[TaliaJack]

Hi David

Yes, you can certainly take the Refuge by yourself without a teacher and repeating it to oneself (in English) can be a source of comfort and inspiration. Its also possible to take it formally offline later if you choose to practice with a particular tradititon.

This article "Buddha,Dhamma, Sangha' by Ven Ajahn Sumedho might be of some help to you.

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma2/bds.html

excerpt from the article:

The word Buddha is a lovely word, it means 'the one who knows', and the first refuge is in Buddha as the personification of wisdom. Unpersonified wisdom remains too abstract for us, we can't conceive a bodiless, soulless wisdom, and so as wisdom always seems to have a personal quality to it, using Buddha as its symbol is very useful.

We can use the word Buddha to refer to Gotama, the founder of what is now known as Buddhism, the historical sage who attained Parinibbana in India 2500 years ago, the teacher of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, teachings from which we today still benefit.

But when we take refuge in the Buddha it doesn't mean that we take refuge in some historical prophet but in that which is wise in the universe, in our minds, that which is not separate from us but is more real than anything we can conceive with the mind or experience through the senses. Without any Buddha-wisdom in the universe life for any length of time would be totally impossible, it is the Buddha-wisdom that protects.

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I also think what he says here is especially important:


It is not a matter of believing in Buddha Dhamma Sangha, not a faith in concepts but a using of symbols for mindfulness, for awakening the mind here-and-now, being here-and-now