Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pc 43Precious Things
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ratana
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Ratana Scripture: Precious Things
Background
The Ratana scripture, Precious Things, belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, under the category Sarv Bi Pm Pc 43, and reflects the concern of Theravāda Buddhism for superior spiritual values. This scripture has been transmitted in the context of the Buddha guiding bhikkhus on how to rightly understand what is truly valuable in the life of practice.
In Theravāda Buddhist thought, the concept of “ratana,” a precious thing, does not refer only to material objects but also points to spiritual treasures, the core elements on the path of liberation from suffering. This scripture is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka to remind bhikkhus that pursuing what is truly precious is the foundation of morality (sīla) and monastic discipline (Vinaya).
Main Content
This scripture proclaims the three unsurpassed precious things of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, called the Three Jewels (Tiratna). These are the absolute values by which, according to the Theravāda tradition, any practitioner must practice in accordance with the Dharma in order to attain liberation.
Buddha: the Fully Awakened One, Buddha Śākyamuni, who by himself realized the path of rightness and manifested awakening. The scripture teaches that the Buddha is not a god to be worshiped superstitiously, but a guiding teacher, a model of what human beings can attain through practice.
Dharma (Dhamma): the teachings, methods of practice, and natural laws of cause and effect (kamma) that the Buddha discovered and transmitted. The Dharma is the true guide, the concrete path leading to nirvana.
Sangha: the community of practitioners who have practiced and are practicing the Dharma. In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Sangha is not merely a gathering of individuals, but an organized body with discipline and rules of communal life, helping protect and transmit the Dharma through the generations.
The scripture emphasizes that these “precious things” cannot be taken away by any external force.
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