The Threefold Refuge : The Buddha as Master, His Teachings and his Worthy Disciples
 
In our Buddhist context, taking refuge or  saranam gacchâmi  as we say in our religious language of Pali, means, accepting with unassailable trust or sraddhâ [=  faith ] in the Master as our spiritual guide, and accepting with delight or prasâda the efficacy of his spiritual counselling or dhamma. These two personal qualities which a disciple is unquestionably required to possess, quite early in his spiritual conversion, imply both unshakable faith in the creed and a willingness to pursue a prescribed way of life. Both these reflect a very down-to-earth way of religiousness, with no requirement of belief in an unseen, beyond- this-earth component of divinity. The disciple has to live the prescribed way, with his own endeavour and his own human intelligence. He has to discover for himself, here and now, the benefits of such living. This confers on the Buddhist way of life the unique title ehi- passika  or 'come and behold the results thereof '.

Taking refuge in Buddhism definitely does not imply praying to or supplicating any divinity, here or elsewhere, for material prosperity in this worldly life, for health, wealth and children, power and prestige or for any spiritual succour in a life beyond. One  has to make an endeavour, and do the striving oneself [tumhehi kiccam  âtappam]. The Buddhas only indicate the way of religious life [akkhâtâro tathâgatâ]. Those who know even the basic elements of Buddhist thinking therefore do not have to foolishly labour the point about the validity of taking refuge in the Buddha. It is no more than trust in the spiritual leadership of the Master. It is abominably incorrect to suggest, as it is done in some circles today, that the word Buddha  in the three-fold refuge stands for  buddhi  or one's own judgement. It is apparently a devastating by-product of miscreant self-taught gurus, with very little knowledge of the original teachings in Pali.

As we venerate the Buddha in our daily adorations, we unhesitatingly call him the teacher of gods and men [satthâ  deva-  manussânam]. This, we really mean. We do really believe that he could instruct even those above the level of humans, presumably of the extra-terrestrial level. We also say and believe that he [i.e. his teachings] could take in hand the reform of certain individuals who need personal correction and who lend themselves to such correction. For this, we give him the title purisa-damma-sârathî.
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There is no question of the Master being live or dead. As a teacher and a spiritual guide, he does not need to be living or be born again for our salvation. What the Buddhists do is take refuge in the ever vibrant leadership of the Master and his teaching.
 

011.  Heedfulness and vigilance [i. e. being watchful over one's way of life] leads one on the path to deathlessness or final liberation in Nirvana. Heedlessness, on the other hand, makes one succumb to death and destruction. Those endowed with vigilance do not easily give into death. The heedless in life are as bad as dead. The wise who discern this virtue of heedfulness rejoice in being so. For they dwell in the realm of the worthy ones.  [Dhammapada  vv. 21. & 22 ]