This is a commonly asked question.
When I hear “taking refuge”, I take it to mean formally participating in a refuge ceremony (皈依仪式), where one makes a commitment to take the Three Jewels as one’s spiritual refuge and become a Buddhist disciple.
A common question is whether this means you must immediately stop eating meat. No, taking refuge itself does not require you to become vegetarian. Vegetarianism is a separate practice and commitment. Of course, as we learn more about compassion and karma, our understanding of food and harming living beings may gradually change, but it is not a condition for taking refuge.
There are a few other practical questions that often come up too:
“Can I still drink wine?”
Taking refuge itself does not mean you automatically have to abstain from alcohol. Again, this is a separate practice. We can gradually become more mindful of our habits as our Dharma practice develops.
“Can I still consult my fengshui master?”
Yes, you can seek advice for worldly matters. The important distinction is where you place your ultimate reliance. Taking refuge means recognising the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha as our ultimate spiritual refuge. It doesn’t mean we cannot consult people who provide worldly advice or practical help.
“My family burns paper offerings during the 7th month, or goes to the temple to pray to Tai Sui during CNY. Can I still participate?”
This can be more nuanced, especially when it involves family traditions. Taking refuge doesn’t mean we suddenly have to reject every cultural practice our family follows. What matters is understanding the difference between participating in a family or cultural activity and taking ultimate refuge in it.
At the same time, we should be mindful not to engage in practices that directly contradict our refuge or cause harm. We can respect our family’s traditions while maintaining clarity about where our ultimate spiritual reliance lies.
“Do I have to perform rituals every day after taking refuge?”
There is no complicated daily ritual that you must perform simply because you have taken refuge. The more important practice is to remember our refuge and gradually let it influence how we think, speak and act.
So for me, taking refuge is less about suddenly changing everything we do overnight. It is more about changing our direction and what we ultimately rely on.
As we learn and practise the Dharma, many of our habits may naturally change over time. The refuge ceremony is the beginning of that journey, not a checklist of things we suddenly have to give up.