Taking Refuge

Taking refuge: 

taking refuge in a sound, a vibration really, just the faint idea of a thought given a moment of my attention and then immediately let go. That's meditation, my devotional practice, a repetition of a mantra in an easy flow of sound arising through an endless field of silence. The Buddhist tale refuge in the Three Jewels, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, which is recognizing the authority of the historical Buddha, his teaching, and the community that follows its practice. For me, taking refuge is a solitary practice, giving faith in the vibration of the mantra and even more so in its release, not calling for my constant attention but only for the moment that it's given thought, remembered, and that through this I find myself returned to my natural state of stillness, my refuge found. 

taking refuge is a momentary practice.

this appeals to my sense of simplicity as well as my solitary nature, although I do appreciate the support offered by a community that vales such a practice. But I find that overall I am better suited to a quiet lifestyle of few people, more books, and time spent in nature. Two, often three times a day I take refuge in my mantra, a Vedic meditation using a primordial sound, allowing it's vibration to gently lead my thoughts to settle, and through this easy practice I find myself at deep rest, relaxed, surrounded and at home within an infinite sense of silence. 

taking refuge is just returning home.

 it's the mantra itself that offers refuge, not the whole practice, but the vibration alone, the instance of sound matching itself to silence, merging qualities, until again a seamless whole. Each thought of the mantra offers this return and that's what I consider it a devotional practice, to simply appreciation the quality of this sound, its vibration, and allowing it to be the means of an inner transformation, from thought-filled to a truly quiet place of mind. I am devoted to just the moment of its utterance, a thought, and nothing more required. 

everything else happens completely on its own. 

it's my way of taking refuge. 

~

Peace, Eric