It seems that the situation in all these worlds is unbearable. I need to find a source of Refuge that can protect me from being reborn there. Who can protect me? Not even Brahma, Indra, or the ruler of the universe, let alone all the others. Only the Three Jewels can. Therefore, I will turn to the Buddha as my teacher, put his teachings into practice, and consider the spiritual community as my companions on the path. As for refuge, although I take refuge in the Buddha, it is the Teaching that protects me. Even the Buddha cannot pluck me out of cyclic existence like a hair from a river. To gain protection, I must receive the Dharma teachings and then put them into practice.

Taranatha