Category: Orthodox Buddhist Practices

In principle, Buddhism asserts equality. Hence, everyone can become a devotee, and everyone has the potential to become a Buddha. But devotees do differ in their levels of practice and spiritual attainment. And furthermore, according to the type of precepts they take, Buddhists are classified into the following nine ranks: upāsaka (Buddhist laymandisciple; C. jinshinan), upāsikā (Buddhist laywoman disciple; C. jinshinü), layman upholding the upavāsa precepts (jinzhunan), laywoman upholding the upavāsa precepts (jinzhunü), śrāmanera (novice monk; C.shami), śrāmanerikā (novice nun; C. shamini), śiksamānā (probationer; C. shichamona), bhiksu (monk; C. biqiu), and bhiksunī (nun; C. biqiuni).

Laypersons who have sought refuge in the Three Jewels and have taken the five precepts are upāsakas. Laity who keep the eight precepts or live in the monastery are said to be upholding the upavāsa precepts. Clergy who have taken the ten precepts are śrāmaneras or śrāmanerikās, and clergy who have received the full precepts are bhiksus or bhiksunīs.

The purpose of this stage was to verify that a woman was not pregnant and that she could adapt to life as a nun. Practitioners who have taken the bodhisattva precepts do not necessarily belong to any of the nine groups, because anyone, even non-human sentient beings such as animals, can keep the bodhisattva precepts.

Resources

Orthodox Chinese Buddhism, How Many Kinds of Buddhist Practitioners Are There ?, p.62

All Christian denominations, new or old, emphasize the importance of baptism. It is only after baptism that one formally becomes a Christian. For many Christian sects, the beliefs behind this ritual are similar to those of some Indian religions that superstitiously claim that bathing in a sacred river can cleanse one’s sins.

If one wants to become an orthodox Buddhist disciple, one must take refuge in the Three Jewels. The significance of this ritual is very much the same as that of a royal coronation, the inauguration of a president, or the admission of a new member to a political party. It is an expression of loyalty from the bottom of one’s heart, a zealous promise, a prayer out of admiration, a new life, and a pious taking of sanctuary. Therefore, Buddhism stresses the importance of taking refuge. Without taking refuge, even if one believes in and worships the Buddhas one remains a noncommitted student of Buddhism, an auditor who never registered for classes. This ritual functions to solidify one’s faith and commitment.

In the ritual of taking refuge, a monk or a nun is invited to witness and lead the recitation, which goes as follows:

” I (your name), take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, take refuge in the Sangha. (three times)
I (your name), have taken refuge in the Buddha, have taken refuge in the Dharma, have taken refuge in the Sangha. (three times)
I (your name), from now on, having taken refuge in the Three Jewels,
having become a Buddhist, will study and practice in the Dharma,
will always support the Three Jewels, and will never renounce this faith.

The ritual, simple but solemn, is designed to cause one to wholeheartedly take sanctuary in the Three Jewels, to rely on and revere the Three Jewels, and to bring forth pure, staunch faith and confidence. The first jewel is the Buddha, the second is the Buddha’s teachings, and the third is the community of monastics who spread the Buddha’s teachings. Taking refuge in these three can lead one to the jewels of peace of body and mind in the short term and liberation from samsāra or even to Buddhahood in the long term. That is why the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are called jewels, and why having faith in Buddhism is called “taking refuge in the Three Jewels.”

Resources

Orthodox Chinese Buddhism, How Does One Become a Buddhist?, p.63-p.64

This is certainly a very important question. If one believes in Buddhism without practicing it in daily life, the only benefit one will acquire is the planting of a seed for future Buddhahood.

Such a person will hardly gain any benefit in this life. Buddhist practice is the realization of a Buddhist lifestyle. The four major aspects of practice are faith, precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

Without faith, one has not even entered the gate of Buddhist practice. So, faith is the first requirement to practice Buddhism. And taking refuge in the Three Jewels is the first step to establishing faith.

There are many classes of precepts. As a basic requirement, it is enough if one can adhere to the five precepts and ten good deeds. Of course, it is even better if one can take the eight precepts and/or the bodhisattva precepts. For Buddhists, precepts function very much like defensive fortifications do to soldiers holding a garrison during a battle. If someone cannot keep the five precepts and the ten good deeds, she will not even have the disposition of a Buddhist. And if one practices meditative absorptions without keeping the precepts, the meditator will fall into demonic states.

Meditative concentration is the practice of collecting and focusing the mind so that external surroundings will not disturb it. This is a common practice emphasized by many religions, including all the “outer-path” religions in India. The Daoist technique of abdominal breathing called tuna and the Christian practice of praying are also kinds of meditation to develop concentration. The purpose of such meditation is to allow the mind to settle on one object. Only when the mind can become absorbed in one object can one truly appreciate the lofty, great value of religion and attain physical ease and mental contentment—an experience clearly superior to sensual pleasure. Once someone experiences this concentrated state of mind, his religious faith will grow progressively faster. It is impossible for such a person not to have faith. But the practice of meditative concentration is not something unique to Buddhism.

What is unique to Buddhism is wisdom, which serves as a guide to meditation and an antidote to craving for meditative absorptions. Because concentration makes one’s mind undisturbed by external surroundings, when someone enters into an absorption state and experiences joy, it is very easy to become attached to the ecstasy and not want to leave the absorption. Upon dying, this kind of person will be reborn in a dhyāna heaven. According to Buddhist cosmology, the dhyāna heavens are divided into eight general levels, corresponding to the four absorptions of form and the four absorptions of formlessness.

All these heavens are in the realms of form and formlessness within the three realms, where one’s life expectancy is long; however, one is still unliberated from the cycle of rebirth. So Buddhists regard meditative concentration as one means of practice and not as an end in itself. The Chan school in China therefore stresses enlightenment over meditative concentration even though meditation is central to its practices.

Enlightenment is the blossoming of wisdom. Only when one gains the wisdom that penetrates into the true nature of all dharmas can one transcend samsāra and leave behind the three realms. For questions regarding practice, it is best if one can associate with a knowledgeable and skillful practitioner to help show one the way. This entry is only a summary of the basics, and is not intended to be comprehensive.