又曰三歸依，三歸戒：一、歸依佛，歸依佛寶以為師者。二、歸依法，歸依法寶以為藥者。三、歸依僧，歸依僧寶以為友者。此三歸由師受之謂之三歸戒。三歸戒有二稱：一、翻邪三歸，二、重受三歸，翻從來之邪信而初入佛道受三歸者，謂之翻邪三歸，由是每受五戒八戒等輒先受三歸者，謂之重受三歸。觀無量壽經曰：「受持歸，具足眾戒。」釋氏要覽上曰：「五分律云：佛於鹿苑度五俱鄰，人間已有六羅漢，故次為耶舍父母最先授三歸依也。」而受之之意，於顯教，一為表自之信心，一為乞三寶之加被。若約密教之意則表自己之信心，皆歸入依合於三寶乞我與三寶入我我入也。
Triśaraṇa, or Śaraṇa-gamana. The three surrenders to, or "formulas of refuge" in, the Three Precious Ones 三賓, i.e. to the Buddha 佛, the Dharma 法, the Saṅgha 僧. The three formulas are 歸依佛 Buddham śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi, 歸依法 Dharmaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi, 歸依僧 Saṅghaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi. It is "the most primitive formula fidei of the early Buddhists". The surrender is to the Buddha as teacher 師, the Law as medicine 藥, the Ecclesia as friends 友. These are known as the 三歸依.
又名三歸依，即歸依佛、歸依法、歸依僧。歸依佛是我依靠佛陀的指示而得入正道；歸依法是我依靠教義而求得真理；歸依僧是我依靠僧伽的引導而正信佛教。