I belief, there is a misunderstanding going on.
What we call world, samsara, existence is always changing. Everything in the world or of this existence can be categorised as rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, vinnana. The Buddha instructed his student to see this world or existence, these nama’s and rupa’s, as it actually is; this is not mine, not who i am, not myself. We are not the khandha’s.
Next to this existence, which is always changing, which is anicca, dukkha and anatta there is reality. Reality is the one that does not change, it is nicca, sukha and atta. It is called Nibbana, the unconditioned.This does not arise, not vanish and does not change in the meantime (AN3.47)
Now we have the break with the pattern that we think we are sankhara, vedana, sanna, rupa and vinnana, including gati. In many lifes we made the mistake that we are these conditioned processes. So regarding these processes there has arisen a sense of me over many many lifes. This is the real problem we have to solve!
We are not the khandha’s. That’s the main message of the Buddha. This is complelety in line with the sutta’s.
Why can we make a refuge of ourselves? Because when one knows and sees the Dhamma one knows and sees no change, one sees nicca, sukha and atta, Nibbana. One knows that in the end this is ones one true nature, reality.
So when one sees the truth, Dhamma, one at the same times glimpes the truth that rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara and vinnana are not really ‘me”.
So in the end there is safety within us, there is sukha, there is refuge, and it is there all the time,even in the phase of the worldling, because Nibbana does not arise and cease. How can Nibbana not be there? Nibbana is not caused by the Buddha, but discovered and realised. This realisation process means removing all adventitious defilement until one has become the unconditioned in true sense.
Siebe