..续本文上一页oceed to the transcendent — the truly safe refuge.

　　People who have done this experience nothing but an inner brightness and happiness in their hearts, for they dwell with the quality they have given rise to within themselves. They reach the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha on the highest level, the level of release or ultimate attainment, a quality free from defilement and mental fermentations.

　　People who train their hearts in this way have reached the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha on the level of inner quality. In other words, they have reached refuge in their own hearts. They have absolutely closed off the route to the realms of deprivation. At the very least, they are destined after death to go to the higher realms of happiness. At best, they will attain nibbana. All of them are certain to attain nibbana within at least seven lifetimes, for they have reached an inner quality that”s steady and certain. They won”t fall into anything low. Anyone who has yet to attain this quality, though, has an uncertain future.

　　So if we want the peace and security that the Buddha”s teachings has to offer, we should all try to find ourselves a dependable refuge. If you take refuge on the allegorical level, the level of inpiduals, find people of worth so that your conviction in them will take you to the happy realms. As for refuge on the level of inner qualities, which will really be of substantial value to you, practice so as to give rise to those qualities within yourself.

　　To summarize: On the level of inner qualities, the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha are all one and the same thing. They differ only in name.

　　So you should "opanayiko" — bring these qualities into your heart. "Sanditthiko" — When you practice, you”ll see them for yourself. "Paccattam" — You”ll know them only for yourself. Things that other people know about aren”t safe.

　　If you want peace and refuge that are substantial and sure, you should give rise to them in your own heart. The result will be nibbana, liberation from defilement, from all birth, aging, illness, and death in this world and any world to come.

　　nibbanam paramam sukham

　　"Nibbana is the ultimate happiness.

　　There is no happiness higher."

　　This is "buddha" on the level of results: freedom from sleep, total Awakening.

　　And this ends our discussion of the verse on refuge.

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　　Glossary

　　Part I: Personal Titles

　　People in Thailand are rarely referred to simply by name. Usually the name is prefaced by a term that can indicate either the person”s formal rank, his/her relationship to the speaker, or the speaker”s feelings about him/her at that particular moment. A number of these terms, as used in this book, are explained below.

　　In the days of the absolute monarchy, high-ranking civil servants were given ranks and titles of conferred nobility. The ranks given to commoners, in ascending order, were Khun, Luang, Phra, Phraya and Chao Phraya. The wife of a Khun, a Luang or a Phra was called Khun Nai. The wife of a Phraya or a Chao Phraya was called Khun Ying. Other ranks and titles were conferred on members of the royal family in government service, but none of these are mentioned in this book.

　　A similar system of conferred ranks and titles was, and still is, bestowed on monks. The two basic ranks, in ascending order, are Phra Khru and Chao Khun, although each rank has several grades. The highest grade of Chao Khun is Somdet. The recipient of any of these ranks is also given a new name that is supposed to be in keeping with his status and position. This was especially important back in the days when people might be named "Dog," "Grub" or "Pig" at birth. The conferred names are recyclable. For instance, the Somdet at Wat Boromnivasa mentioned in this book…

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