The Three Jewels

The ideals at the heart of Buddhism are collectively known as the Three Jewels, or the Triple Gem. These are the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. It is by making these the central principles of one's life that one becomes a Buddhist.

The Buddha

The Buddha refers both to the historical Buddha . The Buddha is honored as a special human being who, confronted with the palpable suffering in the world and convinced that there had to be something more, sought and won enlightenment. Buddha means 'awakened one', as his enlightenment was a 'waking up' to the world as it really is, free from delusion and ignorance. Consequently, in Buddhism, the Buddha is the prime source of inspiration and authority for adherents.

The Dhamma

Dhamma has many meanings but most importantly it means Truth (as experienced by the Enlightened mind) and the Buddha