REFUGE CEREMONY – September 19th  2026  @  SLBF Late Summer Retreat

Many people who begin to travel the Buddhist path will at some point decide to confirm their commitment to the Buddhist way. The Buddha called the decision to follow his teachings “Going for Refuge.” We all go for refuge, but often we seek comfort in things that will ultimately prove unsatisfactory. Going for Refuge in the Buddhist sense means we have committed to relinquishing those attachments that are causing us more difficulty in favor of a higher refuge.

Most Buddhist traditions have some ceremony or service that formalizes this act of going for refuge, and a Sensei credentialed by the Bright Dawn Center for Oneness Buddhism can perform this service.

The purpose of the Salt Lake Buddhist Ti Sarana ceremony is to function as a personal expression of an individual’s wish to confirm and deepen his or her commitment to the Buddhist path.  Our confirmation ceremony does not necessarily imply that one becomes a follower of a particular approach or tradition.  Our confirmation is less an institutional standard and more a tool for individual spirituality.

We conceive of our Ti Sarana ceremony as a broad gate for anyone who wishes to confirm his or her religious identity.  It should be mentioned that a confirmation ceremony is not necessary for a person to be considered a Buddhist.  Institutional validation is not mandatory.  Being confirmed is not required to receive Buddhist services such as weddings or funerals.

People who are Buddhist because they were born into a Buddhist family rarely feel a need for a ceremony to confirm their identity as Buddhists.  Perhaps because of the concept of baptism, persons coming to Buddhism from other traditions often feel the need for a confirmation ceremony.  A confirmation ceremony is to be encouraged for all Buddhists, regardless of their backgrounds.  Such a ceremony is an invaluable way to deepen one’s spirituality.

TO PARTICIPATE

To participate in our Ti Sarana ceremony, we ask that you attend our fellowship on a semi-regular basis since you will be taking Refuge with us.  You will also be asked to write a short spiritual biography. It doesn’t need to be long (750 + words), but give us a little information about your spiritual journey—your religious background, what brought you to the Fellowship, in addition to what books and people have influenced you. This will need to be completed no later than a week before the service.

The Next Step

Listen to the four DHARMA talks below about taking refuge and start to contemplate what it means for you, 

The last step is to find a rock, just a good old rock. This rock will represent your life before finding the teachings of the Buddha and the Fellowship. When we take refuge we build our new foundation on the Dharma, the Dharma becomes our rock. During the ceremony you will place your rock on the altar as a “rock offering”. 

 If you are interested please reach out to Christopher Kakuyo Sensei  sensei@saltlakebuddhist.org with Ti Sarana in the subject line.