The Three Jewels and what Dharma is capable of
When we are taking refuge we decide to actively follow Lord Buddha’s path. What is Buddha’s path? It is the manifestation of his enlightenment, his fully enlightened mind coming to us through the lineage in an uncontaminated way. That is what we call Dharma. It is not only books but the transmission of wisdom, its explanation, its lineage.
Once we became Buddhists, we hence follow Lord Buddha’s path, get started to practice his instructions. Therefore we address the teacher who kindly transmits to us Buddha’s instructions through the lineage.
Most interestingly, some kind of mistaken perception or belief seems to have become solid, thinking that the teacher’s job is to bring order into our lives, to help us be more content, etc., making the teacher a kind of advisor for all our little problems, hiccups and concerns.
That, of course, is incorrect. The Dharma is the path, the means, the tools to free us of our own neurosis, the path to our own Buddhahood. By means of transmission we are receiving the means to practice the Dharma from our teacher. To become Buddhas ourselves.
