- last revised February 27, 2017 -
read this article first:
- The Three Refuges in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism -
read this article first:
- The Three Refuges in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism -
Question:
When you say the Three Refuges and take refuge in the Sangha,
do you take refuge in ordinary unenlightened people or in the Arya
Sangha, like other Buddhist schools do?
Answer:
In Mahayana Buddhism, the term
Arya[1] Sangha represents
the sangha at the ideal level, that is, all of the Buddha’s
followers, lay or ordained, who have at least attained the first
level of the ten bodhisattva stages (ten
bhumis)[2]. This is to
separate it from the sangha in its conventional level which means
all Buddhist monks and nuns.
However, if we read the first of the ten bhumis, we see it is
none other than the Stage of Joy (Very Joyous) or the stage of
non-retrogression about which Bodhisattva Nagarjuna stated in his
Discourse on the Ten Stages - Dasabhumikavibhasa that it can
be attained either by the path of difficult practice or by the path
of easy practice, i.e. faith in Amida Buddha. The difference is
that on the path of difficult practice one attains it by personal
power while on the path of easy practice it is attained through the
Power of Amida Buddha (Other Power). This has always been the
teaching of Jodo Shinshu, and Shinran Shonin especially stressed
the importance of entering the stage of non-retrogression (also
called the stage of those assured of Nirvana, the definitelly
assured state, etc) through faith in Amida Buddha.
Those who enter this stage by personal power earned the merits
by their own effort, while those who enter it through the Power of
Amida, avail themselves of His infinite merits which are
transferred to them in the first moment of the awakening of faith
(shinjin). Both categories are worthy of respect, because both will
never retrogress from the path to final Liberation or Nirvana. But,
as Jodo Shinshu followers and Amida devotees, when we take
refuge in the Sangha as part of the Three Treasures we do this only
in the Arya Sangha of those who have faith in Amida's Primal Vow
which is, for us, the highest principle and the true reason for
Shakyamuni's coming to this world. Thus, for us, Arya Sangha means
the Sangha in its aspect of shinjin (faith).
Also in our case, Sangha in its conventional level
represents all members, lay or ordained, who may not yet be
established in faith, but took refuge in the Three Treasures and
are determined to listen deeply to Amida Dharma in order to receive
faith.
Amida Dharma is the teaching we chose from the various
Dharma gates that Shakyamuni Buddha taught during His lifetime, so
it is normal to take refuge in those who follow this method. Other
Buddhists are also our brothers and sisters in the general sangha,
because we are all Shakyamuni's disciples, but we take refuge only
in those who walk the same Path as us. We do not take refuge in
self-power practitioners, no matter how advanced they are, but only
in those who rely completely on the Power of Amida Buddha, no
matter how low and
ordinary[3] they
are.
related article:
The Three Refuges in Jodo Shinshu
[1] Arya
(Sanskrit, also ārya; Pāli: ariya) is a term frequently used in
Buddhism that can be translated as "noble", "not ordinary",
"valuable", "precious", etc. (wiki)
I do not recall a pasage where Shinran or Rennyo used
this term. However, I decided to explain it here to the person who
asked this question, and to use it myself, so that people can
better understand the meaning of Sangha as object of refuge in a
Jodo Shinshu context. In our school we also recite the Three
Refuges when we receice kikyoshiki (confirmation ceremony) from Go
Monshu sama or kieshiki (refuge ceremony) from the local priest, so
it is important to have a good understanding of what we are doing.
Please also refer to the article, The Three Refuges in Jodo
Shinshu.
[2] The ten
bhumis are the ten stages on the Mahayana bodhisattva's path to
Buddhahood. The Avatamsaka Sutra refers to the following ten
bhūmis: 1) the Very Joyous. (Skt. pramuditā), 2) the Stainless.
(Skt. vimalā), 3) the Light-Maker. (Skt. prabhākarī), 4) the
Radiant Intellect. (Skt. arciṣmatī), 5) the Difficult to Master.
(Skt. sudurjayā), 6) the Manifest. (Skt. abhimukhī), 7) the Gone
Afar. (Skt. dūraṃgamā), 8) the Immovable. (Skt. acalā), 9) the Good
Intelligence. (Skt. sādhumatī), 10) the Cloud of Doctrine. (Skt.
dharmameghā).
(Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and
Canada (1998). The Seeker's Glossary of Buddhism, Taipei: The
Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation/Buddha Dharma
Education Association Inc., 2nd ed. pp.759-760)
[3] Of course, not only
ordinary people may have faith in Amida Buddha, but even superior
beings very close to Enlightenment. Thus, if we carefully read the
Larger Sutra, we see that many higly advanced bodhisattvas
are part of the Arya Sangha of those who entrust to Amida, and so
they come to be born in the Pure Land from various worlds and
universes. However, personal achievements are not important on the
Dharma Gate of the Primal Vow, so the element of faith (shinjin) is
all that matter to us.
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