Refuge (Buddhism) - Levels

Levels

According to Atisha in the 11th century Lamp for the Path, and in the subsequent Lamrim tradition as elaborated by Tsongkhapa, one can distinguish several levels of refuge. These purposes are introduced using the concept of the practitioner's "scope" of aspiration:

• Worldly scope is taking refuge to improve this life (not Buddhist, since "to go for refuge perfectly we need to be motivated at least by concern for the welfare of future lives").
• Initial scope is taking refuge to gain higher rebirth as a human or god, and to avoid the lower realms such as animal, hungry spirit, or hell being.
• Intermediate scope is taking refuge to achieve liberation or Nirvana.
• Great scope is taking refuge to achieve enlightenment and become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings.
• Highest scope is also sometimes included, which is taking refuge to achieve Buddhahood in this life (using Tantric Buddhism techniques).

Another distinction between different levels of going for refuge, given by Sangharakshita in his text Going for Refuge is:

• Ethnic refuge, when one is born into a Buddhist culture and practice is a matter more of social conditioning than personal commitment.
• Effective refuge, when one has taken the conscious decision to commit oneself to the three refuges, typically by joining a Buddhist Order.
• Real refuge, when the three fetters of conditioned arising has been broken and stream entry has been attained.
• Absolute refuge, which corresponds with the attainment of enlightenment.

The practice of taking refuge on behalf of young or even unborn children is mentioned in the Majjhima Nikaya, recognized by most scholars as an early text (cf infant baptism).