The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, Three Refuges, Precious Triad, or most commonly the Triple Gem (त्रिरत्न (triratna)) (Pali: tiratana), are the three things that Buddhists take refuge in, and look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge.
The Three Jewels are:
- Buddha
- Sanskrit, Pali: The Enlightened or Awakened One; Chn: 佛陀, Fótuó, Jpn: 仏, Butsu, Tib: sangs-rgyas, Mong: burqan
- Depending on one's interpretation, it can mean the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni) or the Buddha nature—the ideal or highest spiritual potential that exists within all beings;
- Dharma
- Sanskrit: The Teaching; Pali: Dharmam, Chn: 法, Fǎ, Jpn: Hō, Tib: chos, Mong: nom
- The teachings of the Buddha.
- Sangha
- Sanskrit, Pali: The Community; Chn: 僧, Sēng, Jpn: Sō, Tib: dge-'dun, Mong: quvaraɣ
- The community of those who have attained enlightenment, who may help a practicing Buddhist to do the same. Also used more broadly to refer to the community of practicing Buddhists, or the community of Buddhist monks and nuns.
Read more about Three Jewels: Refuge Formula, Importance, Explication, Tibetan Buddhism, History, Art
Famous quotes containing the word jewels:
“Women hock their jewels and their husbands’ insurance policies to acquire an unaccustomed shade in hair or crêpe de chine. Why then is it that when anyone commits anything novel in the arts he should be always greeted by this same peevish howl of pain and surprise? One is led to suspect that the interest people show in these much talked of commodities, painting, music, and writing, cannot be very deep or very genuine when they so wince under an unexpected impact.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)