Question: “Do you find it wrong that I consider myself Buddhist, even though I have never been to a monastery? I have been meditating every day for some time, and I have been doing insight practices, and concentration practices. I also follow the five precepts, and mostly everything else that I can think of. I have read about the various stages of enlightenment, and I think that I am at least at the first or second jhana. (or) If not those, I am immersing myself in the three characteristics.”
Meditating everyday, doing insight and concentration practices, following the precepts, and doing everything else you can think of doesn’t make you a Buddhist. Buddhist practices isn’t something you “own” or do to call yourself a Buddhist – When you can do those things without titling yourself a Buddhist, then… you are a Buddhist.
If you think all these practices give you the right to call yourself Buddhist, then you’re missing the point of Buddhism. Do I find it wrong that you call yourself Buddhist? No. You can do and call yourself whatever you want and it wouldn’t matter to anyone. You can do no Buddhist practices; not meditating, practicing any mindfulness or concentration practices, or following the precepts, and you could be a Buddhist – if you are living a life of morality and compassion.
It’s not about what/how you’re practicing, but more about how you view things and live your life. You could be walking down the road and compassionately helped an old lady cross the road and suddenly became enlightened without ever practicing Buddhism. So why try so hard to “become” something when it’s unnecessary? I’m not saying practicing Buddhism is unnecessary, it’s clearly a path and a set of tools towards liberation, but we can’t attach to it – which is usually something that happens if and when we try to focus on too many areas/topics/practices.
Smile and be well!