Chapter 1.1 - The ceremony of initiation

Buddhism lacks any ceremony or ritual of initiation or admission like the upanayana in Hinduism or baptism in Christianity. The traditional method of becoming a Buddhist is to repeat the formula of the Three Refuges (tisarana) and the Five Precepts (pañcasila), when they are formally administered by a Buddhist monk.

The formula of refuge is as follows:

Buddham saranam gacchami
I go to the Buddha as my refuge.

Dhammam saranam gacchami
I go to the Dhamma as my refuge.

Sangham saranam gacchami
I go to the Sangha as my refuge.

This avowal of confidence in the Triple Gem (tiratana) is repeated for a second time (e.g., dutiyampi Buddham saranam gacchami, etc.), and a third time (tatiyampi).

Next, the convert repeats in the following manner the Five Precepts which are meant to regulate his moral life:

(1) Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami. I undertake the precept to abstain from destroying life

(2) Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami. I undertake the precept to abstain from taking things not given.

(3) Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami. I undertake the precept to abstain from sexual misconduct.

(4) Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami. I undertake the precept to abstain from false speech.

(5) Suramerayamajjapamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami. I undertake the precept to abstain from taking distilled and fermented liquors that cause intoxication and heedlessness.

By this method a hitherto non-Buddhist lay person becomes a lay disciple (upasaka) of the Buddha. It has to be noted here that what is meant by taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha is the placing of confidence in the attainments of the Buddha as a Teacher and in the efficacy of the Dhamma as a reliable means to liberation. The term "Sangha" here refers to the Ariya Sangha, comprising the four pairs of noble ones, i.e., the four practicing for the fruits and the four established in the fruits (cattari purisayugani attha purisa-puggala). In this ceremony of initiation there is no recognition of salvation through the grace of a god or saviour as in theistic religions. One goes for refuge as a way of expressing one's determination to follow the Buddha's path to liberation, but one must also realize that the task of walking the path is one's own responsibility.

While this is the method of formal admission of a new entrant into Buddhism, there are also certain ritualistic practices observed when a child is born to Buddhist parents. The baby's first outing would be to a temple. When the baby is fit to be taken out of doors the parents would select an auspicious day or a full-moon day and take the child to the nearest temple.^[1] They would first place the child on the floor of the shrine room or in front of a statue of the Buddha for the purpose of obtaining the blessings of the Triple Gem. This is a common sight at the Dalada Maligawa — the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic — in Kandy. At the time of the daily religious ceremony (puja) of the temple, one can observe how mothers hand over their babies to an officiating layman (kapuva) inside the shrine room, who in turn keeps it for a few seconds on the floor near the Relic Chamber and hands it back to the mother. The mother accepts the child and gives a small fee to the kapuva for the service rendered. This practice too could be described as a ritual of initiation.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

On the significance of the phases of the moon in Buddhism see Ch. 3.