What are the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha?
To be a Buddhist, one is expected primarily to take refuge in the Triple Gem: the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. Buddha means the Enlightened One. Dhamma means Truth realised and taught by the Buddha. Sangha means the Buddha’s disciples who behave and practise righteously. The ideal Sangha means those who attain the Four States of Noblehood. The meaning of the Triple Gem or the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha may be understood in three different levels as follows: (1) The First Level The Buddha : the Enlightened One represented by His replica or Buddha image. Dhamma : Truth realised and taught by the Buddha, represented by Tripitaka or the Buddhist scripture. Sangha : the Buddha’s noble disciples represented by Buddhist bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns) in general, who have not yet attained the Four States of Noblehood. The Sangha in this level is called Conventional Sangha or Sammati Sangha.
