"The Buddha is that which is awake, that which knows, so taking refuge in the Buddha is taking refuge in the awareness of the mind. The Buddha arises from the Dharma. The Buddha is an attribute, and 'knowing' is also an attribute of that fundamental reality. The Dharma is the ultimate object, the way things are. Its characteristic is emptiness (i.e. emptiness in the sense of 'empty of a separate self' and therefore inter-connected with all things.") The Buddha is the ultimate subject, that which knows, that which is awake. So when the ultimate subject knows the ultimate object, when the mind that knows is aware of the way things are, what comes forth is Sangha, compassionate action. Sangha intrinsically flows forth from that quality. When there's awareness of the way things are, then compassionate skillful means naturally arise and flow from that. The three refuges, as you can see, are all interwoven.
-- Amaro Bhikku in his brilliant little book Small Boat, Great Mountain