It depends on the sect or denomination of Buddhism. Some groups DO have gods and deities, and what they do can best be translated as “praying.” Others tend to lean toward there not being any kind of supernatural beings, and so meditation might be the better term. It just depends on the group as to which term is more accurate.

It seems to me that the devotional prayer comes from a longing for something that we lack within. Prayer may serve this human predicament of exisiting in a world in which we know that we lack something coupled with a hope/search and wish that we might be fulfilled.

One could look at the practice of paying homage to the Buddha or Tathagatha as a Bhakti (devotional) practice. The practice is non-conceptual, and therefore one that is difficult to understand with our minds and yet at the same time something that satisfies our physical and emotional aspects. This is something that we can do with our body, speech and mind without understanding it and yet gaining much merit.

Personally, I have no trouble with the act of bowing or making prostrations to a Buddha statue while saying Namo Tassa bhagavato arahato samyak sambuddhasa and keeping the fully accomplished Buddha in mind being seen as idol worship. I think I’m more interested in understanding where the person is coming from and why they feel uneasy about praying to a statue of the Buddha.

When I was first learning about the Zen practice of bowing during service, I was taught by a member of my sangha that the bow represents gratitude. And since everyone in the sangha bows, in a variety of manners, in thanks and communication to the teachers and each other in the tradition of Zen and the Japanese, that made sense to me.

I do not consider bowing to be worship so much as acknowledgement. And since we are practicing the act of being present, it seems appropriate to acknowledge.

The fact that there is imagery available to bow toward is, for me, a focus. It gives something for everyone to bow toward and not so much to bow to.

That said, I think that questioning and discussion, such as what is occuring in the comments for this post, is exactly the quality of Buddhism that attracts me to it in the first place.

When people walk into a zendo, dharma center or temple, it does not make them Buddhists. One hangs around, studies, takes the precepts, finds a teacher, and learns what Buddhism is about pretty much from the ground up. There is rarely any ambiguity involved, and practicing Buddhists learn quickly what the rituals mean and why they are carried out, along with what they don’t mean. Even those who attempt to learn from books find out quickly that Buddhists do not worship images, along with the reasons for prostrations and other rituals, for or the lack thereof.

Those who have made sufficient effort to learn, know what’s happenin’. Those who have not, question. But, until they have made at least as much effort as those who practice, it is hardly appropriate to argue semantics when given accurate answers.

Semantics are what delusion is all about.

Pablo Antuna
Buddhism Beliefs

I think the original poster was more concerned with the reverence shown to the images of Buddha. In my answer to yesterday’s question, I mentioned how some visitors to the temple would go down in prostration before pictures or statues while others did not. Whether you are showing respect and reverence to the real Buddha or “worshiping a statue,” it is hard to tell from appearances. As Jami mentions above, one thing often leads to another, and too much adherence to ritual can become just another form of grasping.

If you couldn’t guess, I am not a big fan of prostrations myself. I am highly in favor of showing respect to the Buddha and have great respect in my own mind and heart, but kneeling in front of a statue seems wrong to me. I absolutely understand all the arguments given above, but it’s just not something I am personally comfortable with. Therefore I don’t do it. Simple solution!

Another reason that we bow to the ground w/ our head touching the ground is so we can let go of our ego. Buddha does not ever ASK us to pay him respect to the point our head touches the ground, but it is an act that teaches/trains us to let go of our ego and not always place us on top or in front of others.

But the counter point is that inherent in praying to idols is the danger of mistaking the very ‘idols’ for the those things which they respresent. I think this is the issue in the Old Testament and Qu’ran (and among those opposed to iconography in the Orthodox tradition).

It goes further. It makes assumptions: that certain pieces of wood, certain liturgical words etc, can bestow cures of almost ‘magical quality’. The issues that motivatedthe early Puritans are perhaps relevant here.

It can be stated that the iconography, imagery leads to all kinds of superstious views. This may lead to the construction of a spiritual tradition (Tibet is one example)which keeps certain and arguably unwholsome practices in place and furthers, rather than lessens, ‘exploitation’ and therefore increases ‘suffering’.

Lastly, the answer is from a trained ‘Nun’. It is not entirely certain that a lay Buddhist in a rural habitat would view things in that way.

What should be asked is what is buddhist prayer and how does it differ from christian/muslim prayer.