Please read the following requirements and notes before applying. Taking refuge is a voluntary spiritual commitment. Applicants should understand its meaning and be willing to continue learning and practising under the guidance of the teachers.

1. Complete the introductory learning

Sign in to your account and watch all designated videos in any order. For each video, choose a suitable language or viewing link.
Opening any external link for a video records that video as completed, with no additional confirmation. Internal videos are marked complete after playback. You can apply once all designated videos are complete.
Familiarise yourself with the basic teachings on refuge, cause and effect, the mind and Dharma practice. You may note any questions to discuss with the Association during the interview.

2. Prepare and provide accurate information

Complete the introducer, Buddhist learning experience, languages understood and other information requested in the form. Upload a scan of your passport or Hong Kong identity card and a personal photograph. Select None where that option is provided and you have no relevant experience. If you have not participated in a religious organization, the related duties are also recorded as None. Your name and contact details are taken from your member profile.

Identity documents, photographs and payment evidence may be uploaded as PDF, JPG or PNG files, up to 10 MB each. Ensure that each file is legible and submit it through the upload fields on the application page.

3. Provide three interview preferences

Provide three different interview preferences by choosing a date and either morning or afternoon for each; no exact time is required. You may also select three different available slots. Dates and morning/afternoon periods use Hong Kong time (UTC+8); please choose periods that have not passed.

Your preferred times are not confirmed appointments. The Association will arrange the final interview time and interviewer according to availability. Check your application record and the Association's notices, and attend at the confirmed time.

4. Interview fee and payment confirmation

The interview fee and available payment methods are those shown on the application page. For a bank transfer, upload payment evidence. Cash and cheques must be delivered according to the Association's instructions and recorded in your application.

After payment information is submitted, the Association must verify actual receipt of funds. Uploading evidence does not itself confirm payment. Payment also does not mean that you have passed the interview or completed the refuge ceremony.

5. Continued study and observance after taking refuge

Continue studying the teachers' Dharma teachings, put them into practice and cultivate sincere intentions and a kind disposition.
Under the teachers' guidance, understand and observe the Five Precepts, the Ten Virtuous Actions and the Bodhisattva Precepts. Consult the Association about the specific arrangements for precepts and aspirations.
Participate in Dharma events, observance ceremonies and study activities as arranged by the Association. Follow the teachers' requirements for learning, confidentiality and participation when oral transmission or a particular lineage is involved.
Do not represent the Association publicly or raise funds in its name without its permission.

6. Check your application and subsequent arrangements

Visit My Refuge Applications to check your payment status, interview arrangements and results. After a successful interview, the refuge date and subsequent study arrangements remain subject to the Association's confirmation. Contact the Association promptly if your personal information or interview availability changes.

The meaning of taking refuge