Joy of Refuge

In the bustling chaos of modern life, where stress and uncertainty seem to be constant companions, many of us yearn for happiness. Sometimes, we feel lost and we find ourselves asking, “What exactly is the meaning or purpose of all this craziness?” That intensifies our feeling of bewilderment and pain. And we struggle to wake up to a new day and try to make some sense out of our miserable existence, that somehow seems like a sad joke.

Then we hear the story of Prince Siddhartha facing the facts of life (old age, sickness, death); and that Prince felt equally bewildered by the senselessness of living. We find ourselves identifying with that character. We feel validated. Even a Prince who lacks nothing in life felt what we feel! We feel comforted because we have a comrade now.

That valiant prince did not bow to pain and suffering. He did not give way to bewilderment or tried to numb his sadness through entertainment and “pointless” pursuits in life. In fact, he wasn’t even distracted by the excitement of fatherhood. From that story, we see a hero,

And we are delighted that he, Prince Siddhartha, found the ultimate answer that will cure this inherent sadness in us. He found true happiness. He became a Buddha. There is an end to our sadness! That is the first joy.

For once, we feel hopeful and glad because we have a purpose now. We want to be like Prince Siddhartha, we want to be awakened. We want to be Buddha. The second joy is in finding out that it is permissible to have such an aspiration!

Therefore, the path to enlightenment starts with the joy of taking refuge in Buddha. To put it simply, we rely on and felt joyous with the idea of Buddhahood.

May all be well and happy.