Refuge is a central concept in the path of liberation. Today Zac focused on the experience of refuge through personal experience and an exploration of teachings.
The talk we listened to was an excerpt from an audio book called “Truly Seeing” by Thich Nhat Hanh. Here’s a link to the audio book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Truly-Seeing-Thich-Nhat-Hanh/dp/1888375396.
The five mindfulness trainings (precepts): https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/
Araka’s Teaching: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.070.than.html
Thich Nhat Hanh on Taking Refuge: https://plumvillage.org/extended-mindfulness-practises/#taking-refuge
Zac read two quotes, excerpted below, from Jack Kornfield’s “The Wise Heart”, both found here: https://jackkornfield.com/finding-refuge-part-two/
“We take refuge in the Buddha, but what is this Buddha? When we see with the eye of wisdom, we know that the Buddha is timeless, unborn, unrelated to any body, any history, any place. Buddha is the ground of all being, the realization of the truth of the unmoving mind. So the Buddha was not enlightened in India. In fact he was never enlightened, was never born, and never died. This timeless Buddha is our true home, our abiding place.”
Ajahn Chah, from The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield
“Your true nature is something never lost to you, even in moments of delusion, nor is it gained at the moment of enlightenment. It is the nature of your own mind, the source of all things, your original luminous brilliance. You, the richest person in the world, have been going around laboring and begging, when all the while the treasure you seek is within you. It is who you are.”
Huang Po (1st century Chinese zen master), from The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield
Lama Rod Owens: Trust, Refuge, & Gratitude: https://wanderlust.com/journal/lama-rod-owens-trust-refuge-and-gratitude/
Finally, Zac is teaching a retreat for teens and young adults August 3 – 7: https://ibme.com/register/youth/online-teen-retreat-east-august/. If you could help spread the word, that would be awesome!
If you know any teens or young adults who could use some heart-centered connection and community that’s based in awareness and kindness and some tools to cope with all the craziness right now, check this out.
Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) is a nonprofit organization offering mindfulness retreats for young adults (ages 15 -25) across the country. Our programs introduce teens to mindfulness through guided meditation, mindful movement, small group discussions, and creative activities. We have full and partial scholarships available, and no teen has ever been turned away for lack of funds.
What benefits do teens receive from the retreats?
- Learn how to focus in, calm your mind, and let go of distractions
- Deepen your understanding of emotions and develop skills for navigating them
- Develop listening, speaking, and relational skills in an authentic, supportive community
- Connect with the best inside yourself and others. Get away. Turn off your phone. Step back into yourself
Check out this video (under 2 minutes) which has multiple teen retreat alumni sharing how iBme has helped them.
Burlington Buddhist Sangha 