The Refuge Ceremony
The Homage
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma-sambuddhassa (3x)
(I pay homage to the blessed one, the worthy one, the perfectly enlightened one)
The Refuges
Buddham Saranam Gacchamami (I go to the Buddha for refuge)
Dhammam Saranam Gacchami (I go to the Dhamma for refuge)
Sangham Saranam Gacchami (I go to the Sangha for refuge)
Dutiyampi Buddham Saranam Gacchami (For a second time I go to the Buhhda for refuge)
Duiyampi Dhammam Saranam Gacchami (For a second time I go to the Dhamma for refuge)
Dutiyampi Sangham Saranam Gacchami (For a second time I go to the Sangha for refuge)
Tatiyampi Buddham Saranam Gacchami (For a third time I go to the Buddha for refuge)
Tatyampi Dhammam Saranam Gacchami (For a third time I go the Sangha for refuge)
The Precepts
1. I undertake the precept to refrain from killing living beings.
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from stealing, taking that which is not freely offered.
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct.
4. I undertake the precept to refrain from false and malicious speech.
5. I undertake the precept to refrain from the misuse of intoxicants that cause heedlessness.
The Refuge Ceremony offered in full, annually at IMFW, and recommitted to every second Tuesday evening, reminds us of the foundation of our moral and ethical conduct practice. The five precepts provide us with an orientation that can help spark virtuous activity in our everyday life.
Virtue can have a heavily moralistic or religious overtone, but Buddhist practice views ethical conduct as our determination to develop the wisdom to see clearly how the world works and the compassion to always hold the welfare of others in mind.
The precepts are guidelines, not rules to make us feel guilt or shame. They are ways to help raise our level of awareness to what is going on at this moment in our life. Holding the precepts leads to happiness when practiced. They are a basic structure that can form our life path to Do No Harm.
The Precepts Ceremony invites those present to undertake the five basic precepts to not harm others through our speech and actions. The precepts are:
1. I undertake to refrain from killing and harming living beings.
2. I undertake to refrain from stealing and taking that which is not mine.
3. I undertake to refrain from causing harm through sexual misconduct.
4. I undertake to refrain from false speech, harmful speech, gossip, and slander.
5. I undertake to refrain from the misuse of intoxicants or substances such as alcohol or drugs that cause carelessness or loss of awareness.
“The positive power of virtue is enormous. When we don’t live by these precepts, it is said we live like wild beasts; without them, all other spiritual practice is a sham. Imagine trying to sit down to meditate after a day of lying and stealing. Then imagine what a different world this would be if everyone kept even one precept-not to kill, not to lie, not to steal. We would truly create a new world order.” (Jack Kornfield, A Path with Heart)
If our intention for being human is to be happy, then practicing the five precepts will help to bring that about.
Preceding the precepts ceremony, we will chant the three refuges. This will be a call and response chanting of taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. The following is a brief description of each refuge.
1. I go to the Buddha for refuge. When we take refuge in the Buddha, it is not taking refuge in the man who was called Buddha as a god or energy source but refuge in the “awakened,” knowing faculty of all hearts and minds. Following his enlightenment, the Buddha was asked by those he met along the road, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am awake.” We make a commitment to mindfulness, to awaken. We make a commitment to our knowing what is true in the present moment. When we take refuge in the Buddha, we are acknowledging confidence in the practice of wakefulness.
2. I go to the Dhamma for refuge. When we take refuge in the Dhamma, it is more than the words that were spoken by Buddha. We take refuge in truth, the way it is here and now. When we take refuge in the Dhamma, we are surrendering to the impermanent, selfless, nature and unsatisfactoriness of life, not our belief of how life should be if we could control it. We have confidence that “letting go” of beliefs and opinions can lead to happiness. We have awareness that trying to “hold on” to things causes suffering. We have faith in the natural law of experience—that all causes have effects. We open to the truth, to the way life actually is; the orderliness of the truth of nature itself and how it functions. There is no refuge in the conditioned reality of greed, hatred and delusion. The world our mind creates and that we cling to is illusory and causes suffering. Therefore, we take refuge in the here and now.
3. I go to the Sangha for refuge. We have faith and commitment to those who are practicing to awaken to the truth. It is you and I, those of us who recognize this as a path to Truth. It is individuals and groups committed to recognizing the truth in the now. We place confidence in this group that is practicing together and supporting each other in our practice. In the Sangha we have faith that letting go of self-centered views and self-concern is necessary and that this leads to a noble, unselfish response to life.
When the awakened heart knows the way things truly are, what springs forth is harmonious and virtuous action.