Expert: Joe McSorley - 10/25/2009

Question
Dear Mr.Joe,
 I recently became buddhist, and I was wondering what is lay buddhism? What do you belive in if you are a lay buddhist? I was also wondering, how many different types of buddhism are there?
           Thank you
           Raquel

Answer
Hello Raquel,
   Since you recently became a Buddhist and you are not a priest, monk or nun, then you are a lay Buddhist.  So your question actually applies to you; what do you believe?  What does it mean that you recently became a Buddhist?  A lay Buddhist is just someone who follows a school that has not taken the vows of a priest, monk or nun, like a lay Christian is any believer who is not the clergy.  There are many different schools of Buddhism with many different aspects of the beliefs so I can’t tell you specifically what a layperson believes.  I would think they would take the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold path as the cornerstone of their beliefs but I have met those who consider themselves Buddhist who don’t even know what those things are.  The main schools of Buddhism are Theravada, Mahayana and Zen but there is also the Tibetan Schools and Shinran/Pureland school along with others.   Google it and you will find all types of web sites devoted to different schools. How many there are in total, I don’t know.
 Take care,
                   Joe