Q&A: When is one a "Buddhist"?

Than Ajahn via Ven. Sujato, Ellie Askew, Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Question: At what point does one call oneself a “Buddhist”?

Than Ajahn’s [“venerable monk’s”] answer: A “Buddhist” is someone who only follows the teachings of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha [the Enlightened One, Enlightened Teaching, Enlightened Taught].

If there are other teachings that contradict the teachings of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, we don’t follow them. Then, we become “Buddhists.”

• [Teachings that harmonize rather than contradict the historical Buddha’s teachings are no problem.]

The teachings of the Buddha teach the law of karma — that we are good or bad determined by our own actions of body, speech, and mind. If we want to be good, keep doing good actions [wholesome karma] of the body, speech, and mind and we’ll be happy.

If there are other teachings that contradict these teachings, we don’t follow them; we only follow the teachings of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha — for this is what it means to take the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha as one’s guides.

• [NOTE: “Going for guidance” or Tisarana is frequently mistranslated as “going for refuge,” but “refuge" has terrible connotations and is a faulty translation of sarana].

“Guidance” means to let someone lead us. We are like the blind [i.e., unenlightened]. We need good vision to lead us to a place where it is safe.

The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha have good vision [enlightened vision]. They know a place where it’s safe and secure [free of all suffering]. If we follow these teachings, then we will eventually get to that secure place.