Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘Devotion to Dharma is devotion to the Universe itself. The Universe has its order, its beauty, its laws. As Buddhists we seek to follow the rule of the Universe; we seek to enter into the order of the Universe itself. We devote ourselves to that order; we devote ourselves to the rule of the Universe, we devote ourselves to Dharma. Devotion to Dharma is the fundamental principle of Buddhism.’ (from a talk on the Precepts)

Here the word ‘devotion’ is used for what we often call ‘taking refuge’, and since that term can sometimes seem a little opaque, having a different translation like this can help with our understanding.