Expert: Judy - 3/22/2010

Question
Hi Judy
  I once asked someone if anyone can become a buddhist.And I was told you can no matter where you are from.I was wondering would I need to do course's on studding Buddhism for a good whaile.In order to say I am a Buddhist if I am asked? Or can I learn at home from books and corporate it into my day to day life of behaving and way of thinking? If so is there books or websites I could read learn from?  THANK YOU

Answer
Hi, Julie-Ann,

Thanks for the question.

The answer to your question depends on YOUR INTENTION.  To practice Buddhist teachings and methods, you don't have to be a Buddhist.  For the Buddhist teachings are pretty much just LIFE EDUCATION, everyone can practice them without claiming as Buddhists.  The Buddhist teachings have to do with actuality in life experience and day-to-day experience individually, but they have NOTHING to do with a BELIEF system.  The lord Buddha did not invent these teachings, but he DISCOVERED them and passed them on.  These natural phenomena had always existed before anyone and even the lord Buddha.  The lord Buddha just taught his followers about his discovery and his followers made what he taught into the category of Buddhism.  Without Buddhism or not, all of Buddha's teachings have always existed, since they are natural laws.  Therefore, anyone can practice these teachings, especially the people who want to self-cultivate, self-improve, and improve their life quality.  All these practices have nothing to do with any Buddha or Buddhism, but individual consciousness.  Buddhas are NEVER the ones who have the rights to punish or save anyone, but each individual does.  

When you want to be called in a certain way, for example a musician or an oil painting artist, you have to engage with the music or oil painting activities, right?  You can, but not appropriate, call yourself a musician, if you don't play any instrument at all.  Every name and term you use has to be somewhat engaged with, especially when it comes to RELIGIONS.  You cannot really call yourself a Christian, if you were only born in a Christian family and believe in God without Christening.  You can only truly tell people that you believe in God and go to a church often, yet you cannot really call yourself a Christian.  Because any belongingness in religions takes a ceremonial process to be recognized, usually there are rituals or ceremonies involved.  By the same token, an officially called Buddhist has to go through a ceremony called "take refuge."  This ceremony is basically to make the person who is becoming a Buddhist be aware that he/she from now on would respect all lives, not make false statements, not steal, and etc in the present of the master/monk as representing the 3rd jewel (take refuges in the 3 jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma/the universal laws/Buddha's teachings, and the Sanga/ordained people).  The ceremony is a reminder to the person who becomes a Buddhist that he/she would follow Buddhist teachings as much as possible to be a good human being.  

Becoming a Buddhist through a ceremonial way is not what a Buddhist is all about, but how you LIVE and practice are the main focus.  A lot of people who are enlightened have practiced what Buddha taught, yet not officially through a Buddhist ceremony.  For instance, Buddhism is very different from Christianity particularly.  Jesus is a savior for a Christian; as long as a person is baptized and believes in God, the person is saved.  Thus, the baptism is the most important procedure to become a Christian.  Once he becomes a Christian, he is saved.  On the other hand, Buddhists do not worship Buddhas or rely on higher power.   The lord Buddha does not own any Buddhists, but he is only a life education teacher and a role model.  A Buddhist cannot be "saved" by anyone or even Buddhas but him/herself.  That means this person, after becoming an official Buddhist, would practice compassion and loving kindness and self-improve to be a better being.  Then, it depends on individuals.  Some Buddhists want to reach enlightenment or liberation, and there are things to be done and realized.  Some Buddhists want to be Buddhisattavas, the ones who help and save others.  That's why there are different branches in Buddhism; people have different goals.  Anyhow, my point here is that becoming an official Buddhist is not as important as "self-cultivation through daily life."  

During the ceremony, you would be asked to recite something like "from now on I would follow Buddha's teachings and help others as much as possible......" while kneeling down (kneeling down symbolizes humblenss and acceptance, but it also depends on different branches.  Some do; whereas others don't).  In between the recitation, you would have to prostrate to the statue of the Buddha (not that you worship or prostrate the statue but symbolic procedure) and to the master (a highly respected one) who is conducting the ceremony.  

After the ceremony, it does not mean that you belong to that specific temple, or that master, but you take refuge to the 3 jewels as a whole in a general sense.  You are a Buddhist anywhere you go.  You would respect different branches, monk and nuns, all Buddhas, all teachings all over the world.  Taking refuge does NOT mean that you have to obey everything without questions or your own thoughts.  It is a way to make you realize that instead of looking for any external savior, you can take refuge in yourself, and these 3 jewels are the examples to show you that YOU are the PERSON who is in control of your OWN life but NOT others.

That's why I said the ceremony is very symbolic, but it does not mean literally that you actually take refuge to these 3 jewels, considering that each one of us has Buddha seed await to sprout, exists in the laws of life, and self-cultivates. As a Buddhist, he/she is the 3 jewels in nature already.

There would be optional vows you can take during the ceremony.  These vows are based on "five precepts," which are no killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, or intoxication.  The vows are not mandatory, and you have a choice to choose how many vows you want to take.  Everything you recite or vow at the ceremony is ONLY based on your own will, conscience, and comfort.  If you don't want to recite something, you don't have to.  Again, taking refuge does not mean you belong to anyone, but it's all about your refuge in yourself.  It's not like "if you don't do this, then you will be that" type of condition or any command.  

The Five Precepts are not given in the form of commands such as "thou shalt not ...", but rather are promises to oneself: "I will try ..."   Samples are:

 1. To refrain from harming living creatures  (killing).
 2. To refrain from taking that which is not given (stealing).
 3. To refrain from sexual misconduct.
 4. To refrain from false speech.
 5. To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness.

The procedure is very simple, only with kneeling down, reciting, and prostrating.  However, sometimes, recitations can be repetitive and make everything longer.  The length of the ceremony varies.

Then, at the end of the ceremony, you would be given a little card or certificate that has your Dharma name on it.

If you would be interested in only practice the Buddha's teachings and self-cultivation, you don't have to have the "take refuge" ceremony.  The ceremony itself is actually a self-consciousness, self-awareness, and a self-reminder to know from now on, what you need to practice in life.  Thus, being an official Buddhist is not as crucial as you actually practice it.  It is meaningless that one becomes a Buddhist without trying self-improving.

If you would be interested in practice Buddha's teachings, as well as being recognized as a Buddhist, then you would need the ceremony.

If you would like to start reading, you can search your local library to check out some basic philosophy of Buddhism and its history.  You would know how Buddhism started and the stories behind it.  I actually don't have any specific titles for books.  However, when you search for books, do it in a general sense.  Anything too specific is too hard to understand at this point.  Search books such as "Buddhism," "Buddha's teachings," and something alike in the titles.  You can also check out a magazine "Shambhala Sun" in a book store particularly the current issue about MINDFUL LIVING (http://www.shambhalasun.com/).  Mindfulness is the essence of what Buddha taught and emphasized.  Also, on April 7th, PBS is going to air "Buddhism" at 9 pm Eastern time in my area, please check your local broadcast schedule.  I heard that this is a well made and thought production.  

Hope this helps, and you will be very welcome to ask me questions any time