There are three things that are most important to Buddhist, namely, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

The Buddha is the founder of the Buddhist religion, the Dharma is his teaching, and the Sangha is the Holy Order of the enlightened disciples, who preserve and propagate the religion. Buddhists regard all these three as the objects of the highest veneration. Collectively, they are called the Holy Triple Gem.

To be a Buddhist means to take refuge in the Holy Triple Gem——to have firm faith in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha——and to endeavor to follow Buddhist practices and traditions.

One can take refuge in the Holy Triple Gem by making a firm resolution to that effect, with or without accompanying rites or ceremony, and by calling oneself Buddhist. After all, Buddhism is a religion that lays great emphasis on actual practice——one must follow the teaching and conduct oneself accordingly——not on ritual trappings or elaborate ceremonies that bear no ethical or spiritual value.

Nevertheless, since Buddhism has also become institutionalized, there evolved a traditional practice which we may call the Confirmation Ceremony, i.e., one by which a person may be officially "confirmed" or recognized as a Buddhist. This ceremony is usually officiated by a member of the Holy Order and there is a procedure that has to be properly followed.

First of all, an aspirant wishing to become a Buddhist should be taught in the basic tenets of the religion. He should study the fundamental teachings of the Buddha, what a Buddhist should or should not do, how a Buddhist should behave himself in relation to others, how he should behave in a Buddhist congregation, etc. He should also learn how to pay homage and respect to the Holy Triple Gem and how to observe the five precepts, which are the fundamental moral codes of conduct for all Buddhists.

In the confirmation ceremony and in the presence of a member (or members) of the Holy Order he should pronounce the following statements:

Venerable Sir, I go for refuge to that Blessed One, who though long had passed away, as well as to his Teaching and the Holy Order of Sangha. May the Sangha graciously recognize me as a follower of the Buddha.
For the second time, Venerable Sir, ......
For the third time, Venerable Sir, ......

Taking refuge in the Holy Triple Gem is effected by the recitation of the following passages, administered by the officiating monk:
I go to the Buddha for refuge.
I go to the Dharma for refuge.
I go to the Sangha for refuge.

For the second time, ......
For the third time, ......

The confirmation ceremony is considered incomplete without the observeance of the five precepts, although each serves different purposes. The five precepts are thus dealt with in a seperate lesson.