June 28, 2019

The Three Treasures in Buddhism

Author: Tao Qing Hsu


The Three Treasures

The Three Treasures in Buddhism mean the Buddha, the Buddha-law, and the persons who profoundly put the Buddhism into practice, learn Buddha well, and also have completely understood the Buddha-law. Such persons usually refers to the Buddhist monk or nun, however, do not disregard those persons who are not Buddhist monk or nun, because appearances could not represent the Buddhism. Meanwhile, to learn Buddha, we must know that we should not be fooled by any appearance. 

Buddha means that it has completely destroyed or eliminated any causes of nuisances or troubles, and has attained the liberation from the suffering in life and death with its supreme wisdom. Meanwhile, by its practical experience in Buddhism, it can talk to all sentient beings about such things. That is, it has no longer any fear or nuisances in heart. In the ancient time, due to paying attention to men and despising women, most people think that Buddha is male. It totally mistakenly understands the Buddha. In fact, Buddha includes male and female. Such things are mentioned in the Buddhist Scripture.

Buddha-law means to destroy or eliminate any causes of nuisances or troubles, and which can truly make all sentient beings liberate from the suffering in life and death. The supreme Buddha-law as said can eliminate the suffering in life and death. What is the Buddha-law? It includes the all. Buddha-law has no fixed law. So, do not use our stubborn mind to think what does Buddha-law should be, because the Buddha-law includes what is beyond our thought and cognition, even to beyond our experience.

The learning-Buddha persons, which are the Buddhist monk and non-monk, Buddhist nun and non-nun as mentioned above, means those persons who can endure or bear the causes of destroying or eliminating the nuisances or troubles, and who are in the silence, have the more compassion for all sentient beings, and who are content to little desire, dwell on the Buddha-law, and practice the Buddha-law in a positive way, so as to attain the truly liberation from the suffering in life and death. Those persons can also talk about that for others after attaining the truly liberation from the suffering in life and death, and can use their practical experience, knowledge and wisdom to help sentient beings liberate from the suffering in life and death.

The meaning to seek a refuge in the three treasures

In our life, we can choose whether we want to seek a refuge in the mentioned three treasures or not. If we do not have such choice, it doesn’t mean that we cannot accept the Buddha’s teaching or that we cannot learn Buddha. In other word, whether to accept the three treasures as a refuge in our life and death, or whether to accept the Buddha’s teaching, is depending on our own free mind, no one could enforce us to seek a refuge in the three treasures or to accept the Buddha’s teaching.

If there are groups, communities, or persons to enforce us to change our belief and to believe what they believe, we must have a strong doubt and question about that, even though they say that they are groups or communities in Buddhism.

Secondly, there are groups, communities, or persons say that, if we do not believe in Buddhism, or we betray the Buddhism, we have to die and we would go to hell. If we unfortunately encounter such things, it is better to us to early leave such groups, communities, or persons. On the basis of compassion, the method of threaten can be used in some situation for helping people liberate from the suffering, but, not be used like this.

In the true Buddhism, the three treasures are very generous, benevolent, compassionate, and open mind. The very important meaning of the three treasures that I tell you in a brief, if we really know the true meaning of the three treasures, we would know that we and the three treasures are one. The three treasures are us. We are the three treasures. How could it be possible? How could we know it?  

Of course, for those persons who have not yet understand the meaning of the three treasures, the three treasures are someone else, even to have no related to their life. Evil people might mistakenly use them to threaten or deceive people who are in deep troubles in life. So, we must really know what the meaning of the three treasures so as to avoid be a threatened or cheated person.  

The three treasures are like as the sun, the air and the water. If we are shortage any one of them, we absolutely could not live well, regardless we are rich or poor. The three treasures could give us the wisdom and bliss, which could help us liberate from the suffering in life and death. Do you know? No matter those persons who are rich or poor, they are suffering the affliction in life and death.

What are the rich persons worry about? They are worry about being kidnapped, so there are the bodyguards beside them to protect them for the safe in life. Do you think this is a freedom life? What are the poor persons worry about? They are worry about no money to have a meal or to have treatment in medical, or worry about losing the job. Do you think such life of mind could be free in heart?

To seek a refuge in the three treasures means to return to or depend on the three treasures. When we return to or depend on the three treasures, as if we have the sun, air and water, which could let us live well. If the three treasures could not bring us the wisdom and good life, on the contrary, to bring us more fear, worry and affliction, how could they be called as the three treasures?

To seek a refuge in the three treasures could grow our wisdom, help us resolve the worry or trouble in our life, and thus settle our affliction of physical and mental body, so as to increase the bliss in our life and our future lives. That is why they are called as the three treasures.

To profoundly understand the meaning of the three treasures takes time. It has to combine our practical experience so that we could really understand the meaning of the three treasures. The three treasures are also to exist in our own heart. However, we have not yet been enlightened and have not yet found them. If we are lucky to encounter such three treasures, never miss it.       

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