Reality As Our Refuge

Life is not easy for those
who have a sense of shame,
who are modest, pure-minded and detached,
morally upright and reflective.
v. 245

If we find ourselves thinking, ‘This is just too much, I can’t let go of this one’, we need to be extra careful. It is easy to let go of minor attachments, but the really serious ones are a different story.

The Buddha knew about that different story, the one we tend to believe when faced with deep attachments. But the truth is still the truth, no matter how hard it feels; all suffering is rooted in attachment, which is why the Buddha gave us teachings like this verse.

It really is hard to remain true when the forces of delusion pull at us. Whether it is the outer influences of sense objects or the inner currents of condition which tell us we are weak and unable, we resolutely seek the power to override those forces by turning to the Refuges.

This is not just replacing a negative story with a positive one, but calling on reality to be our refuge.

This reflection by Ajahn Munindo is from the book, Dhammapada Reflections, Volume 3, (pdf) pp. 12-13. [Please see book for translation information.]