What is the proper way to become a Buddhist? Or are you one just by belief?

Answer 1

The proper way to become a Buddhist is that you go through a Refuge Taking Ceremony.

You go to a Buddhist monk or nun and you declare you want to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha .

( The Dharma --> the teachings taught by the Buddha . The Sangha --> the community of monks and nuns who practise the Buddha Dharma )

After that, the monk or nun will hold a Refuge Taking ceremony for you , in front of the Buddha's statue .

In the ceremony , you will be solemnly asked whether you can keep the Five Precepts throughout your life.

The Five Precepts are the five fundamental Moral conduct you have to observe as a lay person.

They are : 1) No taking of Life. Refrain from killing lives whether it
is a human being or animals or other forms of life.

2) No Stealing or Refrain from taking belongings that
doesn't belong to you.

3) No Sexual Misconduct . Refrain from having sexual
relationships outside of marriage .

4) No False speech. Refrain from speaking untrue
words in your communication.

5) No intoxication. Refrain from taking intoxicants.
(This includes liquor and any form of drugs that
intoxicate you and make you lose your senses .)

You would need to reply yes to each of the Precept .

Else you can't complete the ceremony and you don't become a Buddhist.

After you say Yes, then, you would be declared a Buddhist and some temples or Buddhist Schools will issue you a certificate , declaring that you are a Buddhist.

You then observe the Five Precepts in your daily life ( as best as you could ) and you can then learn and practise from any of the Buddhist Sects you like.

This is the usual way of how one becomes a Buddhist .

Observing the Precepts daily play a important part in your future spiritual progress.

The benefits is that it will stabilise your life and give you a calmer mind , of which will be a great benefit if you meditate .

It is also like preventive medicine , as you avoid the five unwholesome actions ( killing , stealing, sexual misconduct , lying , losing one's clear mind / or acting without a clear mind ) which are unwholesome causes that eventually lead to suffering.

Answer 2

Well I'm Buddhist, but you're actually Buddhist by where your family came from. You can convert to Buddhism (I'm not against other religions) and there's mostly a ceremony and I'm not sure if it's by belief.

Answer 3

the best thing to do is not be a Buddhist.