why do people pray to him for wealth or luck. didn't he practice self-deprivation
2006-12-28 05:26:08 · 20 answers · asked by breastfed43 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Who is buddha? Anyone can be a buddha.
2006-12-28 05:31:38 · answer #1 · answered by ♫O Praise Him♫ 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
We don't "worship" the Buddha, we follow his teachings and are grateful (hence all the bowing, like hugging the smithereens out of someone but different, other uses of bowing aren't much different than Catholic penance to a degree). Those who pray to him for wealth or luck aren't really getting the true message... the idea is somewhere down the middle between materialism and nihilism (or self-deprivation, which he gave up as soon as he realized such things were going too far). If you're really following Buddhism you start to see a lack of desire for various "junk" of this world by default, through practice.
The Buddha demands that we do not take his words on faith... we are EXPECTED to chew them over and "test them like gold" ourselves constantly and come to the same conclusions (or not, more often you do wind up making the same conclusions though).
Next question?
_()_
2006-12-28 13:32:15 · answer #2 · answered by vinslave 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think it's the internal nature of people to have a need for some kind of parent figure to appeal to . . . and the less educated and less economically well-off they are, the more the need I imagine. People also seem to have a need for ritual related to this.
I don't think Jesus wanted to be worshipped either, but he is prayed to for material goods as well. Both Jesus and Siddhartha had a message and extoled a way to conduct yourself throughout your life but how many actually bother to read, study and THINK about these in those terms. Much easier to just keep begging a higher power to drop down blessings like a divine lottery system than to use ones brain.
2006-12-28 13:33:40 · answer #3 · answered by SWMynx 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Buddhist do not worship Buddha, The Buddha was a man, a human being that found a way to wake up fully and see the universe as it truley is. He gained enlightenment at about age 40 lived until he was 80 and then died like every other human being. Buddhist paractice the same principles that The Buddha did and try and live a life of balance and peace.
2006-12-28 13:29:51 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
They don't pray to him for anything. He is held up as an example of someone who has achieved Enlightenment and reached a new level of understanding. He did not teach self-deprivation. He tought about eliminating desire in oneself. Desire, he believed, was a major cause of the human world's problems.
2006-12-28 13:28:37 · answer #5 · answered by Scott M 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need to seek information from your local temple.
I question your concept of Worship and / vs Honor. I think they seek guidance and knowledge in a manner we call prayer to the Saints. Does your religion promote fasting? Self deprivation is in Yahoo LGBT.
2006-12-28 13:38:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
there are two ways to read the action: worship, or veneration. Worship involves praise and gratitude towards someone/thing we are in a submissive position to. Veneration involves recognition and respect, but may not place one in a submissive position.
example: worshipping God includes the idea that he is greater than us, and worthy of our adoration. veneration of ones ancestors is about staying in touch with ones heritage, and showing respect. For the Buddah, probably both things happen; but the idea of worshipping him is most likely derived from converts to buddhism from other religions where 'worship' was practiced, and they just do what they know...
2006-12-28 13:35:38 · answer #7 · answered by bjohnson808 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Buddhists do not worship the buddha. He is a teacher, not a god.
In fact there is a Koan that reads "when you find the buddha, kill him!"
(the meaning here is not to actually kill a person but to remove the belief that you have found something. Because that belief is usually wrong.)
2006-12-28 13:30:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Why do people who don't understand a thing make assumptions about it? Buddhists are, in a broad sense, spiritual Atheists. They do not worship anyone, but rather seek to enlighten themselves and concern themselves with what they are doing here and now. There is a lot to be said for that.
2006-12-28 13:31:59 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
There are some very good answers here-and I would not even try to top them. But, I would like to add---Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion. It can be mingled in with other religions. I know of a Christian who practices Buddhism, and of a Jew who also incorporates Buddhism in his religious beliefs.
Buddhism is a way of life----a philosophy for life.
2006-12-28 16:22:04 · answer #10 · answered by Shossi 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The only way to worship Buddha is by following his teachings and way of life.
2006-12-28 13:27:44 · answer #11 · answered by ssss 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