Taking refuge in the Dharma means we turn to the spiritual teaching of Buddha to help us solve our problems to alleviate pain. It means we commit to working on ourselves. Having taken refuge in the Dharma, reality itself becomes our greatest teacher. If we see everything as an opportunity for learning and growth, everything we experience becomes usable on our path toward freedom. We find solutions to our problems inside.

People turn to many sources of false refuge: drugs or alcohol, relationships, television, food…the list of possibilities is endless. You find that false sources of refuge cause more problems, unwanted side effects, and give only the briefest relief. Sometimes they just cause suffering when you hope for relief.

There is a four point way to check whether what you are turning to is false refuge or real refuge:

1. Does it create any unwanted side effects or more problems?

2. Does it address the real source of the problem?

3. Does it create peace in the mind?

4. . Does it always give you relief when you turn to it?

If you answered yes to all four questions = real refuge

If you answered no to any of these questions = false refuge

To engage in the mindfulness practice offered in this episode, we try to solve some recurrent problem in our life by going for refuge to dharma by putting the teachings of Buddha into practice. We might respond with real refuge by developing compassion, practicing patience, or observing how our mind is creating the problem (wisdom).

We can also check and mindfully observe when we are taking false refuge. For example, we can ask ourselves in a moment if observation, is what I'm doing now false refuge, does it have unwanted side effects, or cause more problems? Each of us can discover the real refuge or solution for ourselves. What a relief!

The gift of Dharma surpasses all gifts.

The taste of Dharma surpasses all tastes.

The delight in Dharma surpasses all delights.

The destruction of craving conquers all suffering. (354)

--Buddha, The Dhammapada

References and Links

Buddha.The Dhammapada. Translated by Gil Fronsdale. (Kindle). Shambala, Boston and London, 2011. (Link)

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