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Venerable Ajahn Sucitto -
What Is "Refuge" and why take it?
‘Going for Refuge’ is the phrase
which expresses making a commitment to the Path of Awakening as first
taught by the Buddha Gotama over 2,500 years ago. It has a curiously
humble ring: not so much ‘Onwards to the Light’ or ‘To Attain the
Supreme’ as ‘finding a safe place out of the storm.’ But the Buddha was
a pragmatist, and his Path is based not so much upon spiritual ideals,
but on finding remedies to the problems that we all face whether we have
a religious bent or not. All of us look for stability and well-being in
our lives. The conviction that leads one to ‘Going for Refuge’ is simply
that the Buddha’s Path offers the most complete and reliable means of
fulfilling those needs.
The issues of security and well-being override or underpin all other
concerns. Uncertainty or inability to achieve these to a tolerable level
can drive people into deep anxiety and despair; or generate acts of
violence. For the sake of security, people will suffer dictatorship or
reduction of liberty in the naïve faith that Big Brother will look after
me (though everyone knows he’s looking after himself). Threats to
security are considered adequate cause to inflict damage on whole
populations who offer us no threat. This is nothing new. Promises of
greater well-being come with every soap-powder commercial…and although
on one level we don’t believe it, the nerve that it touches has such a
deep-rooted reflex that we are moved by the message. Not that humans
haven’t developed – a minority of us live longer and with greater
material comforts than ever. But as is evident in the anxieties,
violence, global pandemics, and malnutrition of the current age, the
issues of freedom from harm and abuse, of the ability to feel joyful and
at ease, and of having a meaningful course in life remain unresolved.
What can we do about it?
To return to this last issue, the one that concerns action: what do I do
to feel secure and feel good? There’s a lot happening that is
involuntary – the growth and degeneration of our bodies, as well as the
feelings and moods that arise dependent on what is going on in and
around us. And as we receive all these messages, the issue arises – what
do I do about this? Do I follow every pleasant feeling, every
attraction, no matter what? If I don’t like something should I destroy
it, run away from it or try to change it? What are the terms and the
principles that govern my actions? Whose advice, whose laws should I
follow? As all this is so vital to every moment of our lives, most of us
will just follow what our peers, leaders, or group do at least for a
while. It gives us a line to work on. They may be right, and at least
we’ll avoid blame and punishment. So right from day one, the issues of
action, of finding stability in the known, and of freedom from hurt are
intertwined. We begin to find out what actually works through the slow
process of experience, but initially we will follow the norm established
by others. When we’re infants, we can’t wait ten years until we can
navigate through the potential threats of machinery and chemicals and
strange people: we just have to accept restraint and guidance from day
one. We go for refuge to other people, because action and response to
what’s going on is an inevitable, significant and pressing concern. The
first voluntary act in our lives is therefore an act of faith or trust –
that someone or some group norm, or principle will guide us. That’s an
act of faith: maybe there isn’t anything we can rely on, but that act of
faith makes life manageable. So around trusting some reference points,
principles get formed which offer some sense of assurance – even if,
when all other options seem unavailable, that means just the moment of
glorious conviction that a suicide bomber feels in following his/her
purpose.
Objectively we can acknowledge that we can easily adopt harmful
principles, or ones that don’t go very far. The principle that ‘whatever
feels good, is good’ isn’t a reliable guide for our welfare. Eating junk
food, whiling away the time in mindless occupations, getting stuck in
habits that abuse body and mind, or just making a nuisance for others –
we humans can be our own worst enemies. Therefore, a primary issue is:
how do we know whether an action is skilful or not? The scope of this
topic expands when we consider ‘doing’ to cover mental and verbal action
as well as the physical; to refer to what we believe in, and to the
impulses that arises in the mind, behind what we say and do. So this
isn’t a matter of religious or ideological belief: actions occur, they
have effects, and they are something that we can have immediate say
over. It’s also clear that we can reflect and learn from actions. We can
‘do’ some considering of where our life is going, and we can ‘do’ some
reflecting on the results of how we act in the macro and micro domains
of our lives. Such as ‘when I act on the impulse to destroy or damage a
living creature – how does that feel now, and what are the results in
the future?’ Something in us may approve of or even enjoy killing some
creatures some of the time: what is that mind-state? Would I like to
have more of it or less? How would it be if that mind-state were
directed towards myself?’ Or, ‘When I let the impulse to buy another new
gadget or fashionable item pass, what are the results?’ There’s probably
a moment of disappointment, and as that passes, a sense of openness.
We’ve suspended an action in order to examine and evaluate what it
brings with it, and through this act of non-involvement, there is a
deepening of attention. This helps us to live a voluntary and skilfully
engaged life; and with that approach, learning can occur. Accordingly,
through enacting an inquiry that stands back from changing
circumstances, we begin to establish and fine-tune principles that will
grant us greater clarity and well-being.
