Below are brief introductions to several core beliefs in our tradition.
Three Refuges / the Three Jewels / the Three Gems
I take refuge in the Buddha.
I take refuge in the Dharma.
I take refuge in the Sangha.
Buddha – In taking refuge in Buddha, we acknowledge the Buddha nature of all beings. We all have the capacity to become fully enlightened, to be liberated. When we bow to the Buddha we are bowing to our collective Buddha-nature, the seed of mindfulness and enlightenment that is within each of us.
Dharma – The Dharma refers to the scriptures, the teachings, the way of understanding and love taught by the Buddha. It is through this Dharma that we embody, express and make accessible the teaching of the Buddha.
Sangha – In taking refuge in Sangha, we acknowledge the central role that our Community has in our practice. In reciting the Three Refuges we say “I take refuge in the Sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness.”
Traditionally, the Sangha was a community of monks and nuns that followed the Buddha’s teachings. More commonly now, the Sangha is the whole community of the Buddha’s followers , including laypeople.
To read more about The Three Refuges please refer to: https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/taking-refuge/. To listen to The Three Refuges chants please refer to: https://plumvillage.org/audio/chanting/the-three-refuge/
Four Noble Truths
The Four Noble Truths contain the essence of the Buddha's teachings that were first revealed as he was meditating under the Bodhi tree. The first noble truth diagnoses the problem; the second identifies the cause; the third indicates that there is a remedy or a way out. The fourth noble truth sets out the Eightfold Path which is the Buddha’s prescription to achieve a release from suffering.
The Four Noble Truths are:
The existence of suffering (Dukkha). We all suffer to some extent. We have to acknowledge its presence.
The origin/root of suffering (Samudaya). We need to look deeply into our suffering and see how it came to be. The cause of our suffering is our grasping, clinging, and aversion
The possibility of restoring well-being (Niroda). The Buddha did not deny the existence of suffering, but he also did not deny the existence of joy and happiness. The Third Noble Truth is that healing and liberation are possible.
The Noble Eightfold Path leads to well-being (Magga).
Please also refer to: https://www.mindfulnessbell.org/archive/2016/02/dharma-talk-the-four-noble-truths-2
Noble Eightfold Path
The Eightfold Path is embraced in the fourth of the Four Noble Truths. It charts the process that will help us move beyond our usual responses that often obscure our true nature. The Eightfold Path is meant as a guideline, to be considered, to be contemplated, and to be taken on when each step is fully understood and accepted.
The Eightfold Path is at the heart of the middle way. The middle way encourages us to avoid plunging ourself into sensual pleasures as well as adopting austerities which deprive the body of its needs. Following the middle way has the capacity to lead us to understanding, liberation and peace. The middle way or Noble Eightfold Path includes right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
Importantly, the word “right” in this context means “in the right way,” “straight,” “upright.” Right Mindfulness, for example, means that there are ways of being mindful that are straight and beneficial. Right and wrong are neither moral judgments nor arbitrary standards imposed from outside. Through our own awareness we discover what is beneficial (“right”) and what is not beneficial (“wrong”).
Please also refer to: https://www.mindfulnessbell.org/archive/2016/02/dharma-talk-the-eightfold-path-2
Five Mindfulness Trainings
The Five Mindfulness Trainings are based on the five precepts that were developed during the time of the Buddha to be the foundation of practice. Thay has translated and adapted these precepts to reflect more contemporary times. They are concrete and practical expressions of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The Five Mindfulness Trainings are intended to be aspirational rather than prescriptive. When we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are guided on our path of awakening.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings are available at: https://plumvillage.org/live-events/5-mindfulness-trainings-recitation/