Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Pc 82Precious Things
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ratana
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THE SUTTA ON PRECIOUS THINGS, RATANA SUTTA
Background
The Ratana Sutta (Precious Things) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, a sacred part of the Pāli Canon recording the ethical and disciplinary rules of the Sangha. According to the Theravāda tradition, this sutta was taught by Buddha Shakyamuni to guide bhikkhus regarding the three objects most worthy of reverence in the Buddha’s teaching: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
The sutta arose from the practical needs of the early monastic community. When bhikkhus faced spiritual or internal difficulties, the Buddha taught them to remember these three jewels as guiding lights. This was not merely abstract theory but a concrete means to maintain the direction of practice.
Main Content
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the three “precious things” (ratana) are identified as: Buddha, Dharma (Dhamma), and Sangha — the Three Jewels of Buddhism.
Buddha is not simply a historical person, but the symbol of fully awakened wisdom and liberation. To revere the Buddha means to respect the potential for awakening inherent in every being.
Dharma (Dhamma) is the principle of reality — the teachings on suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to liberation. This is the priceless gift the Buddha left to humanity, not damaged by time.
Sangha is the community of practitioners, those who have realized the Dharma or are diligently advancing on the path of practice. The Sangha is the place that maintains and transmits the Dharma.
The sutta teaches that these three jewels are the most precious things because they have the capacity to free human beings from the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra) and bring true peace.
Practical Meaning
To apply the Ratana Sutta in modern practice, we must understand that the Three Jewels are not unconscious objects of worship. Instead, they are guiding lamps on the path of practice.
To revere the Buddha means to develop faith in the capacity for awakening in oneself and others.
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