Through learning principles in terms of how we act, we can avoid getting
into actions that we regret later, or that undermine our potential for
clarity and well-being in the future. This is the aim of Going for
Refuge, of using the Buddha’s teachings as a guideline: to further this
ongoing process. And it begins with the act of suspending a reflex
action or assumption. This amounts to an act of faith. Faith in this
sense is not a belief, but an ‘action’ of mind or heart whereby for a
moment one holds one’s attitudes, emotional drives and programs in
check. But although it follows on from a small action, this
non-involvement is a moment of the Awakening that is the very heart of
Buddhism, or more accurately of ‘Buddha,’ ‘the Awake.’ With
non-involvement we move from the surface currents of the mind into the
quality of awareness itself. This deepening is what going for Refuge and
living it out is all about. It is a shift that eventually touches into
the most reliable and untroubled place we can know.
In summary, the Refuge is to be recollected in three aspects: Buddha,
the ‘Awake,’ Dhamma, the principles, and Sangha, the ongoing human
engagement and fruition in terms both of Awakening and of daily life.
This ‘triple Gem’ is generally presented in symbolic or archetypal ways.
That is, ‘Buddha’ is represented by the person, the 5th century BCE
teacher who was referred to as ‘the Awake,’ ‘Dhamma’ as his teachings,
and ‘Sangha’ as those who are practising in accordance with his
teachings. And all this is something that we can pick up as a valid and
useful tool to assist establishing Refuge in our lives. Because it’s
good to have something to refer to that isn’t just happening in one’s
heart or mind (even though the idea of a teacher in the 5th century BCE
is an event in one’s own mind, but you get what I mean – it’s a
shareable reference). Having these Refuges as ‘external’ means that we
can, at moments when we’re not that Awake and grounded, get a reminder.
We can get a nudge from a Buddha image that reminds us of being clear
and fully present and peaceful; we can get a pointer from a fragment of
a Dhamma-teaching such as ‘we inherit the results of our actions’ that
causes us to pause and wake up a bit. And we can get some sense of group
support and encouragement from reflecting on Sangha as the fellowship of
all those who make commitments and realise degrees of Awakening,
however, whenever, whoever. Held in this way the emblems and conventions
of going for Refuge provide a base for the stability that we are moved
towards.
Otherwise we gravitate towards finding that in our ideas, and
mind-states. It’s a subtle point but considering the range of ideas that
people have accepted as real and true throughout history – from the
flatness of the earth above which a bowl of sky was inverted, to
substances like the Philosopher’s Stone and phlogiston, to cures like
cupping and bleeding to cure the ague – the mind is inclined towards
certainty and knowing the answer more often than acknowledging the truth
of the limitations of ideas. This is not to dismiss ideas, but to help
us step back and contemplate them with an awareness of how it feels to
hold an idea, of the attractions and the effect of that. Then we can
also measure the value of an idea against ethical principles such as
honesty and non-harming, and against how it assists Awakening. Because
the moment of Awakening that we can know right now, the most immediate
Buddha that we can access, is in that act of stepping back from the
idea, the emotion, the psychological pattern that is happening. And that
redefines what ‘knowing’ (which is another way of translating ‘Buddha’)
is. ‘Knowing’ in the Buddhist sense is not a particular idea, but an
awareness that can embrace and transcend the whole process that an idea
or an emotion goes through. Simply speaking, a thought or an emotion
arises out of an urge to act or engage; it attracts energy and
attention; it arouses conviction; it stimulates the heart and causes
other thoughts and emotions to arise; and it passes, leaving other
thoughts and emotions to carry on…and they all do exactly the same.
That’s how our personal world runs on and on. So when we recollect
Buddha as ‘knower of the world,’ we take Refuge in an awareness that can
know, embrace and transcend all the movements of mind.
And further what Buddha can do, is to be quite specific, given the
general process of thoughts and impulses, about which ones to act upon
and when. This choice is made in accordance with Dhamma. So Buddha is
also recollected, both as that historical individual and as the quality
of Awakening, as ‘accomplished in terms of clarity and conduct.’ Buddha
doesn’t just let the world go by, it relates to action and the concerns
of time and place. But always in accord with Dhamma, the second aspect
of the Refuge.
What in its most portable and immediate sense is Dhamma? Particularly as
Dhamma is to be recollected as ‘directly visible, timeless, encouraging
investigation, and accessible.’ What is a Refuge that I can take and
live without having to have my head stuck in a book for hours every day?
Well, what we can directly know that encourages us to investigate is the
process of cause and effect, or kamma. That is we are in a world where
things are affecting each other, sometimes with positive results,
sometimes not; sometimes short-term benefits, sometimes long-term;
sometimes unpleasant in the short-term but beneficial in the long run
(like some forms of exertion) – and vice versa. Some things people enjoy
doing, such as drinking, drugs, casual sex can be immediately
pleasurable, but have long term negative effects. And it’s quite easy to
do really harmful things such as taking life, even one’s one: kamma is a
big issue and not a simple one. Going for Refuge as Dhamma proceeds from
Refuge in Buddha because what we do and the effect of that is too
crucial to approach without some backing. It requires that act of faith
to be willing to check even pleasurable actions for long enough to get
some Awakening knowing to look into what motivates them, and what they
result in. So Going for Refuge also means being prepared to listen to
and give due inquiry to the advice of the historical Buddha. The mind is
too easily seduced by moods and feelings, convincing arguments, group
pressures and so on to not seek reliable advice. And looking to someone
who is impartial, lived according to ethical principles, and lived at
peace with themselves is a good place to start.
