The True Meaning of the Three Refuges

Three Refuges Aspiration Vow: Having taken refuge in the Buddha, I would rather give up my body and life than ever take refuge in Maheśvara, demons, and the like; taking refuge in the Tathāgata, the truly and perfectly awakened one—this is my veneration, out of compassion. Having taken refuge in the Dharma, I would rather give up my body and life than ever take refuge in the texts of non-Buddhist paths; taking refuge in the Tripiṭaka and the twelve divisions of scriptures spoken by the Tathāgata—this is my veneration, out of compassion. Having taken refuge in the Saṅgha, I would rather give up my body and life than ever take refuge in the wrong assemblies of non-Buddhist paths; taking refuge in the pure saṅgha who are fields of merit—this is my veneration, out of compassion.

After the three refuges, why is there also the above aspiration vow? Because only after one sincerely makes the vow can one truly accomplish the three refuges—not taking refuge in the assemblies of non-Buddhist paths and their dharmas, and not entering into the non-Buddhist paths. The non-Buddhist paths are not the Buddha's path. Although some of their teachings are useful for the five-aggregate physical body, they cannot liberate the physical body and the five aggregates; they are not the ultimate dharma, not the path that leads to liberation. If one becomes engrossed in them and goes astray, they can only obstruct one's own practice. Therefore one must make the vow: not to follow Maheśvara and the demons, not to study the texts of the non-Buddhist paths, and not to follow the wrong assemblies of the non-Buddhist paths. In this, one needs the power of wisdom to discern the demonic assemblies of the non-Buddhist paths and their dharmas; if one cannot distinguish right from wrong, it will be very difficult to truly accomplish the three refuges.

Nowadays many Buddhist practitioners study texts other than the Buddhist scriptures. According to the directives of the three refuges, does this mean their refuge is not yet complete? Only the dharma principles in the Buddha's dharma and sutras can liberate sentient beings. If the non-Buddhist dharmas outside the Buddha's dharma could also liberate sentient beings, would it not have been meaningless for the Buddha to come to the Sahā world to deliver sentient beings? The non-Buddhist dharmas are all not ultimate. No matter how miraculous a level they cultivate to, they cannot liberate one from the suffering of birth-and-death and saṃsāra. That is why, in the end, they all took refuge in the Buddha and the Three Jewels and thereby attained liberation. Yet now we instead revere the non-Buddhist dharmas—is this not somewhat inverted?

After receiving the bodhisattva precepts, studying the non-Buddhist dharmas is even more a violation of the precepts. The Buddha does not allow bodhisattvas to waste time and energy on unprofitable pursuits, except for bodhisattvas who have attained the bhūmis, who study the non-Buddhist dharmas in order to deliver those of the non-Buddhist paths, and thereby refute the non-Buddhist dharmas and lead the assemblies of the non-Buddhist paths into the Buddha's path. Only bodhisattvas who have attained the bhūmis can fully understand the content of the non-Buddhist dharmas and not be deceived by them. Therefore the Buddha allows bodhisattvas who have attained the bhūmis to read the theories of the non-Buddhist paths, and to explain and refute their non-ultimate aspects, in order to ferry their non-Buddhist disciples into taking refuge in the Three Jewels and seeking liberation. Bodhisattvas who have seen the mind but not yet attained the bhūmis do not yet fully have the ability to recognize the flaws in the non-Buddhist dharmas and cannot refute them. Therefore the Buddha does not allow bodhisattvas who have seen the mind, or ordinary Buddhist disciples, to study the non-Buddhist dharmas.

Of course, among the non-Buddhist dharmas there is a certain amount of wholesome dharma—some methods beneficial for maintaining the physical body, and some content concerning understanding the mundane world and improving moral cultivation. Such content is of great benefit for being a good person, and we need only take these benefits. At the same time, we must also know that all such content is not ultimate and is to be refuted. Then temporarily studying and absorbing it is acceptable; what is most important is to follow the good spiritual friends (kalyāṇamitra) within Buddhism and single-mindedly study the Buddha's dharma. The Buddha's dharma transcends the wholesome dharmas of the non-Buddhist paths and transcends the marvels of the non-Buddhist dharmas; the great supernatural powers of the noble sages are even more extraordinary. But all of these are by-products of cultivation. As long as one diligently cultivates the path, all dharmas will be perfected. What is to be feared is taking the non-ultimate aspects of the non-Buddhist dharmas as one's refuge, and thereby being bound instead, unable to attain liberation—that would be a pity.