Lesson video

Hello, I'm Ms. Ramalli, and thank you for joining me for today's RE lesson.

I'll be guiding you through our learning today, and my priority is to ensure you successfully meet our learning outcome.

By the end of today's lesson, you're about to explain the meaning of the three jewels and their significance for Buddhists.

To help us with our learning and understanding of today's lesson, there are four key words.

They're Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, and refuge.

Buddha refers to the historical Buddha who achieved enlightenment.

Dhamma in Buddhism is the term that means truth and includes the teachings of the Buddha.

Sangha is the Buddhist community, and that includes monks and nuns, and refuge means to seek safety or shelter from difficulty or danger.

So we're going to begin with our lesson on the three jewels with the meaning of the three jewels.

Okay, let's begin.

So what does the three jewels actually mean? Well, Buddhism is centred around three significant teachings known as the three jewels.

They are the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha.

You'll notice there that they're represented by three different colour jewels.

The three jewels may also be known as the three treasures, triple gems, or three refuges.

They're called jewels because Buddhists treasure and value them.

However, they're not referring to any kind of riches or physical treasure.

Okay, let's pause for a moment and just check our understanding of what we have just heard.

Which one is not an alternative name for the three jewels? A, the three parts, B, the three treasures, C, the three refuges, D, the triple gems. Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to check your answer.

Okay, welcome back.

Well done to everybody that said A.

The three parts is not an alternative name for the three jewels.

Well done.

So here we have the yellow jewel, which symbolises the Buddha.

And the Buddha is the first of the three jewels.

It is a title that usually refers to the historical Buddha, the person who founded Buddhism, known as Siddhartha Gautama.

The Buddha is not God.

When we are referring to the Buddha, we are not referring to a God in any form, the Buddha is not God.

Most Buddhists follow his Dhamma, and Buddhists believe that the Buddha achieved the state of enlightenment, and that is also known as Buddhahood.

Okay, let's pause for a moment and just check our understanding of what we have heard.

On your screen, there is a statement, Buddhahood is the goal of most Buddhists.

Now is that statement true or false? I'd like you to pause the video here, and then press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done to everybody that said true.

Buddhahood is the goal of most Buddhists.

Why? Well, Buddhahood is achieving the state of enlightenment and achieving enlightenment is the goal for most Buddhists.

Well done.

Moving on, we can see on our screens the blue jewel, and the blue jewel symbolises the Buddha's Dhamma.

The second jewel is the Dhamma.

The Dhamma is central to the Buddhist faith because it reveals truths taught by the Buddha.

It provides a path for individuals to live a life that guides them towards enlightenment.

Okay, right, time to pause and check our understanding of what we have heard.

Select the answer that is most likely to be chosen by Buddhists.

The Dhamma is important because, A, it offers guidance on how to worship God, B, it offers rules on how to follow God's path, or C, it offers guidance on how to achieve enlightenment.

Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody that selected C.

The Dhamma is important because it offers guidance on how to achieve enlightenment.

Fantastic, well done.

Moving on to the third jewel, and this is symbolised here by the red jewel and it symbolises the Sangha.

So the third jewel is the Sangha.

The Sangha is the Buddhist community and that includes monks and nuns.

The Sangha is important in Buddhism because it offers the strength and support of the Buddhist community.

Okay, so let's pause and check that we've understood what we have heard.

So on your screen there is a statement.

The Sangha only refers to Buddhist monks and nuns.

Is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done to everybody that selected false.

Well, the reason that statement is false is because the Sangha includes all Buddhists.

That's lay Buddhist and Buddhist monks and nuns.

Well done if you said false.

Okay, so now we're in a really good position to complete a practise task to show our understanding of the three jewels and what they mean.

So what I would like you to do is explain the meaning of the three jewels.

There are three sentence starters here that you may like to use.

So the first jewel is, and then you need to explain what that means.

The second jewel is, and explain the meaning.

And then the third jewel is, and again, explain the meaning.

Pause the video here and then press play when you are ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back.

Well done on all your hard work on that practise task.

So I asked you to explain the meaning of the three jewels.

Now your answers may look like this.

The first jewel is the Buddha, meaning the enlightened one.

