Expert: Justin Choo - 2/6/2009

Question
Im 15, and i have really wanted to become a buddest for ages and i've read up about them and i really beleve in what they beleve in.And i know you can't just say your a buddest, do how do you become one ?
thanks emily 15 isle of wight.

Answer
Hi Emily,

Thank you for asking me.

Welcome to the path of inner peace and happiness. To become a Buddhist means to practise the teachings of the Buddha. If you practise the teachings of the Buddha, then you are a Buddhist. Just that simple.

Buddhism is a very tolerant, liberal and accommodating "religion". Truth is truth; irrespective of who you are, where you come from, and whatever tradition you practise. Different nationalities are able to practise Buddhism without having to discard their traditions and cultures. You would notice that different nationalities practise Buddhism differently while retaining their cultural beliefs and traditions. They actually incorporate Buddhism into their existing culture and traditions. That is why today we have Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, and even Western Buddhism!

The original teachings of the Buddha in its pristine form did not emphasize on rites and rituals. Whatever rituals being practised at that time were purely Indian traditions. The Buddha's teachings remain pure and simple, encompassing the 4 Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The different rites and rituals you see are purely peculiar to the different nationalities which practise Buddhism incorporating their own traditions and cultural practices.

As far as the Theravada tradition and the Chinese version of Mahayana tradition are concerned, to the best of my knowledge there is no initiation ceremony to "convert" to Buddhism. The Tibetan tradition may have such initiation rituals. But then again, I know of those who practise the Tibetan tradition without having to go through any initiation rites.

If we understand the Buddha's teachings well, whatever rites and rituals become insignificant. This is because the proper conduct of one's daily life is more important than to be subservient to rites and rituals.

Please go to this site to follow through the process of "becoming a Buddhist": http://www.parami.org/duta/buddhist.htm

Please take your time to surf through the "mother" of all Buddhist sites @ www.buddhanet.net which gives you all the worldwide links on the different traditions and the locations.

The journey will be a long but rewarding one. As we travel along the path, we learn to experience happiness and inner peace through the three processes of learning, practising, and experiencing the positive results. With this experiencing, it further encourages us to put more effort to continue learning and practising. The destination may be unreachable but the journey itself is a lesson in life. Have a pleasant journey, and if you need more info please come back.

Smile from Justin Choo :-)

[I like to invite you to visit my blog:]
http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/

[And these sites by Rev. Dhammika:]
http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/
http://www.buddhismatoz.com/