By: Bob Zeglovitch
The Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are also called the Three Jewels. The term “jewel” fits particularly well when it comes to the Buddha. A jewel is both something that is valuable—a treasure—but also something that has many facets. Consider the following possible facets of the Buddha jewel in connection with the practice of taking refuge: asdflkjasdf;ljadsflj
The historical Buddha, Shakyamuni—the human being that originated the teachings, and set the wheel of the dharma in motion in this world.
The many other great teachers in the Buddhist tradition, whose presence have inspired countless beings, whose teachings have expanded and deepened practice and understanding and who have translated the teachings for new cultures and situations.
The Buddha as an archetype, a paradigm of human freedom, wisdom and compassion that you can move toward.
An individual teacher who, with all of his or her human shortcomings and deficiencies in practice, nevertheless provides guidance and teachings that are skillful.
An individual on the dharma path who is more experienced than you and who becomes a spiritual friend, helping you to realize new dimensions of the dharma and to recognize beneficial qualities within yourself.
Anyone who you come across who demonstrates spontaneous, skillful, and selfless wisdom and compassion, regardless of their station or their status as a Buddhist or a teacher.
The inherent potential within you to develop toward awakening—your buddha-nature.
Seeing inside yourself those qualities of clarity, spaciousness, non-attachment, wisdom and compassion that are associated with the Buddha. The Tibetan teacher Mingyur Rinpoche refers to this as the empty clarity of our own pure awareness, noting that with practice, we recognize in ourselves the very buddha in whom we take refuge.
Different facets of the Buddha jewel may emerge or resonate for you in different ways at different times. If you don’t find yourself drawn to taking refuge in the historical Buddha, that doesn’t foreclose you from taking refuge in Buddha in some other way that connects with the fundamental principle. Hopefully there are one or more facets of the jewel that can provide support for your path. Over time other facets may emerge or become seen in a new way, and your practice of refuge can deepen.
From The Tibetan Book of Proportions, an eighteenth-century book showing precise guidelines for depicting the Buddha and Bodhisattva figures. The concept of the 'ideal image' of the Buddha emerged during the 4th to 6th century AD. Public domain image.