Dalai Lama
Buddha is the teacher, Dharma is the actual refuge and the sangha is the one which assists in understanding or establishing the objects of refuge.
Dalai Lama
When we take the Buddha as an authority, as a reliable teacher, we do so on the basis of having investigated and examined his principal teaching- the Four Noble Truths.
Honen
Remember that it is useless to try to force those to believe who will not, for even the Buddha him off cannot do that.