The Significance of Taking Refuge

by Lama Dudjom Dorjee

From the external point of view, taking refuge is receiving permission to enter the mandala of Buddhism, of being accepted into the global sangha of practitioners of buddhadharma. Internally, taking refuge allows us to receive the transmissions and blessings of the ultimate Buddha, thus propelling us along the path towards liberation.

When the Buddha appears in the universe, the dharma teachings and the sangha of practitioners also appear. Taking refuge in these three aspects means crossing the dividing line between Buddhist and non-Buddhist — to formally declare it, so to speak. When we take refuge, we, as the subject, go to the object, the Three Jewels — the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha — for that refuge.

First, we take refuge in the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, as well as in all the Buddhas of the three times (past, present, and future) and in the three kayas (dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya) — the manifestations of the three bodies of the Buddha. Second, we also take refuge in the holy dharma, in the direct teachings of the Buddha, including all three levels of those teachings (Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana). Third, we take refuge in the noble sangha, the community of beings with highly developed wisdom and compassion, including arhats and other highly realised practitioners, as well as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Finally, although we initially see these Three Jewels as separate objects in our practice, from the ultimate point of view we must consolidate them into one single object of refuge — the ultimate Buddha.