Forum: buddhism.stackexchange.com
Tags: <religion><early-buddhism>
Title: Can I call myself Buddhist? Is Buddhism a religion?
Question: There are differences of opinion on the question of whether or not Buddhism should be considered a religion. Many sources commonly refer to Buddhism as a religion.  If yes then in which region? Can I call myself Buddhist? If I believe in Buddha and his philosophy?  But it is still confusing! Need precise answer if possible!

Answers:
sents: text: Buddhism has the idea of the three jewels : Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.
text: You said "I believe in Buddha and his philosophy" so that's two of them, i.e. Buddha, and Dharma.
text: There are parts e.g. in the Dhammapada which suggest it's better to be alone than with a fool:
text: If for company you cannot find a wise and prudent friend who leads a good life, then, like a king who leaves behind a conquered kingdom, or like a lone elephant in the elephant forest, you should go your way alone.
text: But Buddhism might also support (or encourage or recommend) friendship .
text: For example, the Upaddha Sutta says, I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was living among the Sakyans.
text: Now there is a Sakyan town named Sakkara.
text: There Ven.
text: Ananda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, sat to one side.
text: As he was sitting there, Ven.
text: Ananda said to the Blessed One, "This is half of the holy life, lord: admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie.
text: "[1] "Don't say that, Ananda.
text: Don't say that.
text: Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life.
text: When a monk has admirable people as friends, companions, & comrades, he can be expected to develop & pursue the noble eightfold path.
text: "
text: And how does etc.
text: Note: As AN 8.54 points out, this means not only associating with good people, but also learning from them and emulating their good qualities.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/254/ChrisW
score: 4
sents: text: As a zen buddhist in Florida of the United States, taking refuge in the three jewels is the ceremony in which one will often consider themselves becoming buddhist.
text: Taking on the precepts can be seen as the threshold one makes to become a Buddhist.
text: Afterwards one often gets a "Dharma name" and formally calls themselves a Buddhist Practitioner.
text: Of course this is all merely ceremonial but the point of taking on a title is very tied to ceremonies.
text: I graduated college with a ceremony.
text: I grew another year with a ceremony.
text: I became a man with a ceremony.
text: Ceromonies help define ourselves to ourselves and to others.
text: However in my personal experience one becomes a Buddhist when they join a sangha.
text: It is in a sangha where I feel the practice really comes alive in my life.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/625/Thien
score: 2
sents: text: I doubt you'll find a good answer as to whether Buddhism is a religion or a way of life, simply because there's a ton of stuff that's called Buddhism and not everyone agrees as to what constitutes a religion anyway.
text: Many Buddhists consider taking the vows to be the thing that makes you a Buddhist, so if you want to make it "official", you can take the vows at your friendly neighborhood Buddhist Temple.
text: Outside of that, I imagine you can call yourself a Buddhist if you believe in the Buddha and his message.
text: Do keep in mind that Buddhism is just a label; it's really about how you live.
text: You need not identify yourself as a Buddhist to live a Buddhist life and many people who identify as Buddhists do not live a Buddhist life.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/2207/R. Barzell
score: 2
sents: text: Can I call myself Buddhist?
text: I'm going to quote parts of my answer on this question :
text: There isn't one
text: agreed upon definition about when you are truely a Buddhist.
text: Some people say you are a Buddhist if you consider yourself to be one, others say you need at least several years training from an acknowledged Buddhist teacher and/or have ' taken refuge ' (which is a formal or informal ceremony which marks your decision to become a Buddhist).
text: Personally I like the view of Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche who has written a book on the topic called " What Makes You Not a Buddhist ":
text: It’s whether you agree with the four fundamental discoveries the Buddha made under the Bodhi tree, and if you do
text: , you can call yourself a Buddhist ( ref ).
text: So yes, you can call yourself a Buddhist.
text: Whether other Buddhists agree with you may depend on the tradition they follow.
text: Is Buddhism a religion?
text: Most Buddhists
text: I know regard Buddhism as a lifestyle rather than a religion.
text: However, most non-Buddhists see it as a religion, probably because it shares many aspects commonly found in a religion.
text: BTW, you may find that the answers on this question 'Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?'
text: give more insight in this matter.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/408/THelper
score: 1
sents: text: You can call yourself a Buddhist.
text: Other people can call you a Buddhist.
text: But it is only words.
text: Buddha is real, Buddhism is only idea.
text: Some respectful people can say that Buddhism is a religion, but again it is only words and ideas.
text: If you want to go this way, go without unnecessary words.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/7462/Mikhail
score: 1
sents: text: You can call yourself a Buddhist if you give fair trial to the Buddhist teaching.
text: You should have some faith the the Buddha, the Community and the Teaching unless you will not try the Dhamma.
text: Buddhism is not a religion in the sense that a religion accepts a higher power.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/295/Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
score: 0
sents: text: You can call yourself a Buddhist if you like, but that is just a name, much like your own.
text: Does changing your name change who you are?
text: Don't worry so much about what you should call yourself, just focus on studying and practicing Buddhism.
text: If you are not into the academic of philosophy studies, I don't think this is an important question you need answer to.
text: But if you need to classify what Buddhism is for now,just take Buddhism as a way to help you understand yourself and the world around you.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/2462/zen
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Some people believe you can consider yourself a Buddhist just by deciding to, others that you need many years of practice. Buddhism is not a religion as others that simply believe in a higher power, it is a practice. Therefore, if you practice, you are a Buddhist.
Many Buddhists consider taking the vows and taking refuge to be the thing that makes you a Buddhist. Others believe it is when they join a sangha. You can call yourself a Buddhist if you believe in Buddha and his message. Buddhism is often described as a religion, but not in the same way as religions that accept a higher power.