Daily Mains Question – GS 1 – 26th June 2025
- TPP
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
Welcome to your daily Mains Model Answer — tailored to connect cultural depth with conceptual clarity, just as UPSC expects in GS Paper 1. Today’s answer delves into the Buddhist doctrine of the Triratna — the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha — and their significance in the spiritual journey toward Nibbāna (liberation).
This topic is highly relevant for GS Paper 1 under the theme “Indian culture — salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature, and Architecture from ancient to modern times,” particularly in the subdomain of religious philosophies and schools of thought. Exploring the Triratna offers critical insights into the ethical, metaphysical, and institutional foundations of Buddhism — useful for understanding India’s cultural evolution, as well as for value-based reflections in Essay and Ethics papers.
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QUESTION
Explain the significance of the triratna (‘Three Jewels’) in the quest of nibbāna. Explain how Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha interact as interconnected underpinnings of the Buddhist path.
Answer: The Triratna, or ‘Three Jewels’—the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha—constitute the foundational pillars of the Buddhist path to Nibbāna (liberation from suffering). Known collectively as the Tisarana (Threefold Refuge), they are central to the spiritual framework followed by both upāsakas/upāsikās (lay followers) and bhikkhus/bhikkhunīs (monastics).
1. The Buddha: The Awakened One
The Buddha is not worshipped as a deity but revered as a teacher (satthā) who attained enlightenment and illuminated the path to Nibbāna.
As per Dhammapada, verse 183: “To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to purify the mind – this is the teaching of the Buddhas.”
The Majjhima Nikāya likens his teachings to the finest fragrances, suggesting their superiority over other contemporary spiritual ideologies.
Taking refuge in the Buddha implies trust in his awakening and moral exemplarity.
2. The Dhamma: The Path and the Doctrine
Refers to the teachings based on Ariya Saccāni (Four Noble Truths) and the Aṭṭhaṅgika Magga (Eightfold Path).
Central concepts include Anicca (impermanence), Dukkha (suffering), and Anattā (non-self).
The Milindapañhā illustrates Anattā through the Chariot Analogy, denying any permanent self or soul.
Majjhima Nikāya (MN 22) uses the “raft parable” to portray the Dhamma as a means to liberation—not an object of attachment.
3. The Sangha: The Living Community
The Sangha (monastic community) institutionalized the preservation and propagation of the Buddha’s teachings.
The Vinaya Piṭaka details monastic rules (Pātimokkha)—227 for monks and 311 for nuns—covering conduct, ethics, and conflict resolution.
Vassāvāsa (monsoon retreat) led to the establishment of viharas and the early form of settled monasticism.
Inclusion of women through Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī led to the formation of the Bhikkhunī Sangha, albeit with gender-specific regulations.
Interconnected Nature of the Triratna
Buddha offers the vision and insight.
Dhamma provides the method and understanding.
Sangha ensures continuity and collective practice.Together, they form an interdependent structure: the Buddha reveals the Dhamma, the Dhamma is preserved and practiced by the Sangha, and the Sangha supports the laity in following the path.
The Triratna collectively offer not just spiritual refuge but an actionable, rational, and ethical framework for transcending suffering. In the Buddhist journey to Nibbāna, they are not isolated entities but symbiotic supports—representing the ideal, the path, and the community respectively. The continuity of the Buddha’s Śāsana (teaching) across millennia underscores the enduring relevance of the Three Jewels in guiding both individual and collective liberation.
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