[Buddha-l] Reconversion?

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

Stefan Detrez schreef:

> Hi,
>  
> suppose you are a Zen Buddhist and you would want to convert to - say 
> - Nyingma Buddhism. Do you have to take refuge 'again' to redefine 
> your identity?
>  
> Stefan
>  

I never heard of it. Unless you forgot your name. I once took refuge with the 16th Karmapa, but I didn't understand much of it at the time, so I forgot my name. I told this to another lama who laughed his head off and did the ceremony again. He wrote my name on a peace of paper for me. I had teachings and ceremonies of all kinds after that, but never was asked to change my name. I only once got a secret name in a Kalacakraceremony. 
Off course this mustn't stop you from taking refuge as many times as you please.
And in the old times 'ehi bhikku' was enough, but those were the days when the Buddha simply was called Tathaagatha.

One-who-goes-by-many-names


www.xs4all.nl/~jehms
weblog http://www.volkskrantblog.nl/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=2950