List of converts to Buddhism

The following people are all converts to Buddhism, sorted alphabetically by family name.

From Abrahamic religions

From Christianity

From Islam

• Wong Ah Kiu (1918–2006), Malaysian woman born to a Muslim family but raised as Buddhist; her conversion from Islam became a legal issue in Malaysia on her death^[1]
• Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lankan cricket player who converted from Islam to Buddhism at the age of 16, previously known as Tuwan Muhammad Dilshan^[2]
• Kenneth Pai, Chinese American writer of Hui descent^[3]
• Suraj Randiv, Sri Lankan cricket player, previously known as Mohamed Marshuk Mohamed Suraj
• Mehmet Scholl (1970–), German footballer
• Princess Sri Sulalai (1770–1837), royal concubine of King Buddha Loetla Nabhalai, the King of Siam (Thailand)

From Judaism

• Peter Coyote (born 1941), American actor and author^[4]
• Surya Das (born 1950), lama who founded Dzogchen Foundation and Centers^[5][6]
• Tetsugen Bernard Glassman (born January 18, 1939), American Zen Buddhist roshi and co-founder of the Zen Peacemakers^[7]
• Jack Kornfield (born 1945), teacher in the vipassana movement of American Theravada Buddhism^[7]
• Sharon Salzberg (born 1952), meditation teacher and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society^[7]

From Indian religions

From Hinduism

• B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956), converted from Hinduism^[8]
• Ashoka the Great (277–232 BCE), converted from Hinduism, Indian emperor and early convert to Buddhism^[9][10]
• Aśvaghoṣa (80?–150 CE?), Indian Buddhist figure, philosopher- poet^[11]
• Balachandran Chullikkadu (born 1957), Malayalam language poet from Kerala^[12]
• Jagdish Kashyap (1908–1976), Buddhist monk^[13]
• Barkha Madan (born 1974), Indian model, actress
• Laxman Mane (born 1949), Dalit author and social worker^[14]
• Mayawati (born 1956), Indian politician
• Udit Raj (born 1958), prominent Indian social activist and Buddhist polemicist^[15]
• Rahul Sankrityayan (1893–1963), Hindi author and translator^[13]
• Iyothee Thass (1845–1914), Siddha practitioner and leader of the Dravidian movement^[16]

From other or undetermined

Richard Gere converted to Buddhism.

• Anne Hopkins Aitken (1911–1994), one of the early leaders of Zen Buddhism in the West, co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha
• Robert Baker Aitken (1917–2010), co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha^[17][18]
• Reb Anderson (born 1943), Zen teacher ^[19]
• Alistair Appleton (born 1970), British television presenter^[20][21][22]
• Stephen Batchelor (born 1953), writer^[23]
• Orlando Bloom (born January 13, 1977), actor who played Legolas in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit^{[24] [25]}
• Kate Bosworth (born 1983), American actress^[26]
• Ajahn Brahm (born 1951), religious teacher and student of the late Thai monk Ajahn Chah; abbot of the Bodhinyana Monastery, Perth; spiritual advisor to many Buddhist societies and organizations in Southeast Asia and Australia
• John Cage (1912–1992), American composer^[27]
• Arabella Churchill (1949–2007), English charity founder, festival co-founder, and fundraiser^[28]
• Leonard Cohen, Canadian singer/songwriter/poet^[29]
• John Crook (1930–2011), British ethologist^[30]
• U Dhammaloka (c. 1856–c. 1914), Buddhist activist in Burma
• Ernest Fenollosa (1853–1908), American professor of philosophy and political economy at Tokyo Imperial University^[31]
• Richard Gere (born 1949), actor and activist for Tibetan causes^[26]
• Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997), poet^[32]
• Natalie Goldberg (born 1948), writer ^[33]
• Herbie Hancock (born 1940), jazz pianist who has also released funk and disco albums^[26]
• Christmas Humphreys (1901–1983), founder of the Buddhist Society
• Joseph Jarman (born 1937), jazz musician and Jodo Shinshu priest^[34][35]
• Miranda Kerr (born 1983), model^[36]
• k.d. lang, Canadian singer^[37]
• Jet Li (born 1963), actor^[38]
• Courtney Love, American singer-songwriter^[39]
• Menander I (died c. 130 BCE), Greco-Buddhist king (from pre-Christian Hellenistic religion)^[40]
• Dennis Genpo Merzel (born 1944), abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center^[41][42]
• Ole Nydahl (born 1941), lama teacher ^[43]
• Ciro Pessoa (born 1957), Brazilian musician and writer
• Tenzin Palmo (born 1943), nun of Drukpa Kagyu lineage^[44]
• Steven Seagal (born 1951), action-film actor who was proclaimed a tulku^[26]
• Oliver Stone, American film director^[45]
• Sharon Stone, American actress, producer, and former fashion model^[46]
• Ajahn Sumedho (born 1934), most senior representative of the Thai Forest Tradition in the Western hemisphere; abbot of the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK
• Tan-luan (6th to 7th century), Chinese Buddhist monk important to Pure Land Buddhism (from Taoism)^[47]
• Robert Thurman (born 1941), Buddhist priest and writer who has been called "the Billy Graham of Buddhism"^[48]
• Tina Turner (born 1939), American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress who has won eight Grammy Awards^[29]
• Philip Whalen (1923–2002), Beat generation poet and Zen monk^[49]
• Adam Yauch (1964-2012), aka MCA, American rapper (member of Beastie Boys), songwriter, film director, and human rights activist^[50]

See also

• List of Buddhists
• List of converts to Christianity
• List of converts to Islam
• List of converts to Hinduism
• List of converts to Judaism
• List of converts to Sikhism
• List of people by belief

References