The Four Recollections ♪

The Noble Teacher in whom I take refuge
is the One who embodies and reveals the Ultimate Reality,
is the One who is worthy of all respect and offering,
is the One who is endowed with perfected wisdom,
is the One who is endowed with right understanding and compassionate action,
is the One who happily crossed to the shore of freedom,
is the One who looked deeply to know the world well,
is the highest charioteer, training humankind,
teaching gods and humans,
the Awakened One, the World-Honored One.
[BELL]

The Teaching given by my Noble Teacher
is the path I undertake, the teaching well-proclaimed,
is the teaching that can be realized right here and right now,
is the teaching that is immediately useful and effective,
is the teaching inviting all to come and see directly,
is the teaching that is leading to the good, the true, the beautiful,
extinguishing the fire of afflictions;
it is a teaching for all sensible people to realize for themselves.
[BELL]

Practicing the teachings, the Noble Community in which I take refuge
is the community that goes in the direction of goodness,
in the direction of truth,
in the direction of beauty,
in the direction of righteousness;
is the community that is composed of four pairs and eight kinds of holy people;
is the community that is worthy of offerings, worthy of great respect, worthy of admiration, worthy of salutation;
is the community standing upon the highest fields of merit in all of the world.
[BELL]

The Mindfulness Trainings, the wholesome way of living taught by my Noble Teacher,
is the wonderful practice that remains unbroken,
that remains harmonious, that remains flawless, that remains refined;
is the wonderful practice that has the capacity to prevent wrongdoing and to prevent danger;
is the wonderful practice that has the capacity to protect self and others and to reveal beauty;
is the wonderful practice that is leading to concentration, leading to peacefulness, leading to insight, leading to non-fear;
is the wonderful practice that shows us the way to total emancipation and long-lasting happiness.
[BELL]