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The Three Jewels Within Us
Everyone is given the opportunity to fulfill the aspiration to transform themselves and build a sangha as a refuge for all beings. Building a sangha is not merely an organizational task using correspondence or physical facilities, but using our very body, speech, and mind to generate brotherhood, sisterhood, and joy. Like an apple tree blooming brilliantly, the practitioner offers the fruits of their practice, which are thoughts, words, and actions carrying the elements of freshness, compassion, and understanding.
The Three Jewels are not an abstract concept but concrete elements already present in every cell of our body, transmitted by our ancestral teachers and our teacher. The great difficulties in the life of practice are adverse conditions that act as strong supporting conditions to help train the practitioner to become a Dharma instrument, while the small daily difficulties need to be transformed by a solid bodhicitta. To succeed, each person needs to use the eyes of mindfulness, the eyes of love, the eyes of understanding, and the hands of the Buddha to overcome afflictions, hatred, or jealousy, bringing peace and joy to themselves and those around them.
Like the story of the eight-year-old Naga princess becoming a Buddha in a flash, the capacity to contribute to the sangha does not depend on one’s rank but on one’s capacity to offer. The opportunity for success belongs to everyone, from the Dharma teacher to the:
- New bhikshus.
- New sramaneras.
- New sramanerikas.
- Sramaneras.
- Sramanerikas.
- Upasakas.
- Upasikas.
The success of each individual is the success of the Three Jewels. There is no need to wait until tomorrow; right during dinner this evening, each person can build happiness with harmonious thoughts, loving speech, and gentle gestures.
Part of the following collection
Dharma discussion Thầy Nghiêm & Thầy at Tại Thiền temple, and Book Presentation