Our conventional understanding of “taking refuge” may be to seek shelter and protection at a certain place, or to rely on another person or being for feelings of safety and ease. Some of us may covet material wealth, social status, and owning physical possessions for a sense of security.
These are external refuges.
And external refuges tend to only offer temporary comfort, since we essentially have no control over our external conditions.
Given that all things are inherently transient, material things will decay, relationships will change, and statuses will fade away. The fluid and changing nature of external conditions may even bring more fear and uncertainty than ease and relief.
So in mindfulness practice, we emphasise the importance of taking refuge within ourselves.
“Be islands unto yourselves, be your own refuge, having no other.”
— The Buddha
A big part of our practice is recognising our penchant for external dependency, and start turning inwards to discover the capacity we all have for developing inner stability and cultivate lasting peace.
Students of the Buddha take refuge in the Triple Gem - the Buddha (seeing our own potential for liberation), the Dhamma (trusting the path to liberation), and the Sangha (embracing a community of fellow practitioners walking the same path).
As mindfulness practitioners, we intentionally turn our attention inwards for personal empowerment.
By investigating our own internal experiences, and observing the nature of our mind and body, we find ease and confidence in knowing we can take responsibility for our own growth.
By seeking refuge from within, we are essentially protected by our own wisdom and sensibilities in the way we carry out our lives.
In this Take A Pause session recorded live on 8 September 2024, the TAP community contemplated finding refuge within ourselves, through a breath awareness practice and a body scan. Our body can be a refuge because it grounds us in the present moment and offers itself as a laboratory for learning and insight as we mindfully observe our internal experience.
At the end of the session, we listened to an excerpt about seeking refuge from Yung Pueblo’s Clarity & Connection.
Meditation Begins: 06:09
Reading Begins: 27:43
Meditation Duration: 21 minutes 30 seconds
A Song For You:
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