The key guidance of the Buddha is: look at intention. Look at the
ethical, attitudinal, emotional place where your actions are coming
from. Do they proceed from reaction or clarity; do they lead to stress
and imbalance or to ease and steadiness? If you can, assess where other
people’s ethics and emotions are at. Are they about conscientiousness,
kindness, honesty or not? When you keep addressing this point, you live
in accordance with Dhamma. Because that basis of action in terms of
body, speech or mind will take you to a place you can trust, and to
establishing principles you can live by. And because of that you get the
well-being of an assured and contented mind. A mind that can be steady
and at peace in the world is going to be a more consistent source of
well-being than anything born from sense-input and social contact.
The Dhamma has to be addressed from different angles. We have to look at
the most obvious physical actions, such as physical abuse or its
opposite of healing and protecting, verbal ones of deceit or honesty,
and most important the mental/psychological actions. These latter would
include bearing grudges as against cultivating forgiveness, or adopting
a belief as against sustaining the willingness to inquire. So looking
deeply into the mind, and calming, gladdening and freeing it are an
essential aspect of Dhamma practice – ‘meditation’ in the Buddhist
sense. But before we get into all that, it’s valuable to really get the
point that practising Dhamma is not just about the here and now and
being in stillness. Certainly the Dhamma is called ‘visible here and
now,’ but one thing that is visible in the here and now are the effects
of previous actions. This ‘right view’ validates both the stillness of
knowing, and the relevance of action. What one does, says, believes or
denies in the here and now has effects; here and now will become there
and then in due course! Even not-doing – not walking the dog, not
offering an apology or a word of congratulation, not considering the
welfare of others – has its effects. In the stillness of mind we open to
this reality, and we also understand right action. The paramount action
has to be that of learning and training the mind, so that we operate
from right view. We need to fully inhabit our life, our body and heart,
with clarity. We need to give balanced attention to what everyone else
says and does, rather than shut it out, or get caught up in it. Rather
than wait for a mystic moment, right view keeps the mind directly
relating to what is arising?
To get the fullness of Dhamma-practice entails taking Refuge in Sangha.
Sangha is the reference to the humanity of the practice, to the
aspirations and ongoing living out of the Path of Dhamma. Now
Dhamma-practices, ways of cultivating and training the mind, are
wide-ranging and numerous. But to use them, like learning to ride a
bike, takes skill, practice, modelling and guidance. Others who have
practised sense-restraint, or meditation can show you if it works, how
it works and what the pitfalls are. More experienced people can give you
an idea of how you should begin, and how you can develop and a
Dhamma-practice. It’s good to know where you’re going wrong, and you’re
only really going to know that by referring to other, more experienced
people. Because in terms of the mind there are layers and areas that we
just don’t see unless someone else points it out. Sometimes qualities
like sincerity are so natural to us that we don’t appreciate our own
goodness. On the other hand, something like envy can be so ingrained
that we really believe that everyone else is getting a better deal than
we are. We may step back from a thought, but not notice an emotional
bias. And it’s also the case in our speech, which may contain attitudes
that we’re unaware of. Just as it’s difficult to really understand the
finer points of a car’s performance while you’re absorbed into getting
somewhere in a hurry, we benefit from slowing down and having others
point out what our words sound like, and what habits the mind gets stuck
in. That takes compassion and care, rather than fault-finding. So if
you’re interested in bringing the fullness of your life under the
guidance of Dhamma, you look for a teacher, spiritual companions, and
like-minded people whose compassion and skill you can rely upon.
As is painfully evident in the history of religion, great ideas of love
and truth and peace can, through fallible leadership, empower acts of
violence and conquest. Therefore the Sangha that you can rely upon has
to be one which is led by reliable and compassionate practices; who
right now act with compassion and clarity – rather than defend the
principle of compassion with violence.
Practice, rather than ideals, is the basis of Buddhism; it keeps us in
touch with what we’re doing now. It is the process of thoroughly
understanding and liberating the mind through ethics, meditation and
wisdom. And although meditation practices are as varied as the mind
itself, to put it simply, meditation begins with taking these Refuge
principles into our thoughts and emotions, and into how we relate to
them. It develops through checking what is conducive to suffering,
stress and blindness, and what leads to ease, steadiness and clarity.
And it’s also about moderating that very doing-ness that runs through
our hearts and nerves. Through these means you know the release of the
mind. This is the greatest peace and stability that you can experience,
a Refuge beyond any action.
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