Yes, in Buddhism, we teach that you don’t have to be a Buddhist at all to be a good buddhist. I think that is exactly what is meant by “good buddhist” because all we have to do is look at ourselves from the perspective of a Buddhist teacher and understand that we are all Buddhas. We also have to do our own work and practice. All of us have to do our own work and practice our own practice to be good. If we don’t understand each other’s work, we don’t know each other’s work. So the first step is understanding that we are all Buddhas.
I’ve always been very drawn to the Thai Forest Tradition. I’ve been looking into it, but I feel like it’s not in the best traditions. I have met a Vietnamese monk who is a Buddhist and it’s very clear that he is not going to put me down.