Recently, I’ve been considering the three Gachchhamis, or the three jewels as they are known in the world of Buddhism.
First, I should point out that there is a difference in the order of the three jewels and the three Gachchhamis as recited by the Osho sannyasins.
In the Buddhist world they are:
I take refuge in the Buddha
I take refuge in the Dharma
I take refuge in the Sangha
But for his sannyasins, Osho changed the order to:
First: Buddham Sharanam Gachchhami – I bow down to the feet of the Awakened One
Second: Sangham Sharanam Gachchhami – I bow down to the Community of the Awakened One
And third: Dhammam Sharanam Gachchhami – I bow down to the Ultimate Teaching of the Awakened One
So as I mentioned, I have been considering these three steps recently. A few years ago, I wrote an essay on the Gachchhamis, Be a Light Unto Ourselves, which is my own personal account of how they acted on me through my journey. When retelling this account to others, I realized that I needed a broader narrative for it to be relevant to contemporary seekers. While they certainly have deep resonance in my own life and perhaps for others who share similar experiences, it is limiting for those who find themselves in very different circumstances.
After some contemplation, a new way of looking, a more universal way of looking at the three jewels dawned on me.
The first Gachchhami, “I take refuge in the Awakened One” means one comes in contact with, becomes open to the teaching of spiritual awakening, of enlightenment, and is drawn into the mystery. It is tremendously important to move into this discovery more and more. It happens by stumbling across a book, a video on YouTube, listening to an audio, and for some, even just seeing the photograph of one in whom the greatest transformation has occurred.
The second Gachchhami, “I take refuge in the Sangha of the Awakened One” means we then come in contact with, become open to a community of, those who are interested in enlightenment, in spiritual awakening, and through this contact, we gain support and are able to nurture our own journey. This may happen through social media, online meditation meetings, and of course, in person events and meditations. We may even come to know about the vast community of enlightened masters, both the ancient ones and the contemporary seers.
And the third Gachchhami, “I take refuge in the Ultimate Teaching of the Awakened One” means we begin to internalize and start actualizing our own awakening. We begin to see all that is preventing us from realizing our own true nature. We discover what real meditation is. We discover the witnessing consciousness, and we become open to our potentiality, the destiny of our very own enlightenment. Surely this is the only way to pay tribute to those who have come before, by becoming a light unto ourselves.
-purushottama