Lay Practitioner Zhuang Chunjiang: A Basic Understanding of Buddhism, Chapter 8 — Taking Refuge and Receiving Precepts

Chapter 8: Taking Refuge and Receiving Precepts

The Meaning of Taking Refuge

During the Buddha's time, lay followers would often hear the teachings directly from the Buddha or from enlightened Arhats. Profoundly awakening to the Dharma, their doubts would dissolve, giving rise to a firm, unshakable resolve. They would immediately declare their commitment to the Buddha or to the Arhat who had spoken, saying, "From this day forward, for the rest of my life, I go to the Buddha for refuge, I go to the Dharma for refuge, I go to the Sangha for refuge." In doing so, they formally became lay Buddhist practitioners (upasakas) [1]. Many would add a further vow: "From today on, I will not kill, steal, engage in sexual misconduct, lie, or consume alcohol," committing to the Five Precepts and never forgetting them [2].

From these accounts, we can see that taking refuge — early sutras use the character 归 (to return) rather than the later 皈 (to take refuge) — is essentially a personal commitment to practicing the Dharma. It is a vow, an expression of one's determination to practice for the entirety of this life. It is the grounding of one's spiritual aspiration.

Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels, Centered on the Dharma

The sutras tell us that the objects of our refuge are the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Calling them "jewels" reflects their unsurpassed preciousness.

The Buddha is a jewel — the discoverer and supreme teacher of the True Dharma. Without him, the world would be trapped in a long, dark night, without sun or moon [3]. The True Dharma is a jewel — the essential reality that guides all sentient beings, including the Buddha himself, toward liberation and the full realization of enlightenment. Without its guidance, we are like blind wanderers, forever "submerged in great darkness" [4]. The Sangha is a jewel — both the practitioners who actualize the Dharma and the transmitters who share it. Without the unbroken lineage of the Sangha, the True Dharma would have been a fleeting flash. We would not be able to hear its teachings more than two thousand years later. The Dharma endures in the world through the Sangha's continuous transmission and the dedicated practice of the Buddha's disciples [5].

Together, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha make up the complete set of conditions that allow us to hear and practice the teachings. Without the Three Jewels, we would be helpless orphans, endlessly drifting and sinking in the ocean of birth and death.

Among the Three Jewels, it is the Dharma that sits at the center. The Buddha is "the original awakened one of the Dharma," and the Sangha are "the followers who practice the Dharma" [6]. Both the Buddha and the Sangha live in accordance with the Dharma, as do all other Buddhist practitioners. Centering on the Dharma — practicing it, relying on the Dharma rather than on individuals — is a hallmark of Buddhist practice and a fundamental understanding for anyone learning Buddhism.

Rely on the Dharma, Not on the Person

In the Buddha's time, taking refuge didn't involve any elaborate ceremony. One simply stood before the Buddha or a noble monk, pressed their palms together, and sincerely voiced their wish to take lifelong refuge in the Three Jewels and uphold the Five Precepts.

Today, whether we hear the Dharma from a spiritual friend (kalyāṇamitta) or encounter it through sutras and commentaries, the process is the same. If we deeply reflect on and understand the teachings — if we resonate with the Buddhist path rooted in dependent origination and find genuine awakening — we will naturally seek out a spiritual friend to witness our formal refuge. This marks a profound, visible milestone in our practice. Having a teacher witness our vow strengthens our resolve and spurs us on, keeping our aspiration firm.

Such a solemn refuge ceremony only needs to happen once in a lifetime. Traditionally, the vow spans "from today until the end of this life." What's more, the object of our refuge is the Three Jewels as a whole. Its primary significance is a solemn vow to dedicate this life to Buddhist practice. It is not taking refuge with a particular master. So even if you admire several teachers, there's no need to take refuge multiple times. You are not taking refuge in the person officiating the ceremony, nor are you joining a specific sect. You are taking refuge in the wholeness of the Three Jewels, anchored by the True Dharma.

Receiving and Upholding the Five Precepts

While the Samyukta Agama doesn't explicitly pair the layperson's vow of refuge with the acceptance of the Five Precepts the way the Dirgha Agama does, holding these precepts remains the baseline of human conduct and the foundation of Buddhist practice. A person who genuinely takes refuge in the Three Jewels, vowing never to part from the Dharma in this life, will naturally and unavoidably uphold the Five Precepts. The absence of this detail in the Samyukta Agama should be understood as a given — something so obvious it didn't need repeating.

The Buddha taught the reasoning behind the precepts through a principle he called the "method of self-reflection" [7]. Simply put, it echoes the Confucian ideal: "Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire." This universal moral goodness is the bedrock of learning Buddhism.

