Take Refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha

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Instructions

Take Refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha

1. Buddhism is basically made of three things: The Buddha: the Awakened One; The Dhamma: the teaching, including the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and a large canon of sacred texts; and The Sangha: the community of Buddhist monks and enlightened beings. You become a Buddhist partly by taking "refuge" in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. This means that you agree to learn from the Buddha's example, from the sacred texts and participate in some way in the organization of Buddhist monks and lay persons. It is a good idea to contact a Buddhist priest. Look for temples and associations in the Yellow Pages or go to the Global Resources Guide at the Journal of Buddhist Ethics. The priest (which can be a man or a woman) will guide you through initiation into his/her branch of Buddhism and perhaps set up some kind of commitment ritual, which isn't absolutely necessary. If you don't want to get in touch with a priest (or you can't) but would still like to do something to mark the occasion of your setting out on a new path, you can perform a do-it-yourself initiation online. Otherwise, just try to follow the Five Precepts and learn about the Four Noble Truths.

Next: Decide How You Want to Make Buddhism a Part of Your Life

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Resources

• Convert to Buddhism Online
• Global Resources Guide at the Journal of Business Ethics
• Guide to Meditation

[sansayan]

on 12/12/2009 This is not wise to say that there is no god or goddess on Buddhism, rather if you study Buddhist discourses, you will find numerous examples of god or goddess who are visiting Lord Buddha and his honourable disciples. Among them are the king of gods, satru, brahma and other gods. please study deeply the tipitaka before denying the existence of gods or goddesses.