I learn, reflect and practice the Buddha’s teachings, but I have not taken refuge, am I a Buddhist?
Taking refuge (皈依) is the foundation and entry point of the Buddhist path.
We take refuge for two reasons:
- We recognise our problem
We see that suffering, karma and our own afflictions are not something we can simply solve through worldly means. - We trust that the Three Jewels can show us the way out
We turn to the Buddha as our teacher, Dharma as the path, and Sangha as our spiritual companions.
So refuge is essentially saying:
“I recognise that I need help, I trust the Buddha’s path, and I choose to walk this path.”
Can I practise Buddhism without the refuge ceremony?
Yes, you can certainly learn and practise Buddhist teachings without immediately taking the formal ceremony.
But in the Lamrim, it makes an important distinction: refuge is what makes our practice genuinely Buddhist.
The ceremony itself is not the magic part. What matters is the mind behind it. The ceremony helps us formally establish and strengthen that direction in our life.
You can think of it like this:
Learning Dharma → understanding Dharma → trusting the Three Jewels → taking refuge → practising Dharma as a Buddhist path
So there is no need to think, “If I haven’t taken refuge, I cannot do anything Buddhist.” Start learning and practising. As our understanding and confidence grow, refuge becomes a natural next step.
What is the significance?
Refuge is really a change of direction.
As we learn Buddhism, we may gradually start to see the limitations of the way we normally rely on ourselves. Money, cleverness, relationships and other worldly solutions can help us solve many of life’s immediate problems. But they cannot answer the bigger questions, such as what happens after death, why we continue to experience suffering, and how we can ultimately get out of samsara.
At some point, we begin to realise that the Buddha had already understood these problems deeply and, more importantly, had found a wholesome path that addresses both our everyday suffering and the deeper problem of samsara.
That is when refuge starts to have real meaning.
Taking refuge means:
“I don’t want to rely only on my old ways anymore. I want to learn from the Buddha, follow the Dharma, and make this path my guide.”
That’s why Lamrim places refuge right at the beginning. It establishes who we are relying on and where we are going.