The first four precepts — not killing, stealing, engaging in sexual misconduct, or lying — form the minimum moral standard that humans expect of one another, a standard that eventually becomes a demand we place on ourselves. The fifth precept, abstaining from alcohol, exists to ensure our judgment isn't impaired so that we can keep the first four. Although it is an indirect extension, it remains a necessary part of this baseline morality. As the fundamental requirements for human conduct, the Five Precepts form an indivisible whole.

Two Types of Sangha Jewel: The Noble Sangha and the Harmonious Sangha

Within the Three Jewels, centered on the Dharma, the Buddha and the Sangha are our primary sources for hearing the teachings. Since Shakyamuni Buddha entered parinirvana over two millennia ago, the responsibility of teaching the Dharma has fallen squarely on the shoulders of the Sangha.

Looking at the Sangha's function in transmitting and preserving the True Dharma in the world, we can see two types of embodiment. The first consists of Stream-enterers — those who have attained the "Pure Dharma Eye" — who have listened to and practiced the Dharma. Their realization of the Truth is so clear and stable that it will never regress. This extends all the way to the Arhats, who have fully realized liberation. These seven types of noble beings [8] can teach and positively influence others to practice correctly. They are one-hundred-percent Sangha Jewel, regardless of whether they are lay or ordained. Noble beings at or above the stage of Stream-enterer, even if they remain laypeople, can be broadly called the "Noble Sangha" [9] and count as true members of the Sangha Jewel [10].

The second type is a monastic community that follows the Buddha's disciplinary code and practices the Six Points of Reverent Harmony [11]. Even if the members of such a community have not yet awakened to the True Dharma, their collective, harmonious strength is enough to sustain the Dharma in the world. Both of these types are the Sangha Jewel in which we take refuge.

Rely on Yourself, Rely on the Dharma, and Nothing Else

The concept of refuge — finding a sanctuary or ultimate haven — exists in other religions. But for Buddhists, taking refuge in the Three Jewels isn't about becoming a subordinate of the Three Jewels, or seeking their governance and salvation. Rather, it is a commitment to our own practice and realization of the Dharma.

The path of practice that leads toward the stages of the noble ones begins with drawing near to spiritual friends and hearing the True Dharma. From there, we deeply reflect on the Dharma and practice it step by step until realization dawns [12]. On this entire journey, the only things we can truly rely upon are the Dharma itself and our own ability to absorb, reflect on, and practice it.

This is why, in his later years, the Buddha admonished Venerable Ananda: "Even the Buddha will soon pass away and become a thing of the past. Therefore, Ananda, you must rely on yourself. Make the Dharma your island, make the Dharma your refuge, and do not seek any other refuge." [13]

Buddhism is a religion of rational practice. The Buddha and the noble Sangha are our role models — figures we respect and look up to for self-encouragement. They are not crutches we lean on forever.

As Master Hongyin once noted: "Learning Buddhism is not the gratification of an image, nor the worship of an idol; it is not emotional projection, nor dependency on authority. Learning Buddhism is the purification of the mind; it is the liberation of life; it is the perfection of merit and wisdom." [14]

And this purification of the mind, liberation of life, and perfection of merit and wisdom can only come from relying on yourself and relying on the Dharma.

Notes

[1] "At that time, Acela Kassapa saw the Dharma, attained the Dharma, knew the Dharma, and plunged into the Dharma. He crossed over all doubts, not relying on others, not depending on others to cross over. His mind became fearless regarding the true Dharma and the discipline. He pressed his palms together and said to the Buddha: 'World-honored One! I have now crossed over. From this day forward, I go to the Buddha for refuge, I go to the Dharma for refuge, I go to the Sangha for refuge. I will be an upasaka for the rest of my life. Bear witness to me.'" — Samyukta Agama, Sutra 302

"At that time, the elder's son Shrona saw the Dharma, attained the Dharma, not relying on another. He gained fearlessness in the True Dharma. He rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt on one knee, pressed his palms together, and said to Shariputra: 'I have now crossed over. From this day forward, I go to the Buddha for refuge, I go to the Dharma for refuge, I go to the Sangha for refuge. I am an upasaka. From today until the end of my life, I purely take refuge in the Three Jewels.'" — Samyukta Agama, Sutra 30

"Then, the Brahmin woman of the Bhiṇṇa-kātyāyana clan saw the Dharma, attained the Dharma, knew the Dharma, and plunged into the Dharma. She crossed over her doubts, not relying on another. Entering the Buddha's teachings, she gained fearlessness in the Dharma. She rose from her seat, adjusted her robes, respectfully pressed her palms together, and said to the Venerable Udayin: 'Today I have decisively entered the stream. From today on, I go to the Buddha for refuge, I go to the Dharma for refuge, I go to the Sangha for refuge. For the rest of my life, I take refuge in the Three Jewels.'" — Samyukta Agama, Sutra 253

[2] "The lay devotees, having heard the Buddha speak the Dharma, said to him: 'We wish to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the holy assembly. We only hope the World-honored One, out of compassion, will permit us to become upasakas. From this day forward, we will not kill, steal, engage in sexual misconduct, lie, or consume alcohol, upholding the precepts without forgetting them.'" — Dirgha Agama, Sutra 2, and others.

