[oxinsnepe]

I think a person from that group told me that to become a Buddhist you need to say something officially. (I can't remember what it was something like) Buddha is my refuge? I think there was more to it than that. I think she said I needed to do it at a meeting that they were going to have with a foreign Buddhist leader of the particular type of Buddhism they practiced. I don't know if i'm making much sense. It is hard for me to remember exactly what I was told. There actually is something in some Buddhist (usually Zen) traditions called "Jukai", which is a formal public initiation ritual in which the person being initiated takes refuge in what is called the "Triple Jewell", or pledging to take refuge in the Buddha (the ideal), the Dharma (teachings), and the Sangha (community).

However, in order to begin practicing the teachings, there is no confirmation or conversion ritual or anything like that. There's also no real binding commitment once you step in. You can test the waters and learn about it and see if it works. If it does, great. If not, great. Whether or not you undertake the practice is completely up to you.

Also, there's also no requirement to join a particular kind of Buddhism. There are a few people on here who utilize practices from more than one school or tradition.

It's also very good that you're being investigative. Take your time and understand the basic teachings and explore the traditions. See which one (or ones ) work for you.

With Metta (Loving-Kindness),