All about Buddhism?

Question

What do they believe in?
How do I know if I want to be one?
And how can I convert?

Answer 1

I answer this question from the standpoint of an ordained Buddhist priest, head of a large and active temple. "Buddhism" is a large and old religion and like "Christianity" it has developed many denominations in the over-2500 years that it's been around, There are many different "types" of Buddhism although we all believe in 4 major ideas: 1. that sentient beings suffer; 2. that everything that is "made" is impermanent; 3. that sentient beings (that includes human beings) do not have a permanent self or soul that exists after death; 4. that nirvana is peace. We also believe in "interdependence", that all beings are interdependent upon the lives and work of many, many other beings for their existence. After the Buddha's death, Buddhism spread south from India to Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, etc. and developed in one particular style. It also spread from India through North and Central Asia into Nepal, Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, etc. and developed into other styles or denominations of Buddhism. It was brought first to Hawaii and then to the mainland US by Asian immigrants and has been accepted by millions of non-Asian people throughout the world.

I don't know where you live, but probably the best way for you to find out more about Buddhism is to go to some Buddhist temples. We DO NOT try to make converts--we do not proselytize! But we DO welcome people who are seriously looking for a religious path and who are checking out Buddhism. You will be welcomed at any temple that you go to and they won't try to "convert" you. (Just FYI, we usually take off our shoes before going into the temple and bow as we enter it) You should go to a variety of different temples to find one that is comfortable for you.

Becoming a Buddhist involves simply taking refuge in the "Three Treasures": the Buddha, the Dharma (the Buddha's teachings), and the Sangha (the community of other Buddhists). It is NOT a complicated ceremony until and unless you decide to make a public admission of refuge in the Three Treasures. We do NOT "worship" the statue of the Buddha, although we do revere it as a symbol of the Buddha that it stands for. The Buddha always said that he was a man, a simple human being, who taught a way to live that decreases suffering in this life. We are not a deistic religion (we don't believe in a god or gods). We do believe in the Wisdom and Compassion of the Buddha as it is expressed by the other people in the Sangha and in living lives of moderation and respect. Some Buddhists meditate for long periods of time, some of us do not. The Buddha studied for many years before he sat under the bodhi tree and became enlightened--it didn't just happen for him! But he then freely taught what he had learned in different ways so that the people listening to him could understand what he was saying. There is a book that I use when I teach basic Buddhist ideas, Basic Buddhist Concepts by Kogen Mizuno. Also a very good book for people to find out more about Buddhism is Buddhism: Plain and Simple (but I forget who the author is!) Both are available from Amazon, B&N, etc.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns.
Gassho ("with both palms together"), Rev. Shinetsu

Answer 2

Buddhism is not consider a religion seriously. It's a learning path about life. And it's really hard to explain clearly about what they believe in, like they believe everyone is a Buddha, it's easy to read on the surface, but difficult to explain what is it behind.

How can you convert? Well, just convert. You don't need a license to be a Buddhist.

Answer 3

Hi. Like everybody says, there are so many kind of Buddhism. And I am a Nichiren Buddhist. Some 2,500 years ago , Shakyamuni ( the historical Buddha also known as Siddhartha Gautama ) awakened to life's supreme truth and expounded the path to Buddhahood----the joyful, free, strong state of happiness. The belief is that each of us already have the potential within our life to create the same state of happiness.That is our true nature. When we bring out our ture nature, it will definitely make a positive change through our thoughts, words and actions and illuminate all around us.
Nichiren Daishonin ( 13th-century Japan )
further clarified the core teaching of Shakyamuni and established the path to reveal our true nature to all people.
Before I started to practice, I had a negative image about Nichiren Buddhism because of the mass media. One day I met a friend who practice this Buddhism,and I attended meetings as a guest. And I found out what this is all about on my own.I am so happy about it. If you need more info, Please check this website .

Answer 4

Buddhism is not a religion, it is a state of mind.

Buddhists believe that quieting the mind is necessary for a human to attain internal and external peace.

How does a person know if they want to become a Buddhist?
Only the person asking this question can make that decision.

Conversion into a philosophy is not necessary, for a Buddhist can be a member of any spiritual tradition.

I can only say this with any certainty, if you do not have a mind that is under complete control........It is impossible to pray!
True Prayer requires a mind that is settled and still............

A wise man once said this: "Silence can be very deafening."

Answer 5

How you know you want to be a Buddhist is by studying Buddhism. Buddhists follow the Eightfold path to enlightenment. They believe suffering is caused by attachment to earthly things and emotions. Most of Buddhist practice is learning how to let go of attachments.

Start by looking at Buddhism on beliefnet.com, and following some of the links. I recommend you read some of the books by the Dalai Lama after that.

Answer 6

There are many types of Buddhists. They have various beliefs and most do not seek joiners, you find some and ask them questions, get answers and think what they might mean to you.


Accepting the belief is as simple as accepting Christ but you should try and understand the differences. In the USA many will shun a Buddhist.


The Soka Gokai International (SGI) are not the true caretakers of Nicheren Shoshu and have been excommunicated by the main temple.

Answer 7

Buddha gained perfect enlightenment under a tree while mediating one day, and how he achieved it and did with it is the story of Buddhism. It really is a great story and well worth reading about it, even if you don't convert to the religion. There are valuable lessons to be learned by his life example.

Answer 8

Buddhism is a way of life, it is a very nice practice converting is not like you would turn to Christ. there are simple steps.

Answer 9

Buddhist believe that suffering of humankind is the worse condition that can be,and that that suffering is cause by the egotistical pride and desires of man. They believe that to end that suffering mankind must put away it's selfishness and learn humility,tolerance and common respect for one another. To be a Buddhist you just start changing your heart and your fellow Buddhists will help you in anyway you need help.

Answer 10

They believe in the laws of the Buddha, which can differ in countries. Some of the different branches have different deities they worship.

There are different branches...Zen, Tibetan, Nichiren.

The SGI USA is a Nichiren branch. Be careful with them because they are like the Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses and pray on weaknesses. Oops, I made an unintentional pun...I mean prey on weaknesses.