Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 39Precious Things
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ratana
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The Ratana Sutta (The Discourse on Precious Things)
Background
The Ratana Sutta, recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, is one of the important scriptures for understanding the Three Jewels of Buddhism. This discourse originates from the Buddha's teachings on the eternal values that practitioners should cultivate and revere. The word "Ratana" in Pāli means "precious things" or "jewels," referring to the supreme refuges of the Buddhist practitioner.
In the context of Theravāda practice, this discourse is often recited as a reminder that true treasures are not the material things that people ordinarily pursue, but rather the spiritual foundations of the Buddha's Teaching.
Main Content
The Ratana Sutta sets forth the three fundamental jewels known as the "Three Jewels" (Tiratna) or the "Triple Gem": the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. These form the supremely sacred foundation of the Buddhist community.
The first is the Buddha Jewel — the Buddha Gotama (Śākyamuni), the supremely enlightened one who realized unsurpassed bodhi and taught the path leading to the cessation of suffering. The Buddha is not an absolute God but the great Teacher, one who demonstrated by his own person the capacity to transcend all the corruptions (āsava).
The second is the Dharma Jewel — the Teaching (Dhamma) that the Buddha proclaimed. This encompasses the natural laws of cause and effect, the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the immutable principles of the universe. The Dharma Jewel is the practical path that every individual may walk in order to realize liberation.
The third is the Sangha Jewel — the community of practitioners, in particular the Noble Ones (Ariyapuggala), those who have attained the stages of realization from Stream-Entry (Sotāpanna) to Arahantship (Arahant). The Sangha is the living testament to the efficacy of the Dharma.
The discourse emphasizes that these Three Jewels are the supreme refuges, the places where we may take shelter with absolute confidence and trust.
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