Mind Oasis Meditation Classes

Buddhism 101: Buddhist Refuge

Buddha was asked “What have you gained from meditation?” He replied, “Nothing!” Then he continued, “However, let me tell you what I have lost: anger, anxiety, depression, insecurity, and fear of old age and death.”

Buddhism teaches compassion as a deep heart-felt wish to help others. Many of the steps to develop this kind of compassion come from taking refuge in the Three Jewels. In this class we will explore what the Three Jewels represent and what it means to take a Buddhist Refuge.

There are two kinds of refuge: ordinary and exceptional refuge. Both  can connect us to deep compassion, which opens the door to extraordinary wisdom. Ultimately, the kind of refuge we are talking about offers us greater ability to navigate a constantly changing world and ways to cope with anxiety, depression and fear. 

In this class we will:

• Learn the meaning of Buddhist Refuge

• Connect with the meaning of having inner spiritual refuge 

• Explore the meaning of ordinary and exceptional refuge 

• Incorporate inner and outer refuge into daily life 

• Discuss the commitments for taking Buddhist Refuge 

We will use the traditional Buddhist text:

From the presentation on The Three Refuges found in the Analysis of the Perfection of Wisdom, by Kedrup Tenpa Dargye (1493-1568)