Lesson 4

The Triple
Gem – Part 1
The Triple Gem (Part 1)
Precious gems like diamonds are desired
by mankind as they represent status and
wealth.

More precious than these gems are the

Triple Gem which has inspired great
acts of compassion, peace, courage and
virtue.
The follower of the Triple Gem finds
peace within his heart and a wondrous
light within his/her mind.

The truth and joy embodied in the precious

Gem dispel all his fears, doubts, sorrow
and tears.
What’s the Triple Gem?
Buddha Dhamma Sangha
Triple Gem
A devotee takes refuge in the
Triple Gem not for material gain
nor out of fear nor for love of
fame nor gaining worldly
powers.
He is drawn by the power of
boundless love of the Buddha
and the peerless and all
embracing Dhamma and
Sangha to guide him across
the vast sea of suffering
(Samsara).
The Buddha
“A unique Being, an
extraordinary man arises in this
world for the benefit and
happiness of the many, out of
compassion for the world, for
the good, benefit and
happiness of gods and men.
Who is this Unique Being? It is
the Tathagata, the Exalted,
Fully Enlightened One.”
(Anguttara Nikaya)
The Buddha
The Buddha arose at a
time when the world was
undergoing spiritual and
philosophical changes.
 Pictorial Story
Of Buddha’s Final
Gotama
Birth
Queen Mahaa Maayaa’s Birth of the Prince His marriage to
dream Princess Yasodhara

Bidding farewell to
The Great Renunciation wife & son The Four Sights
Learning from His body became emaciated Accepting milk
Uddaka Ramaputta porridge from Sujata
 The
Enlightenment

It was a full-moon night in

the month of May, 588 B.C.
The ascetic Gotama was
thirty-five years old. He sat
under a Bodhi tree and
started to meditate.
His mind was so clear, like a
polished mirror.
He saw His previous births …
first one, then two, then five,
then hundreds, and thousands.
And he saw the cycles of birth
of
Heothers….
wondered “How infinite was
this samsara? Was there no
He had become the beginning of time? “
Enlightened One, the Fully
He gazed in wonder as world
Awakened One, the Samma
cycles unfolded before His
Sambuddha. eyes.
Then the realization -
The Four Noble
Learning from His body became emaciated Accepting milk
Uddaka Ramaputta porridge from Sujata

First sermon Parinirvanna of Buddha

Buddha sending out a

mission of 60 Arahants.
The Buddha’s Greatness
He spent countless lifetimes perfecting
the 10 virtues (Paramis) before attaining
Buddhahood.
The 10 virtues: Generosity Patience
Morality Truthfulness
Renunciation Determination
Wisdom Loving-kindness
Energy Equanimity
The Buddha’s Greatness
On His Enlightenment, He
found the Truth which was
beyond all that was taught by
His former religious teachers.

The Buddha had eradicated all greed, hatred

and delusion. It has been said:
“Known are the things to be known,
Cultivated are the things to be cultivated,
Destroyed are the things to be destroyed,
Therefore, Brahman, I am the Buddha.”
The Buddha’s Greatness
During His 45 years ministry, the Buddha

Taught the power-seeking

world, the noble ideal of
selfless service

Protested against the caste

system and advocated equal
opportunities for all.
Declared that the gates of
deliverance were open to all who
would care to turn into a new leaf
and aspire to perfection.
The Buddha’s Greatness
During His 45 years ministry, the Buddha

Raised the status of down-trodden

women and also founded the first
religious order for women.

Attempted to abolish slavery for the

first time in history.

Pointed out the cruelty and futility of

the sacrifice of animals.
The Buddha’s Greatness
During His 45 years ministry, the Buddha

Comforted bereaved women like

Patacara who went insane after
losing her entire family on the
same day, and Kisa Gotami at the
death of her only son.

Ministered the deserted sick like Putigatta Tissa

Thera who had a contagious disease.

Helped the poor and neglected like Rajjumala and

Sopaka and saved them from an untimely and
tragic death.
The Buddha’s Greatness
During His 45 years ministry, the Buddha

Transformed the lives

of criminals like
Angulimala who was
about to kill his own
mother for his one-
thousandth victim.
The Buddha’s Greatness
What Can We Learn From His Life Story?
The Buddha was a man of
quiet majesty, of wisdom and
pleasant humour, consistent in
thought, word and deed.

He was of perfect equanimity

and moral fervour, free from
every prejudice, overcome evil
with good and was of
tenderness for all beings.
We can take the Buddha as our model so that the
recollection of His heroic and saintly life may assist us
to be a hero and saint as well.
The gift of Dhamma excels all gifts
the taste of Dhamma excels all taste,
the delight in dhamma excels all delights,
The Craving-Freed vanquishes all suffering.
- Dhammapada verse 354

End of Lesson 4