Question 64: WHAT SHOULD WE DO AFTER TAKING REFUGE IN THE THREE NOBLE JEWELS?

Answer: Except for those with extraordinary spiritual capacity who can practice on their own and still attain enlightenment, known in Buddhism as Pratyekabuddhas (Self-enlightened Ones), everyone else must practice with fellow practitioners and follow a master closely over the long term. This helps us avoid laziness, complacency, and potential mistakes that could lead to regression. Therefore, it’s essential to join a Buddhist fellowship to stay connected and committed to our practice.

The master may already have an established Buddhist fellowship community for lay disciples, in which case we can simply join. If the master does not have that community, we might consider asking for permission to form a self-managed practice community with other practitioners, where we may encourage and support each other in diligent practice.

In the path to enlightenment, engaging in charitable activities and accumulating merit is extremely important. No one can progress spiritually if lacking merit. However, there are some meritorious deeds beyond our individual capacity that cannot be accomplished alone. So working with a group makes them more feasible. By participating in a fellowship community, we will have more opportunities to engage in meaningful charitable activities.

The Author

JANNA is the pen name of a certain monk who does not wish to use his real name. He is likely mature enough to understand that fame, wealth, and glory are as fleeting as morning mist.

In Pali, “JANNA” means purity, so it’s unclear which country he’s from. However, he seems to have studied the Nikaya scriptures.

Although he writes about Buddhism, he appears to desire unity with other religions to contribute to the cause of world peace. He attempts to demonstrate how differences can complement one another…