Many Buddhists take refuge in the three jewels. The Buddha represents our ability to see clearly; the Dharma is the Law, the Truth of what exists, the Tao; the Sangha is the Community which protects and guides us. Jessica Kross is a retired Professor from USC’s History Department. She joined the UUCC in 1975. Jessica sat her first Buddhist weekend retreat in 1984 and has gone on to sit some 50+ week-long or longer retreats since then. For seven years she was a lay co-teacher of Buddhism here in Columbia. She also taught a nine-week course on Buddhism for the Trenholm Rd. Shepherd’s Center.