Spiritual Practices: Seven Refuges
- The H3O/Art of Life Blog
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
By Wayne Sebamurti
Presented by Omni-U Virtual University
Everyone -without exception- will experience difficult times, hardships, failures, trials and tribulations. And, at some point in time to varying degrees, tension and stress will arise in our efforts to manage what can seem to be insurmountable problems. If levels of tension and stress reach a point where they become intolerable, we will inevitably turn toward something to provide us with some relief and give us strength to endure. In these moments, there are Seven Refuges to which we should turn and embrace; refuges to give us strength and release us from our suffering:
1. God - The Almighty Creator and Source of our very Being; That which sustains our very lives. I take refuge in God.
2. Ancestors - Our beloved, wise, and resilient ancestors who withstood and survived the Maafa [1]- the most horrific experience ever perpetrated on a race of people. I take refuge in my ancestors.
3. Spiritual.Teacher - The wise and compassionate spiritual advisor and guide who sheds light in the dark corners of our minds and helps us to find clarity and understanding; who removes doubt and confusion, and enables us to stand tall in the face of adversity, conflict and controversy. The one(s) who teach us always to speak the truth, do justice and walk in the way of righteousness. I take refuge in my Spiritual Teacher.
4. The Teachings - the insightful and liberating scriptures composed from words and deeds uttered and performed by the Sages and Seers whose lives were/are a living demonstration of God- Realized Beings. I take refuge in the Teachings.
5. Spiritual Community- The like- minded people with whom we share a common interest in the quest for God- Realization. The community of seekers of truth within which we rely for support, care, and understanding during difficult times of struggle and adversity. I take refuge in the Spiritual Community.
6. Meditation - Bringing stillness and silence to our bodies and minds through the practice of meditation so that the light of God within, can shine bright enough to remove the darkness of ignorance and, thus, we become enlightened, liberated, and free in this lifetime for the sake of all beings. I take refuge in Meditation.
7. Prayer - Humbly submitting to a higher power for intervention and guidance in the affairs of our lives, and in others, asking for wholesome well- being, solemnity and uplifting as we prepare ourselves to receive that which we have asked for in prayer, both for ourselves and for others. I take refuge in Prayer.
BlogNotes:
[1] Maafa-(Mah-ah-fah)
"Maafa" , a term which means the "Great Tragedy," or "African Holocaust," is primarily associated with the Middle Passage of the Atlantic “Slave Trade” in which the "forces that divided us" disrupted our way of life, ie., culture..
Recommended Viewing:
“I've Been to the Mountaintop” Speech by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Intelligence and Impermanence", an H3O Art of Life Show Featuring: Wayne Sebamurti Gentry
Recommended Readings:
I Am That: Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Stephen H. Wolinsky.
I Am That I Am: A Tribute to Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
Bhagavad Gita. Introduced and translated by Eknath Esawaran.
The Teachings of the Bhagvadad Gita.Swami Dayananda
Thich Nhat Hanh.
The Energy of Prayer: How to Deepen Your Spiritual Practice.
"The Miracle of Mindfulness "
A Guide to Walking Meditation:
The Three Refuges | Plum Village
https://plumvillage.org/library/chants/the-three-refuges#:~:text=I%20take%20refuge%20in%20the,of%20understanding%20and%20of%20love
Meditations of the Heart. By Ancestor Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman.
Interline Greek-English, New Testament. George RickerBerry
Micah 6:8 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
John 16:33 - (KJV) -
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 23, 9:9, 16:1, 17:6-9, 46:1, 62:7, 91:1-4, Lamentations 3:22-23; Romans 8:38-39 KJV
I Seek Thy Refuge by Khaliq Muhammad - Issuu
Ancestor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” (An “H3O Art of Life” Blog).
Recommended Listening:
Ancestor Kelan Phil Cohran. "African Skies".
Earth, Wind, & Fire "You Need Devotion"
Ancestor Pharoah Sanders. "The Creator Has a Master Plan"
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