The second jewel is the Dhamma, and that is the meaning of the teachings of the Buddha.

And the third jewel is the Sangha, meaning the Buddhist community.

Okay, fantastic.

Well done on all of your hard work on that practise task.

So this brings us on to the second part of our lesson on the three jewels, and in this part of the lesson we are going to learn about the significance of the three jewels for Buddhists.

So we are going to learn about why the three jewels are important for Buddhists.

So three jewels are significant for many Buddhists as they may seek refuge within them.

The three jewels can be seen by many Buddhists as offering a safe place to help them to navigate life's difficulties.

The three refuges are frequently recited by many Buddhists.

The three refuges is a very popular chant that will be recited or repeated.

And it starts with, "I take refuge in the Buddha.

I take refuge in the Dhamma.

And I take refuge in the Sangha." What do you think it means to take refuge in the jewels? Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back, great discussions.

So I asked you to reflect on the question, what do you think it means to take refuge in the jewels? Okay, so let's see what you may have said.

So, "I take refuge in the Buddha." This can mean commitment to following the Buddha's example.

"I take refuge in the Dhamma." This can mean to follow the Buddha's teachings, which is to try and reduce suffering, and "I take refuge in the Sangha." This can mean recognising a sense of togetherness with all living beings.

Okay, so now this is a good time just to check our understanding of what we have heard.

On your screen, there is a statement, to take refuge means to seek safety or shelter.

Is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to check your answer.

<v ->Okay, well done to everybody that said true.

</v> To take refuge does mean to seek safety or shelter.

Fantastic, well done.

So continuing on our understanding of why the three jewels are significant for Buddhists, well, the Buddha is significant because most Buddhists will seek refuge in him by following his Dhamma.

This shows commitment to following the Buddha's path to achieving enlightenment.

And as was mentioned earlier, Buddhahood is a key goal for many Buddhists.

Here on your screen you can see an image that symbolises the eightfold path.

So the Dhamma is significant because it offers a way to seek guidance and support in the Buddha's teachings.

A Buddhist may seek refuge in the Dhamma by practising the Buddhist teachings such as the Four Noble Truths and the eightfold path.

And here on your screen you can see an image of Buddhist monks.

And Buddhists may seek refuge in the Sangha by seeking guidance and support from the Buddhist community.

Many Buddhists actively participate in local temples or meditation centres where they can connect with others who share their commitment to the Dhamma.

Okay, let's pause for a moment and just check what we have heard.

I would like you to choose one reason why the three jewels are significant to Buddhists.

A, they demonstrate God's guidance.

B, they demonstrate the path to enlightenment.

C, they demonstrate the path to desire and suffering.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, welcome back, and well done to everybody that selected B.

Fantastic, well done.

Okay, so now we're at a strong position where we can complete a second practise task.

What I would like you to do is explain three reasons why the three jewels are significant for Buddhists by completing these sentences.

The Buddha is significant for Buddhists because.

The Dhamma is significant for Buddhists because.

And the Sangha is significant for Buddhists because.

Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back everybody.

So let's check our answers now.

I asked you to explain three reasons why the three jewels are significant for Buddhists.

So in your answer you may have said, the Buddha is significant for Buddhists because following his example is a way to show determination and commitment to achieving enlightenment.

The Dhamma is significant for Buddhists because they may seek refuge in the Dhamma by practising the Buddhist teachings such as the Four Noble Truths.

And by doing that, this will help reduce suffering.

And lastly, the Sangha is significant for Buddhists because it is an opportunity to receive support and guidance from each other.

Well done on all your hard work on that practise task.

Fantastic effort.

So that brings us to the summary of our learning today on our lesson on the three jewels.

So the three jewels are the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha.

The Sangha also includes monks and nuns.

So the Sangha is all Buddhists, including lay Buddhists and Buddhist monks and nuns.

The three jewels may also be known as the three treasures or the three refuges.

And the three jewels are significant to Buddhists because they offer a way to follow the Dhamma and achieve enlightenment.

Lastly, Buddhahood is the goal for many Buddhists.

Fantastic, well done, and thank you very much for joining me for today's lesson.

Goodbye.