{"id":293,"date":"2014-11-25T14:46:16","date_gmt":"2014-11-25T14:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/escrituras-eremitas.com\/english\/?p=293"},"modified":"2014-11-25T14:47:12","modified_gmt":"2014-11-25T14:47:12","slug":"one-become-buddhist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/escrituras-eremitas.com\/english\/2014\/11\/25\/one-become-buddhist\/","title":{"rendered":"How does one become a Buddhist?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ajahn<\/a>

Ajahn Jayasaro during “Wan Phra” ceremony giving the 8 precepts at Wat Pah Nanachat<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Practically speaking, someone becomes a Buddhist when, having taken refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, they start to apply themselves to the study and application of the Buddha\u2019s teachings in their lives.<\/p>\n

In Buddhist counties such as Thailand there have never been specific ceremonies in which people may formally affirm their devotion to Buddhism. This may be to some extent because Buddhism is not a religion based on the adoption of certain beliefs; and also partly because, there being no Buddhist proselytism, there have been few new converts. For better or worse, people have generally taken their Buddhist identity for granted, assuming that they were Buddhist from the day of their birth.<\/p>\n

The situation is somewhat different in India. Over the past seventy years or so large numbers of the Dalit people (formerly so-called \u201cuntouchables\u201d) have converted to Buddhism following the example of their leader Dr. Ambedhkar. Huge conversion ceremonies have been conducted, featuring the formal acceptance of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha as refuges and a commitment to living by the five precepts. (This formula of requesting the refuges and the precepts from members of the monastic order is incorporated into almost every Buddhist ceremony in Thailand)<\/p>\n

More questions and anwers about Buddhism HERE<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Source:<\/span><\/p>\n