Life is hard.

What if you had someone or something into which you could put all your hopes, knowing they would take care of you? What would it feel like to lay all your fears in this person's lap? What would it be like to know that this something was capable of protecting you from all suffering? How would it feel to know you would be protected from pain, and that all living beings would also be so protected? What if you could learn to contact your future Buddha self, knowing that this future you would protect the current you from all the difficulties of the present moment?

This is the meaning of Buddhist refuge.

Join Rache Lim as she guides us through these marvelous teachings, designed to protect, support and help you through your life's journey with all its ups and downs. Rache will tell us why we should study, understand, and then put into practice Buddhist refuge. Briefly, Buddhist refuge means going to the Three Jewels for protection: the Buddha Jewel, the Dharma Jewel, and the Sangha Jewel.

Where do you go for protection today? Many people "take refuge" in watching a lot of Netflix after a long hard day. Or maybe you indulge in sugar, caffeine, or alcohol to take the edge off. Some people have an obsessive need to exercise--running or working out--to make them feel better. And, unless you abuse them, of course it's ok (unless you have vows against them) to do some of these things for comfort or well-being from time to time.

But real refuge means putting your trust and your reliance in the Three Jewels of Buddhism. Find out why the Buddha Jewel can help you today; how the Dharma Jewel can penetrate every moment of your life in ways that are supremely helpful; and what the Sangha Jewel really means. ACI 2 will help you understand the Perfection of Wisdom sutras, and how perfecting your wisdom is the key to perceiving emptiness. We'll discuss the different kinds of refuge, such as protection from a lower rebirth, to ending your suffering in this life, all the way to achieving total enlightenment to protect all living beings, not just yourself. We'll discuss bodhichitta, or the wish for enlightenment. Find out what the sugar-cane wish for enlightenment is, and how it is different from the ultimate wish. We'll explore the different meanings and levels of nirvana. We'll discuss the difference between an arhat and an arya, and get our first introduction to the famous--and difficult to understand--Tibetan concept of the gakja--the object we deny.