Taking Refuge confirms that one wants to become a Buddhist, and one accepts the Buddha as the enlightened teacher, the Dharma as the guide to the spiritual path and the Sangha (Buddhist community of monks, nuns, and novices) as the supporting spiritual community. Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are also known as the Triple Gems.
Three Refuges
- I take refuge in the Buddha
- I take refuge in the Dhamma
- I take refuge in the Sangha
Buddhists live by the Five Moral Precepts. These are the most basic code of ethics undertaken by upāsaka and upāsikā (male/ female lapeople).
The five precepts
I undertake to observe the rule:
- to abstain from taking life
- to abstain from taking what is not given
- to abstain from sexual misconduct
- to abstain from false speech
- to abstain from intoxicants
The eight precepts are an enhanced version of the Five Precepts. Eight precepts are consisting of five precepts with three additional precepts.