Time to Take Refuge

“In the Buddhist tradition, the purpose of taking refuge is to awaken from confusion and associate oneself with wakefulness. Taking refuge is a matter of commitment and acceptance and, at the same time, of openness and freedom. By taking the refuge vow we commit ourselves to freedom.” – Chogyam Trungpa

Fundamental to Buddhist Spirituality is the practice of “taking refuge”.  When I find myself in times of trouble, in times of uncertainty, in times of pain, what is my reaction, where do I turn? 

We are most certainly living in troubled times marked by uncertainty and dominated by what Buddhist call The Three Poisons of life – Greed, Anger or Resentment, and Indifference.  Many of us, myself included, often find ourselves stressed by the news of current events and the unknown about where we are headed both as a species and a country.  The historical resources we have relied on in the past to support us by providing unbiased and well informed, fact-based information, continue to disappoint us.  We are bombarded everyday not with information designed to inform and empower, but rather biased opinions and propaganda of a few whose agenda is exclusively a personal self-serving one.  Even when we turn to our neighbors and friends we can find ourselves more frustrated and frighten of the future when our conversation is rooted in fear and distrust rather than hope and vision.

I understand!