who can become a member of Buddhist ?
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How to Become a Buddhist
Buddhism is an ancient religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama that teaches concepts such as the Four Noble Truths, karma, and the cycle of rebirth.Buddhism is still a popular religion nowadays, with millions of people all over the world who practice it. The first step to becoming a Buddhist is understanding basic Buddhist beliefs; this will help you decide if Buddhism is the religion for you. Then, you can practice Buddhism and take part in centuries-old traditions.
1
Learn basic Buddhist terminology. This will make it much easier to understand everything you will read, since many Buddhist terms can be very unfamiliar, especially to Westerners. The basic terms of Buddhism include but are not limited to:Arhat: a being who has attained nirvana.Bodhisattva: a being who is on the way to enlightenment.Buddha: an awakened being who has achieved perfect enlightenment.Dharma: a complicated term that usually refers to the teachings of the Buddha.Nirvana: spiritual bliss. Nirvana is the ultimate goal of Buddhism.Sangha: the Buddhist community.Sutra: a sacred Buddhist text.Venerable: The title of an ordained monk or nun, seen wearing the specific colored robes of their tradition and sect.
2
Familiarize yourself with different Buddhist schools. The two most popular Buddhist schools today are Theravada and Mahayana.Though these two schools have the same basic beliefs, there are differences in the teachings they focus on: Mahayana focuses heavily on becoming a bodhisattva, Theravada focuses on practicing the dharma, and so on.There are many other schools of Buddhism, such as Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism.No matter which school interests you, the basic teachings of Buddhism are the same.Because Buddhism is such an ancient religion, there are many intricate differences between all the schools that cannot be covered in detail here; spend time researching Buddhism to find out more.
3
Read about the life of Siddhartha Gautama. There are many books talking about the founder of Buddhism, and a simple online search will reveal many articles about his life as well. Siddhartha Gautama was a prince who left his palace and lavish lifestyle to seek enlightenment. Though he is not the only Buddha in existence, he is the historical founder of Buddhism.
4
Learn about the Four Noble Truths. One of the most foundational concepts of Buddhism is summarized a teaching called the Four Noble Truths: the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.[5] In other words, suffering exists, it has a cause and an end, and there is a way to bring about the end of suffering.The Four Noble Truths are not negative; they are actually meant to reduce suffering through contemplating them.The Four Noble Truths emphasize that pursuing pleasure is not important.If you find yourself confused by the Four Noble Truths, don’t feel alone; it takes many people years to fully grasp this teaching.
5
Learn about reincarnation and nirvana. Buddhists believe beings live multiple lives. Once a being dies, they are born into a new life, and this cycle of living and dying will only cease once nirvana is attained.[6] A being can be reborn into the human, heavenly, animal, hell, asura, or hungry ghost realms.[7]

6
Understand karma. Karma is closely intertwined with reincarnation and nirvana because karma determines where and when a being will be reborn. Karma consists of the good or bad actions of previous lifetimes and this lifetime. Bad or good karma may affect a being right away, thousands of years from now, or in five lifetimes, depending on when the effects are meant to occur.Negative karma results from bad actions or thoughts, like killing, stealing, or lying.Positive karma results from good actions or thoughts, such as generosity, kindness, and spreading Buddhist teachings.Neutral karma results from actions that have no real effect, such as breathing or sleeping.
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Buddhism is an ancient religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama that teaches concepts such as the Four Noble Truths, karma, and the cycle of rebirth.Buddhism is still a popular religion nowadays, with millions of people all over the world who practice it. The first step to becoming a Buddhist is understanding basic Buddhist beliefs; this will help you decide if Buddhism is the religion for you. Then, you can practice Buddhism and take part in centuries-old traditions.
1
Learn basic Buddhist terminology. This will make it much easier to understand everything you will read, since many Buddhist terms can be very unfamiliar, especially to Westerners. The basic terms of Buddhism include but are not limited to:Arhat: a being who has attained nirvana.Bodhisattva: a being who is on the way to enlightenment.Buddha: an awakened being who has achieved perfect enlightenment.Dharma: a complicated term that usually refers to the teachings of the Buddha.Nirvana: spiritual bliss. Nirvana is the ultimate goal of Buddhism.Sangha: the Buddhist community.Sutra: a sacred Buddhist text.Venerable: The title of an ordained monk or nun, seen wearing the specific colored robes of their tradition and sect.
2
Familiarize yourself with different Buddhist schools. The two most popular Buddhist schools today are Theravada and Mahayana.Though these two schools have the same basic beliefs, there are differences in the teachings they focus on: Mahayana focuses heavily on becoming a bodhisattva, Theravada focuses on practicing the dharma, and so on.There are many other schools of Buddhism, such as Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism.No matter which school interests you, the basic teachings of Buddhism are the same.Because Buddhism is such an ancient religion, there are many intricate differences between all the schools that cannot be covered in detail here; spend time researching Buddhism to find out more.
3
Read about the life of Siddhartha Gautama. There are many books talking about the founder of Buddhism, and a simple online search will reveal many articles about his life as well. Siddhartha Gautama was a prince who left his palace and lavish lifestyle to seek enlightenment. Though he is not the only Buddha in existence, he is the historical founder of Buddhism.
4
Learn about the Four Noble Truths. One of the most foundational concepts of Buddhism is summarized a teaching called the Four Noble Truths: the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.[5] In other words, suffering exists, it has a cause and an end, and there is a way to bring about the end of suffering.The Four Noble Truths are not negative; they are actually meant to reduce suffering through contemplating them.The Four Noble Truths emphasize that pursuing pleasure is not important.If you find yourself confused by the Four Noble Truths, don’t feel alone; it takes many people years to fully grasp this teaching.
5
Learn about reincarnation and nirvana. Buddhists believe beings live multiple lives. Once a being dies, they are born into a new life, and this cycle of living and dying will only cease once nirvana is attained.[6] A being can be reborn into the human, heavenly, animal, hell, asura, or hungry ghost realms.[7]

6
Understand karma. Karma is closely intertwined with reincarnation and nirvana because karma determines where and when a being will be reborn. Karma consists of the good or bad actions of previous lifetimes and this lifetime. Bad or good karma may affect a being right away, thousands of years from now, or in five lifetimes, depending on when the effects are meant to occur.Negative karma results from bad actions or thoughts, like killing, stealing, or lying.Positive karma results from good actions or thoughts, such as generosity, kindness, and spreading Buddhist teachings.Neutral karma results from actions that have no real effect, such as breathing or sleeping.
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