Alex Wilding

In private, you can use them at times such as when you wake up, you're waiting at a bus stop, and many, many other occasions. So, let's take a look at what they mean and how to chant them. We'll start with refuge. Taking refuge in the three jewels is, as many of you will know, the number one step in actually practicing Buddhism. It's the gateway.

In private, you can use them at times such as when you wake up, you're waiting at a bus stop, and many, many other occasions. So, let's take a look at what they mean and how to chant them. We'll start with refuge. Taking refuge in the three jewels is, as many of you will know, the number one step in actually practicing Buddhism. It's the gateway.

I don't want to come over all prescriptive and say, you must do this, you must do that. But I think it is fair to say that any and every Buddhist of whatever stripe should be able to recite a suitable version of the refuge prayer. Most importantly, of course, it's in your heart that you take refuge in the three jewels. Taking refuge formally is just an expression of that.

I don't want to come over all prescriptive and say, you must do this, you must do that. But I think it is fair to say that any and every Buddhist of whatever stripe should be able to recite a suitable version of the refuge prayer. Most importantly, of course, it's in your heart that you take refuge in the three jewels. Taking refuge formally is just an expression of that.

You can do this for that matter yourself, although when you have taken refuge formally with a preceptor or teacher, it does go up another notch. In an earlier episode, actually I've just seen it was episode 28 about karma, I referred to a book with the title of A Lamp Illuminating the Path to Liberation by Kenpo Jeltsin.

You can do this for that matter yourself, although when you have taken refuge formally with a preceptor or teacher, it does go up another notch. In an earlier episode, actually I've just seen it was episode 28 about karma, I referred to a book with the title of A Lamp Illuminating the Path to Liberation by Kenpo Jeltsin.

I said the title as clearly as I could then, because you can find it on the net as a PDF file, free to download, and that was pretty much the intention. I don't think it was done as any sort of profit-making exercise.

I said the title as clearly as I could then, because you can find it on the net as a PDF file, free to download, and that was pretty much the intention. I don't think it was done as any sort of profit-making exercise.

This will give you some solid, if simple, rules about what, as people who have taken refuge, we are expected to avoid, and what we are expected to observe, and briefly what the meaning of the three refuges is. These are indeed the three R's of Buddhism. We go for refuge to the Buddha rather than gods or worldly sources of power. We go for refuge to the Dharma for our understanding.

This will give you some solid, if simple, rules about what, as people who have taken refuge, we are expected to avoid, and what we are expected to observe, and briefly what the meaning of the three refuges is. These are indeed the three R's of Buddhism. We go for refuge to the Buddha rather than gods or worldly sources of power. We go for refuge to the Dharma for our understanding.

I'll just make a quick mention here that while the body of canonical Buddhist literature is enormous, not to say ginormous, it's not a religion of the book where one central text is held to be infallible. Thirdly, we go for refuge to the community rather than to companions who are a bad influence on us. Now, there's a lot to unpack in these ideas, but that's not the subject of today's episode.

I'll just make a quick mention here that while the body of canonical Buddhist literature is enormous, not to say ginormous, it's not a religion of the book where one central text is held to be infallible. Thirdly, we go for refuge to the community rather than to companions who are a bad influence on us. Now, there's a lot to unpack in these ideas, but that's not the subject of today's episode.

In addition to an understanding in our hearts, so to speak, and in addition to taking refuge as a more or less formal ceremony, a beloved Buddhist practice is that of repeating a refuge formula again and again. And again. Perhaps three times, or perhaps going on and on and on. Back in the damp, grey early spring of 1974, at what was then called Kam Tibetan House near Saffron Walden,

In addition to an understanding in our hearts, so to speak, and in addition to taking refuge as a more or less formal ceremony, a beloved Buddhist practice is that of repeating a refuge formula again and again. And again. Perhaps three times, or perhaps going on and on and on. Back in the damp, grey early spring of 1974, at what was then called Kam Tibetan House near Saffron Walden,

I remember sitting in the little tea room learning this, my first bit of proper Buddhist chant. The version I'm talking about in fact has four lines. The three refuges or three jewels remain three, but as is in fact common in Vajrayana Buddhism, the Lama represents a combination of them all. I'll start by looking at the words fairly closely. My guess is that the majority of refuge prayers are

I remember sitting in the little tea room learning this, my first bit of proper Buddhist chant. The version I'm talking about in fact has four lines. The three refuges or three jewels remain three, but as is in fact common in Vajrayana Buddhism, the Lama represents a combination of them all. I'll start by looking at the words fairly closely. My guess is that the majority of refuge prayers are

just focus on the three jewels, but here we start with LAMA LA, which means to the lama or to the guru. CHAP means refuge, while CHAPSU makes for refuge. CHI is to go, and the O is something like the end of a sentence. So our first line comes out as Well, excuse my pronunciation. It's a bit exaggerated and it's not very good in the first place. But this means I go for refuge to the Lama.

just focus on the three jewels, but here we start with LAMA LA, which means to the lama or to the guru. CHAP means refuge, while CHAPSU makes for refuge. CHI is to go, and the O is something like the end of a sentence. So our first line comes out as Well, excuse my pronunciation. It's a bit exaggerated and it's not very good in the first place. But this means I go for refuge to the Lama.

That's just one line, but the other three have the same structure, so there's not a lot to learn. We just need to insert Sanje, meaning Buddha, in the place of Lama. For the third line, we insert Chö, meaning Dharma. And in the fourth line, we insert Gendun, meaning Sangha, in the fourth line. Putting this all together, we end up with this.

That's just one line, but the other three have the same structure, so there's not a lot to learn. We just need to insert Sanje, meaning Buddha, in the place of Lama. For the third line, we insert Chö, meaning Dharma. And in the fourth line, we insert Gendun, meaning Sangha, in the fourth line. Putting this all together, we end up with this.