To my Buddhist friend's/reader's out there, how did you become a Buddhist?
Did you join a sangha, take a vow, meditate, study with a monk? With the current influx of western Buddhist blogs/books and notoriety conjoined with the phrase "I am Buddhist", can anybody call themselves a Buddhist? Can a person simply say today, "I am a Buddhist", or do you go through a baptismal ritual, for lack of a better phrase?
I personally find the Dharma of Buddhists to be fascinating, and a divine path to follow. In my (integral) Christian faith I find/feel many similarities with the Buddhist practice. The Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Paths are in balance with the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes of Christianity. The question remains, are current western Buddhists truly Buddhists? Is the path of Buddha being followed by the newly converted? Are they doing the work that Buddha put forth? Don't get me wrong, Christianity has won the gold award for its practitioners not following the Word of God. I am not trying to cause any disharmony with the Buddhist community.
I just want to know when it is alright to call your self a Buddhist.
