Three Jewels and Three Roots
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Vajrayana Buddhism |
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In
These are:[1]
- the Buddha, the fully enlightened one
- the Dharma, the teachings expounded by the Buddha
- the Saṅgha, the monastic order of Buddhism that practice the Dharma
- the Lama (Sanskrit: guru) is the 'root of blessing' or 'root of grace'
- the Yidam (Sanskrit: ishtadevata) is the 'root of methods' or 'root of accomplishments'
- the Dakini or Dharmapala is the 'root of activity' or 'root of protection'.
The additional refuge formulations are employed by those undertaking
Individual Jewels
Buddha
Lord Buddha is the Enlightened One who discovered the
]Dharma
For practising Buddhists, references to "Dharma" (Dhamma in Pali) particularly as "the dharma", generally means the teachings of the Buddha, commonly known throughout the East as Buddhadharma. It includes especially the discourses on the fundamental principles (such as the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path), as opposed to the parables and to the poems.[citation needed]
Saṅgha
The Saṅgha is the third of the Three Refuges.[3] Common over all schools is that the āryasaṅgha is the foremost form of this third jewel. As for recognizable current-life forms, the interpretation of what is the Jewel depends on how a school defines Saṅgha. For example, for many schools, monastic life is considered to provide the safest and most suitable environment for advancing toward enlightenment and liberation due to the temptations and vicissitudes of life in the world.[citation needed]
Vajrayana and Dzogchen formulations
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Tibetan Buddhism |
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The outer three jewels are the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. The Three jewels have an inner aspect, known as the Three Roots: the Guru (or Teacher), who is the root of blessings; the Yidam, who is the root of accomplishment; and the Dakini, who is the root of enlightened activity. Although the names are different, these three do not in any way differ from the Three Jewels. The Guru is the Budha [sic], the Yidam is the Dharma, and the Dakinis and Protectors are the Saṅgha. And on the innermost level, the dharmakāya is the Buddha, the saṃbhogakāya is the Dharma, and the nirmāṇakāya is the Saṅgha.[4]
Refuge Formulations
| |||
---|---|---|---|
Outer (' Triple Gem ')
|
Buddha | Dharma
|
Saṅgha |
Inner (' Three Roots ')
|
Lama | Yidam | Dharmapala and Dakini |
Secret | Nadi | Prana | Bindu |
Ultimate | Dharmakāya | Saṃbhogakāya | Nirmāṇakāya |
The Three Roots formulation also fits into the framework of the
The trinity of body, speech, and mind are known as the three gates, three receptacles or three vajras, and correspond to the western religious concept of righteous thought (mind), word (speech), and deed (body). The three vajras also correspond to the three kāyas, with the aspect of body located at the crown (nirmāṇakāya), the aspect of speech at the throat (saṃbhogakāya), and the aspect of mind at the heart (dharmakāya).[5]
Three refuge motivation levels are:[7]
- suffering rebirth's fear motivates with the idea of happiness,
- knowing rebirth won’t bring freedoms motivates attaining nirvana, while
- seeing other’s suffering motivates establishing them all in Buddhahood.
Happiness is temporary, lifetimes are impermanent and ultimately refuge is taken until reaching unsurpassable awakening.[8]
Individual Roots
Lama
In the
In Vajrayana (tantric Buddhism) the lama is perceived as the way itself. The lama is not an individual who initiates a person, but the person's own Buddha-nature reflected in the personality of the lama. In return, disciples are expected to show great devotion to the lama, whom they regard as a Bodhisattva. A lama is one who has not only mastered the words of the tradition, but who has an intense personal relationship with the student; thus, devotion is the proper attitude toward the guru.[11]
The Dalai Lama, speaking of the importance of the lama, said: "Rely on the teachings to evaluate a guru: Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism." He also observed that the term 'living Buddha' is a translation of the Chinese words huo fuo.[12]
The
Yidam
The second root is the meditational deity or
. In essence, the mind of the lama and the yidam are one. The yidam is considered to be the root of success in the practice.Dakini or dharmapala
The third root is the dakini or dharmapala ('dharma protector'), the root of action or the enlightened activity of realized beings.
In the case of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism the protector is the dakini. The dakini is guardian of the secret oral or 'whispered ear' tradition and so always serves as the third root.
In the other '
Judith Simmer-Brown points out that:
The dakini, in various guises, serves as each of the Three Roots, and may be a human guru, a vajra master who transmits the Vajrayana teachings to her disciples and joins them in samaya commitments. The wisdom dakini may be a yidam, a meditational deity; female deity yogas such as Vajrayogini are common in Tibetan Buddhism. Or, the dakini may be a protector; the wisdom dakinis have special power and responsibility to protect the integrity of oral transmissions.[15]
In specific traditions
Yangzab
In the
References
Citations
- ^ Kalu Rinpoche (1995), p. [page needed].
- ^ Simmer-Brown (2002), p. 327, n. 51.
- ^ Kalu Rinpoche (1995), p. [page needed].
- ^ Ray (2004), p. 60.
- ^ Beer (2003), p. 186.
- ^ Pabongka Rinpoche (1997), p. 196.
- ^ Patrul Rinpoche (2011), pp. 176–177.
- ^ Dorje (2014), pp. 224–227.
- ^ de Saram (2003), p. [page needed].
- ^ Dreyfus (2003), pp. 61–3.
- ^ Gross (1998), p. 184.
- ^ "The Teacher - The Guru". Archived from the original on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Simmer-Brown (2002), p. 139.
- ^ Palmo (2002), pp. 229–231.
- ^ Simmer-Brown (2002), pp. 139–40.
Works cited
- Beer, Robert (2003). The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. Serindia Publications. ISBN 1-932476-03-2.
- de Saram, Amila Joseph (2003). "Beginning the Process: The Great Masters and Selecting a Teacher". In Huntington, John; Bangdel, Dina (eds.). The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art. London: Serindia Publications. ISBN 1-932476-01-6.
- Dorje, Choying Tobden (2014). The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra: Foundations of the Buddhist Path. Translated by Ngawang Zangpo. Snow Lion. ISBN 978-1559394352.
- Dreyfus, Georges B. J. (2003). The Sound of Two Hands Clapping: The Education of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-23260-7.
- Gross, Rita M. (1998). Soaring and Settling: Buddhist Perspectives on Contemporary Social and Religious Issues. London: Continuum. ISBN 0-8264-1113-4.
- ISBN 0-9630371-6-1.
- Pabongka Rinpoche(1997). Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment. Wisdom Books.
- Palmo, Tenzin (2002). Reflections on a Mountain Lake:Teachings on Practical Buddhism. Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1-55939-175-8.
- ISBN 978-0300165326.
- Ray, Reginald A., ed. (2004). In the Presence of Masters: Wisdom from 30 Contemporary Tibetan Buddhist Teachers. Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala Publications. ISBN 1-57062-849-1.
- Simmer-Brown, Judith (2002). Dakini's Warm Breath:The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism. Shambhala Publications. ISBN 978-1-57062-920-4.