
The Buddha is a historical figure ONLY – a ‘saint’. He
left behind his teachings to show the ‘path’. Theravada
Buddhists rely on themselves and the teachings only.
Dhamma
• Can mean ‘teachings’ / truth / way / etc
• It is sometimes used to mean Buddhism
• Usually seen as Four Noble Truths and
Eightfold Path
• Scriptures can be dhamma
• Central to Buddhism
• Like a raft – to be used to reach
enlightenment
Sangha
•
•
•
•
Community of Buddhists
Specifically monks
Monks = bhikkus
Can become a monks for life, or just a
short time
• Monks live by 10 Precepts and many other
rules in Vinaya Pitaka scriptures (laity only
use 5 Precepts)
• Differences between monks and laity will
differ depending on school of Buddhism
Questions
1. Why are the Three Refuges important?
(6 KU)
2. Explain each aspect of the Trikaya (6
KU)
3. What is dhamma? (4 KU)
4. What is the sangha? (2 KU)
5. Why are the Three Jewels important? (4
AE)