Buddhaṃ Saraṇaṃ Gacchāmi

"I take refuge in the Buddha." The Buddha: Outwardly, taking refuge in the Buddha is to place one's trust in Shakyamuni Buddha who achieved enlightenment 2,500 years ago; internally, the refuge in the Buddha consists in recognizing and then placing one's trust in the Buddha nature or nature of wisdom present in oneself and in every being. It is a commitment to developing it until it is fully realized.