What makes a devout Buddhist? What makes one a buddhist?

[Aupmanyav]

Good desires need not be abandoned. They will automatically end when 'tathagata' finally goes and even Gods like Indra, Brahma, and Yama will not be able to find 'thus gone'. This is my reading of Buddhism. All hail Shakya muni.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

I've been trying to eliminate all of my desires.

In that case the first stage is to understand what those desires really are, and how they arise. Mindfulness practice is a good way to explore this. It isn't about "eliminating" anything, it is more about letting go, and that begins to happen when insight develops.

 

[ajay0]

The older I get, the more in love with Dharma , philosophy and a path of Buddhism. Its more close to pacifism, nihilism, compassion and anarchism, ideologies that i've felt as a child.

I've been practicing off and on for a while. so my question is, What makes one exactly a Buddhist? What makes on a devout Buddhist?

Mindfulness obviously, imo.

Even the virtues and avoidance of vices, mentioned in Buddhism are just aids to making the mind meditative or mindful. Every single virtue gained or vice eradicated makes the mind more meditative and less impure, more entrenched in the present moment.

If one can practice mindfulness in itself diligently, all the virtues will appear on its own and similarly the vices gets eradicated.

 

[JeremK]

My personal view:

Buddhist: One who intellectually agrees with the Four Noble Truths, Eight-Fold Path, Three Marks of Existence, etc.

Devout Buddhist: One who actively follows the Dharma.

 

[Asking]

My understanding is that you should use the tools of Buddhism to achieve peace of mind but then put them down once you're done with them.

To me being devout would indicate an inability to let go.