"For him with acquisition of Insight,
Three things are abandoned, namely,
Self-illusion, Doubt and
Indulgence in (wrongful) rites and ceremonies/precepts and practices,
Whatever there are.
From the four states of misery, he is absolutely freed,
And is incapable of committing the six heinous crimes.
Truly, in the Sangha is this precious jewel.
By this truth, may there be happiness !"
When I first started/decided to take refuge in the The Triple Gems, I have no problems with the first 2 : The Buddha and The Dhamma.
The one I had difficulty with was The Sangha.
Seeing how the monastics are nowadays, I find it hard to take refuge in them. (Read "Why Can't They" - 27/07/09)
One day, while I was doing my prostration, a thought struck me :
"If The Sangha means the current monastics, then forget it. No way am I going to take refuge in them. BUT, if the The Sangha means the Arahants, the True spiritual warriors like Ajahn Sao, Ajahn Mun, Ajahn Khao, Ajahn Boowa, then there's no issue or problem at all !"
(Read "The Ratana" - 29/06/09)
With that thought, I was very happy, very at ease, very relieved and freed.
And I gladly take refuge in The Buddha, The Dhamma and The Sangha - The Triple Gems ever since.
If you're going to take refuge in any of the current monastics, my suggestion is, make sure they're worthy of reverential respect.
(Read "Respect" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/06/respect.html )
Use your power of discernment and The Kalama Sutta to guide you.
Avoid blindly believing what others say. (Read "The Kalama Sutta" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2006/12/kalama-sutta-karma.html )
Observe.
Avoid being fooled or deceived by outward appearances. (Read "How To Be Ugly" - 09/03/09)
It's not about rank and titles (Read "Of Names and Titles" - 16/02/09),
young or old, high monk/lama or senior monk/lama, or miraculous powers and abilities.
(Read "How Foolish Can We Get (Part 1) : Super Power or Super Ignorant" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-foolish-can-we-get-part-1-super.html )
Just as The Buddha said in Samyutta Nikaya - Kosala Samyutta,
"The monk though young he may be, if he is high in moral attainments, he is very strong and powerful."
Make sure they're not a ' Tuccho Pothila ' i.e. Empty Scripture, who can only sprout scriptures and the Tipitaka but does not know what they're saying i.e. does not practise what they teach.
(Read "Talk Talk Talk" - 26/01/09 and "Teacher and The Teachings (Part 2)" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/05/teacher-and-teachings-part-2-teachings.html )
Also, know that if you bow or take refuge in a greedy immoral monastic who's unrestrained and still obsessed by fame, fortune, power, glory and the senses, and bears ill-will, enmity and hate, you're actually bowing down and taking refuge in Mara - the evil one, and the defilements.
As The Buddha Himself said,
"A gathering of bhikkhus that does not respect one another (or others) or that does not behave in accordance with the Dhamma and the Vinaya appointed to be their teacher in my place, cannot be called the Tathagata's bhikkhus. They are False bhikkhus, only pretending to be real ones."
So do be careful.
* ( P.s. In short, you don't bow to every yellow/saffron robe you see.)
"Not by a shaven head does an undisciplined man, who utters lies, become a monk. How can one who is full of desire and greed be a monk?"
- The Buddha
"He who wears the yellow robes, without being freed from impurities, who is devoid of self control and truth, is not worthy of it."
- The Buddha
"Merely donning the yellow robe cannot make a bhikkhu of a man,
Nor can name or fame be the sign of morality or Dhamma."
- Venerable Ajahn Mun
"For if the Acariya himself goes wrong, he may also lead many others in the wrong direction.
But if he does what is right, he can equally lead countless others in the right direction."
- Venerable Ajahn Mun
"Acariya means one who trains and develops his behaviour, which is displayed externally in his actions and manners, in such a way that those who depend on him can hold him up as an example to be followed.
The practice of a monk who has no correct, firmly established principles within him is likely to lack any real purpose that enables him to determine whether he will reach a safe shore, or whether he will meet various dangers ahead.
He is like a boat without a rudder that is not likely to be able to take him where he wants to go."
- Venerable Ajahn Mun
"He is not thereby an Elder (Thera) merely because his head is grey.
He who is ripe only in years is called 'one grown old in vain.'
Only a wise man who comprehends The Four Noble Truths and The Dhamma,
Who is harmless and virtuous, who restrains his senses and has rid himself of moral defilements,
Is indeed called a Thera."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 260, 261
"He is not a wise man just because he talks much;
Only he who is peaceful, free from enmity, and does no harm to others,
Is called a wise man."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 258
"He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me',
In those who harbour such thoughts,
Hatred is not appeased."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 3
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"Any loose act, any corrupt practice,
A life of dubious holiness -
None of these is of much benefit."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 312
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"Being involved in construction work and asking for money from the people are NOT the duties and responsibilities of a recluse who must strive for nothing else but mind development and insight (so as to help others)."
- Venerable Ajahn Mun
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"Be like a dry sponge.
But be a sponge that absorbs clean, clear, pure, fresh water.
Don't be a sponge that absorbs dirty, muddy water."
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"He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha,
Sees with Right knowledge the 4 Noble Truths : Sorrow, the Cause of Sorrow, the Transcending of Sorrow and the Noble Eightfold Path which leads to the Cessation of Sorrow.
This, indeed, is refuge, secure.
This, indeed, is refuge supreme.
By seeking such refuge,
One is released from all sorrow."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 190-192
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"We monks fall into the same three sorts :
The first sort includes those who are ordained only in name, only as a ceremony, who don't aim for the Dhamma, for reasonability, or for what's good or right. They aim simply at living an easy life because they don't have to work hard like lay people ......... They end up filling themselves and those around them with suffering and evil.
The 2nd sort of monk aims at what is reasonable. If he can manage to gain release from suffering, that's what he wants. He believes that there is merit and so he wants it. He believes that there is evil, so he wants really to understand good and evil. He is fairly hard-working and intelligent. He follows the teachings of the Dhamma and Vinaya well ......... has faith in the principles of the Dhamma and Vinaya, is intent on his duties, and believes in what is reasonable.
The 3rd sort of monk becomes ordained out of a true sense of faith and conviction. Even if he may not have had much of an education from any teachers in the beginning, once he has become ordained and gains instruction from his teachers or from the text that gives a variety of reasons showing how to act so as not to head toward evil and how to strive so as to head toward the good, he immediately takes it as a lesson for training himself.
The more he studies from his teachers, the stronger his faith and conviction grow, to the point where he develops a firm, single-minded determination to gain release from suffering and stress ......... He's very persistent and hardworking. Whatever he does, he does with his full heart, aiming at reason, aiming at the Dhamma."
- Ajahn Maha Boowa, Things As They Are, page 188-189)
