Buddhists take refuge in the Buddha not out of fear of him, but for their self-purification.
Buddhists do not take refuge in the Buddha believing that the Buddha is a God or a son of a God. The Buddha never claimed any divinity. He is a man among men. He is the most enlightened one, the most compassionate one, the most wise one and the most holy one who ever lived in this world. Therefore, they take refuge in the Buddha regarding him as a teacher or a master who has shown the real path for their salvation. They pay homage to him to show their gratitude and respect, but not to ask material favours. Buddhists do not pray to Buddha thinking that he is a God who will reward them or punish them or curse them. They do make offerings such as flowers and incense; these are oriental customs. These offerings are token marks of respect. They do some sutta recitations not in the sense of praying but as a means of recalling his great virtues and good qualities. To remember him is to follow his teachings. Some people criticize Buddhists for taking refuge in the Buddha; they say that the Buddha is dead and gone. Such people do not really know the true meaning of taking refuge in the Buddha.
Sri Rama Chandra Bharati, an Indian poet, gives his reason for taking refuge in the Buddha.
"I seek not thy refuge for the sake of gain,
Not fear of thee, nor for the love of fame,
Not as thou hailest from the solar race,
Not for the sake of gaining knowledge of vast,
But drawn by the power of the boundless love
And thy all embracing peerless ken
The vast Samsara's sea safe to cross,
I bend low, O lord. and become thy devotee."
Some people say that since Buddha was only a man, there is no meaning in taking refuge in him. Buddha very clearly said that be was a man; however, be was not an ordinary man. He was an extraordinary and incomparable holy man who possessed the supreme enlightenment and great compassion toward every living being. He is a man freed from all corruptions and defilements.
Another question that people very often raise is this: "If Buddha is not a god or if he is not living in this world today, how can he bless the people?" It is not necessary to be a God to bless people; a father can bless his child. According to the Buddha, if people would follow his advice by leading a religious or righteous way of life, they would certainly receive his blessings. Buddha once said, "If anyone were to see me, look at my teachings and practise them." Those who try to practise his advice can very easily see the real beauty of the Buddha through his teachings. Those who live in accordance with the Dhamma (righteous way of life) will be protected by that very Dhamma.
In other religions, the people worship their God by asking for favours to be granted to them. Buddhists worship the Buddha not by asking for favours, but by respecting him for his supreme achievement. When Buddhists respect the Buddha, they are indirectly elevating their own minds so that one day they also can get the same enlightenment and serve mankind.
Buddhists respect the Buddha as their Master; however, this respect does not imply an attachment to or a dependence on the Teacher. This kind of respect is in accordance with his teaching as follows: "Monks, even if a monk should take hold of the edge of my outer garment and should walk close behind me, step for step, yet if he should be covetous, strongly attracted by pleasures of the senses, malevolent in thought, of corrupt mind and purpose, of confused recollection, inattentive and not contemplative, scatter-brained, his sense-faculties uncontrolled, then he is far from me and I am far from him.
But monks, if the monk should be staying even a hundred miles away, yet if he is not covetous, not strongly attracted by the pleasures of the senses, not malevolent in thought, not of corrupt mind and purpose, his recollection firmly set, attentive, contemplative, his thoughts be one-pointed, restrained in his senses faculties, then he is near me and I am near him.
Taken from "What Buddhists Believe"
Written by Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda
Published by Buddhist Missionary Society