Nyanatiloka
The Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, are called ‘The Three Jewels’ on account of their matchless purity, and as being to the Buddhist the most precious objects in the world. These ‘Three Jewels’ form also the ‘Threefold Refuge’ of the Buddhist, in the words by which he professes, or re-affirms, his acceptance of them as the guides of his life and thought.
The Pali formula of Refuge is: “I go for refuge to the Buddha, I go for refuge to the Dhamma, I go for refuge to the Sangha.” It is through the simple act of reciting this formula three times that one declares oneself a Buddhist.
The Five Precepts
After the formula of the Threefold Refuge follows usually the acceptance of the Five Moral Precepts. Their observance is the minimum standard needed to form the basis of a decent life and of further progress towards Deliverance: 1. I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from killing living beings. 2. I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from taking things not given. 3. I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from sexual misconduct. 4. I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from false speech. 5. I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness.
The Four Noble Truths
Buddha says: “It is through not understanding, not realizing four things, that I, Disciples, as well as you, had to wander so long through this round of rebirths. And what are these four things? They are: The Noble Truth of Suffering; The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering; The Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering; The Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the Extinction of Suffering.
“As long as the absolutely true knowledge and insight as regards these Four Noble Truths was not quite clear in me, so long was I not sure that I had won that supreme Enlightenment which is unsurpassed in all the world with its heavenly beings, evil spirits and gods, amongst all the hosts of ascetics and priests, heavenly beings and men. But as soon as the absolute true knowledge and insight as regards these Four Noble Truths had become perfectly clear in me, there arose in me the assurance that I had won that supreme Enlightenment unsurpassed.
“And I discovered that profound truth, so difficult to perceive, difficult to understand, tranquilizing and sublime, which is not to be gained by mere reasoning, and is visible only to the wise. The world, however, is given to pleasure, delighted with pleasure, enchanted with pleasure. Truly, such beings will hardly understand the law of conditionality, the Dependent Origination of everything; incomprehensible to them will also be the end of all formations, the forsaking of every substratum of rebirth, the fading away of craving, detachment, extinction.”
Excerpted from ‘The Word Of The Buddha’ by Nyanatiloka. Buddha Purnima is being celebrated on May 18
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