[3] "If a Tathagata, Worthy One, and Perfectly Enlightened One does not appear in the world, and does not teach the Noble Truth of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, and the Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering, then the world is blind and dark, with no light to illuminate it. In this way, a pure, vast darkness pervades the world for a long night." — Samyukta Agama, Sutra 395

[4] "The profound and difficult-to-understand Dharma / gives rise to doubt in the world. / Submerged in great darkness, / the blind and dark see nothing. / Only those with wisdom / can dispel the gloom and open the great light." — Samyukta Agama, Sutra 308

[5] "From the perspective of ensuring the True Dharma endures in the world, Buddhist disciples need an organized community. The Buddha built the structure of this Sangha upon the foundation of the Vinaya (monastic discipline)… The Buddha used the Vinaya to gather the monastics, entrusting them with the responsibility of upholding the Dharma. The Sangha is the single essential element for the Dharma's enduring presence, so it stands alongside the Buddha and the Dharma as the Three Jewels." — Overview of the Buddha Dharma, pp. 19–20, by Venerable Yinshun.

[6] In Venerable Yinshun's Overview of the Buddha Dharma, the title of the first chapter is literally "The Dharma, and the Original Awakened One and the Followers of the Dharma."

[7] Refer to Chapter 5, Section 2: "The Application of Empathy," and Note 8 of that chapter.

[8] Referring to the seven classes of noble beings: Stream-enterer (first fruit), the one on the path to the second fruit, the Once-returner (second fruit), the one on the path to the third fruit, the Non-returner (third fruit), the one on the path to the fourth fruit, and the Arhat (fourth fruit).

[9] See Chapter 6, Note 25.

[10] "A true Sangha Jewel must realize the noble truths — seeing suffering, abandoning its origin, realizing its cessation, and cultivating the path. Only these, like the seven classes of noble beings, can be called the true Sangha Jewel; this applies equally to laypeople and monastics." — Overview of the Buddha Dharma, p. 448, by Venerable Yinshun.

[11] The "Six Points of Reverent Harmony" appears in the Abhidharma Samgītiparyāya Śāstra (Taishō 26, p. 432b). However, its content was already fully formed in the "Six Fulfilling Dharmas" or "Six Honoring Dharmas" of Dirgha Agama Sutra 2, the "Six Comforting Dharmas" of Madhyama Agama Sutra 196, and the "Six Things to Be Remembered" in Majjhima Nikāya 104. The content includes: "harmony of views," "harmony in observing the precepts," and "harmony in sharing benefits" (which constitute the essence of harmony); along with "harmony of intention (joy)," "harmony of body (dwelling together)," and "harmony of speech (non-contention)" (which constitute the manifestation of harmony). Refer to Overview of the Buddha Dharma, p. 21, and The Origins and Development of Early Mahāyāna Buddhism, p. 254, by Venerable Yinshun.

[12] "Shariputra said to the Buddha: 'World-honored One! There are four factors for entering the stream. What are the four? Namely: associating with spiritual friends, listening to the True Dharma, right reflection within, and practicing in accordance with the sequence of the Dharma.'" — Samyukta Agama, Sutra 843

[13] "The Buddha told Ananda: '…Ananda! Know that the Tathagata will soon pass away. Therefore, Ananda! You must make yourself your island, and rely on yourself. You must make the Dharma your island, and rely on the Dharma. Do not make any other island, and do not rely on anything else.'" — Samyukta Agama, Sutra 638

[14] "Once, when Manjusri Magazine interviewed me, I told them: 'Learning Buddhism is not the gratification of an image, it is not the worship of an idol, it is not emotional projection, and it is not a dependency on authority. Learning Buddhism is the purification of the mind, the liberation of life, and the perfection of merit and wisdom.' How do you purify your mind, your human nature, your afflictions, and your views so that they align with the Dharma and you rely on the Dharma rather than the person? Therefore, it is neither the gratification of an image nor the worship of an idol." — Collected Talks of Master Hongyin, "Discussing Madhyamaka and Yogācāra from the Perspective of Emptiness," p. 245, by Master Hongyin, published by Tzu Chi.