DB7: Refuge in the Three Jewels

Dates: Mondays July 7 – August 11, no class July 28.
Retreat Day Saturday August 23
Round-table Discussion August 18

The formal entry point for becoming a Buddhist is to participate in a ceremony in which one takes refuge in – commits to rely upon – the Three Jewels or, as Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, the Three Rare Sublime Ones: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

Students will learn about absolute Buddha, Dharma and Sangha – the enlightened mind, the experiential knowledge in that mind, and the superior beings who’ve realized emptiness; and relative Buddha, Dharma and Sangha – the buddha of our time, Shakyamuni, the texts that present his teachings, and the ordained monks and nuns.

Students also learn about the power of living in vows. Of the three levels of vows – those of individual liberation, the bodhisattva, and tantra – the first are taken after having taken refuge.

Open door, open heart – drop in anytime in person or via Zoom. Donations are always optional.