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.
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