How to become Buddhist and convert?

If you have viewed this article to find out how Become BuddhistYou are probably interested in one of the oldest philosophical and religious doctrines in the world, and one of the most widely followed.

Did you know that there are today more than 500 million people in the world who practice Buddhism?

Even many celebrities have been seduced by this worship. Richard Gere, Angelina Jolie, Keanu Reeves and even the Spanish Penelope Cruz are not foreign to Buddhism.

These are just some of the celebrities who openly declared to follow this religion and his philosophical doctrines. This article may also interest you on how to say prayers.

But what is Buddhism and what should we do to become Buddhist? We will explain everything you need to know. Let's take things step by step.

What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is considered a philosophical and religious doctrine that brings together a large number of beliefs and spiritual practices. These spiritual practices are associated with the Buddha or Siddhartha Gautama.

Buddhism was based on the teachings of this wise. This religion was founded by Buddha in the 5th century BC and derived from the Sramana movement.

The situation of Buddhism in the world

Today, Buddhism is the Fourth religion of the world and is practiced by more than 7% of the population. Buddhism was born in India, where most of its practitioners are. From there, he started spreading in East Asia.

Buddhism has had many followers converted Until the Middle Ages, where he started to decline. Buddhism is divided into two main branches.

Theravada, which literally means "school of the old". The ultimate goal of this branch is to reach Nirvana, the ultimate spirituality, by the practice of eight noble truths.

Thanks to these truths, the human being is able to get free from the cycle of suffering and the Renaissance. Today, the Theravada is practiced in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka.

Mahāyāna, which means the big way. This branch is well known in Eastern Asia and is practiced by many followers. Instead of trying to reach Nirvana, the Mahāyāna aims to reach the state of Buddheity.

In this state, human beings manage to remain permanently in a state of rebirth to help other human beings reach the Buddhist path.

Who was the Buddha?

The history of the Buddha is not yet fully known today. We do not know if he was a noble or a prince, or even if he really existed. The Buddha was originally known as Siddhartha Gautama of the Hindu caste des Kṣatriya.

This caste, considered the second Hindu caste, consisted of warriors and nobles. According to the texts remaining on the Buddha, it would be born in a small village near the current border of Nepal.

This village was Kapilavatthu. But Buddha remained there, he moved to different places. Mainly in the Bihar and the Uttar Pradesh.

The transmission of Buddhism through time

His teachings have been transmitted orally of generation to generation Until they start to be compiled in written form in the cannon Pāḷi. In this text, however, Siddhartha's teachings appear in a scattered form. His biography will only be written only several centuries later.

The most recognized biography of Siddhartha is the one written by the teacher and scholar Hindu AśVAGHOṣA in the first century of our era. As you can see, be Buddhist is not a simple path and requires a lot of studies and knowledge.

What do you need to become Buddhist?

Here are the steps to find out How to become Buddhist.

Buddhism is a complex doctrine, but it offers many joys to its followers. If you really want to learn to be Buddhist, you will need hard study.

How to become Buddhist and convert?

1) Understand its meaning and the main words of this philosophical doctrine

Buddhism can be complicated even in its terminology. Many concepts are associated with unknown words in our language. We must not forget that Buddhism is Hindu. Its main terms therefore come from this language. Examine the best known of them.

Arhat

Arhat is considered a being able to reach Nirvana thanks to Buddhism.

Bodhisattva

This term refers to a being who has not yet reached Nirvana. That is to say, he is always on the path of enlightenment.

Buddha

He is the ascetic that gives his name to this philosophical doctrine. It is characterized as a being who has reached full illumination. Dharma. This term refers to the teachings of the Buddha.

Nirvana

It is the end of Buddhism, at least from the theravada branch. Nirvana can be understood as supreme and pure spirituality.

2) Learn to tell the difference between the two main branches of Buddhism

Buddhism is a complex religious and philosophical doctrine with many disparate branches. However, as we explained above, Buddhism is mainly divided into two branches:

• Theravada, who seeks nirvana as a goal
• Mahāyāna, whose goal is to reach the state of Buddha

That is to say a being who reaches complete illumination. The best way to know the different branches that make up Buddhism is to devote time to study this doctrine for several thousand years.

3) Learn everything you can on the four noble truths

The first speech of the Gautama Buddha to his friends is known as " In motion of the Dharma wheel".

In this speech, the Buddha spoke for the first time "four noble truths". These are the foundations on which existence is established. Basically, these are:

Duhkha

In life, there is suffering, discontent and dissatisfaction. This reality is known under the term dhkha. This teaching explains that life is not perfect and that suffering, which we want it or not, exists.

Tṛṣṇā

The origin of suffering lies in desire and desire to want more. This is called tṛṣṇā. The desires and sensual pleasure, all that makes us look for pleasure here and now, causes this suffering.

The end of Duhkha

But we can put an end to this suffering if we eliminate from the equation which makes us suffer. If the desire for sensual pleasures is abandoned, suffering ceases. It is necessary to face the Duhkha to stop from Tŗşņā.

Reach the noble path octuple

This path prevents the appearance of suffering. If we follow it, we move away from the path of dissatisfaction. To follow this path, we must avoid the extremes.

4) Understand the principles of Karma

In Buddhism, all intentional action is known as karma. If you do not understand what it means, there is a television series that explains it very well: My Name is Earl.

In this sitcom, the main character tries to undo all the harm he has done in his life to balance his karma. The Karma can be divided into "good" and "bad" karma according to the actions we undertake.

Karma also determines whether we have a happy or unhappy life, because our actions will always have consequences.

5) Know the reincarnation

The reincarnation is similar to that of other cults in India and in the rest of the world. The difference between the two concepts is that the Renaissance does not claim that there is a lasting soul that can transmigrate.

For example, unlike other cults concerning reincarnation, the end of life is not a rebirth. It is part of the experience that allows each being to free themselves from chains of causes and effects lived through Karma.

6) It leads to enlightenment or Nirvana

It is the real goal of Buddhism. Achieve the awakening of Samsāra, a repeated awakening cycle between death and rebirth. Nirvana is reached when the cycle is finally closed and that being is able to experiment with the true nature of life and existence itself.

This reality is expressed in the teachings of the Buddha through the four noble truths. The advice each person needs to reach Nirvana. These truths guide us to the right path to finally reach the illumination.

Some tips to become Buddhist

Discover the life of Siddhartha Gautama. We explained, speaking of the Buddha, that his teachings were verbally transmitted from generation to generation.

It is only in the first century of our era that a Buddha biography is available. This was written by the scientist Hindu Aśvaghoṣa. You may not find adequate translation of this text, but today there are many books on the life of Siddhartha.

There are also books on Principles of Buddhism. Consult your library or local bookstore and start informing yourself!