"Am I a Buddhist?"
I saw this question on a Buddhism sub-forum in Thailand.
The questioner wanted to know how one becomes a Buddhist. Do we just decide for ourselves and, if so, what would make our decision a valid one? Or is there a ceremony, perhaps preceded by instruction and the sponsor's discernment that the person is ready?
I am aware of people formally taking refuge in the Triple Gem, though I've never seen it. I gather Soto has a ceremony of this kind, but I can't think of the name of it.
Really, how does one become a "Buddhist"?