The Buddha was not a Buddhist while he was striving to attain the enlightened state of mind, but his heart was pure and gentle, all loving and compassionate, and he became the Enlightened One only because he had these necessary pure qualities within his heart. For this reason, anyone can become a Buddha and need not be a Buddhist by religion. But for those who would like to follow the Buddha’s Path, they become a Buddhist for the sake of receiving its teachings, which are the actual methods of mental purification, and they must follow all these guidelines if they are truly serious about their practice. Then, their lives are lived with the sole purpose of developing a peaceful mind, which is done through discipline and meditation.
31-Mar-1986 (2)