Definition of the Week (41) – The Sangha Jewel
Jetsun Chokyi Gyaltsan
The definition of the Sangha Jewel is: A superior being possessing any of the eight qualities relating to knowledge and liberation.
Definition Key
- Knowledge of suchness – Seeing the emptiness of the mind and the lack of inherent establishment of the afflictions, knowing thus the afflictions to be adventitious.
- Knowledge of the world of multiplicity – Seeing the emptiness of the complete buddhas, the lack of inherent existence, within all sentient beings.
- Knowledge by self – Having personal knowledge of the above two.
- Liberation from a level of attachment obscuration.
- Liberation from a level of obstruction obscuration.
- Liberation from a level of obscurations of inferiority.
- Qualities of knowledge.
- Qualities of liberation.
Nominal Divisions:
- Conventional Sangha Jewel: Any superior being, i.e. Someone realizing emptiness directly.
- Ultimate Sangha Jewel: The truth of cessation and the truth of the path.
The way we go for refuge to the Sangha is by taking them as examples. We let us be inspired by the lifestyle and way of practice of the great bodhisattvas or buddhas, such as the Ever-crying Bodhisattva, or His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and so forth, and try to emulate them as good as we can.
