The Lazy Lama looks at
Refuge
Finding a Purpose and a Path

Ringu Tulku discusses what it means to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha - the definitive act of ‘being a Buddhist’ - in terms of finding a profound purpose in our lives and making a decision to work towards fulfilling that aim.
‘Discovering a purpose is maybe the most important thing we can do.  Whatever we’re doing, if we have a purpose, if we have a dream, then we can find a way.  But if we have no purpose we don’t know where we are or where we’re going; we’re lost.  That’s why, from the Buddhist point of view, this is the first and most important step.’
‘We say that a person becomes a Buddhist by taking refuge, but it would be a mistake to think that taking refuge is only for beginners.  It’s actually the whole practice of Buddhism.’