[Buddha-l] Was Buddha a Buddhist

[J Tatelman]

It may be that the Buddha wasn't a Buddhist any more than Jesus was a 
Christian.

Cheers,

Joel.

On May 22, 2006, at 10:02 PM, Leigh Goldstein ((d)) wrote:

>
> Someone asked me this recently. I was wondering what traditional 
> Buddhist
> terms correspond in some sense to the Western idea "Buddhist" and 
> whether,
> in particular, Buddha was considered to be a monk or subject to the
> ordination vows.
>
> If a Buddhist is someone who takes refuge in the Three Jewels, it 
> seems like
> Buddha could not be a Buddhist. If a Buddhist is a sentient being who
> follows the Buddhist path, then Buddha could not be a Buddhist. Does 
> that
> mean that someone ceases to be a Buddhist when they become a Buddha?
>
> On the other hand, if someone is a Buddhist who understands and 
> practices
> the Buddhist doctrines and methods, then Buddha would be the only 
> complete
> or fully Buddhist.
>
> Besides this, there is the possibility of very different concepts about
> these things in the different Buddhist schools.
>
> Can someone point me to traditional sources on these subjects, if they
> exist?
>
> Thanks,
> Leigh
>
>
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