04.04.2025 Taking Refuge   Taking refuge is the essential first step in formally becoming a Buddhist. In taking refuge, we commit to the Buddha, dharma, and sangha — known as the three jewels — as our refuge from suffering. This act of taking refuge is a ritual shared by followers of all traditions and lineages, symbolizing a heartfelt commitment to the path of awakening. However, it is not something we do once and then forget about. Instead, taking refuge is an ongoing, lived experience — a continual reminder of our commitment to compassion and liberation. Each time we take refuge, we reaffirm our intention to follow the path of awakening. The Buddha serves as a source of inspiration, showing us what is possible. The Dharma offers the teachings and guidance to navigate life’s challenges with clarity and understanding. The Sangha, our spiritual community, provides support and companionship along the way. While the path is ultimately ours to walk, we are never truly alone. By turning to the Three Jewels, we find strength, encouragement, and the confidence to keep moving forward. Our new Buddhadharma “Taking Refuge” Deep Dive explores the multifaceted meaning of taking refuge and how it evolves throughout our practice. In this Weekend Reader, we’re featuring three teachings from this collection that illuminate different aspects of taking refuge: finding true refuge in an uncertain world, seeking shelter in the Three Jewels, and recognizing that refuge is always available to us in each moment. We hope these reflections will help you deepen your connection to the Three Jewels and support you on your path to awakening. If you’re inspired to go deeper, the full Deep Dive includes further insights from esteemed Buddhist teachers including Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Mushim Ikeda, Blayne Higa, Rebecca Li, Christina Feldman, Koun Franz, and more. —Mariana Restrepo, deputy editor, Buddhadharma How to Find True Refuge in an Uncertain World We all want security, yet too often we look for it in the wrong places. Br. Phap Huu on a safety that does not depend on circumstances. Unlike the pursuit of money, power, sex, and fame, the three jewels — the Buddha, dharma, and sangha — are there as a wholesome refuge; they offer us energy and support and lead us in the direction of inner freedom and lasting joy. We can see the three jewels as a source of strength, protection, and nourishment, which is necessary to address the very real suffering of our times. Taking refuge in the three jewels has long been a formal way to declare one’s commitment to the Buddhist path, a path dedicated to the understanding and cessation of suffering. Taking refuge is the commitment to moral and ethical cultivation — a practice that’s alive and continuously evolving. The three jewels are a source of spiritual protection and energy that allows us to fully engage with each moment — taking in and understanding everything as it is. ADVERTISEMENT Shelter in the Three Treasures Vanessa Zuisei Goddard shares how taking refuge in the three treasures of buddha, dharma, and sangha allows us to practice not in spite of trying circumstances, but with them. Words matter, and what we do with them matters even more. As a lover of words, I’ve been wondering whether there are other, more fruitful ways to think about “sheltering in place” — ways that belie our war-laden, crisis-driven uses of the phrase. As a practitioner, the natural connection I’ve made is to the word “refuge.” In Buddhism, we take refuge in the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. At a time like this, what does that actually mean? You Can Take Refuge Right Here   Paul Condon draws on traditional Buddhism and Western psychology to show how the act of taking refuge is available to us in every moment, wherever we are. To take up the Buddhist path begins with taking refuge in the Buddha, the dharma, and the accomplished sangha—other people and beings who embody qualities of awakening. In Buddhist cultures, taking refuge in Buddhist figures, lineage teachers, ancestors, and sangha provides a communal basis of support for meditation, which empowers practitioners in the challenging task of extending unconditional care to others with increasing unconditionality amidst the inherent difficulties of practice and life. In modern cultures, however, refuge in these communal sources of support can be more fraught—to ask a Western practitioner to take refuge can pose challenges due to prior traumas with family, communities, institutions, or difficulty connecting with religious icons from another culture.