| Do Buddhists believe in God or gods? Buddhism is | | | | However, there is another side to the story. As |
| always considered unique and special among religions | | | | Buddhism expanded and evolved, its beliefs and |
| because its practitioners don't believe in a creator god, | | | | practices changed dramatically. Mahayana Buddhists |
| or at least, they don't rely on him for their salvation. | | | | believe in celestial boddhisattvas and Buddhas, these |
| According to the Pali Canon, the most ancient of | | | | are beings that reside in the heavens and have |
| Buddhist scriptures, the Buddha didn't reject the | | | | infinitely greater power than we have. These celestial |
| existence of gods, but he considered them to be | | | | boddhisattvas have the ability to intervene in this world |
| subject to change and death. He said that to invoke | | | | and save people as if they were gods. These powers |
| their aid or influence was useless. | | | | make it possible for celestial boddhisattvas to reside in |
| The truths of Buddhism are not dependent on the | | | | the heavens, hence the name celestial. These powers |
| gods, and attempts to use their influence are | | | | also make it possible for them to function as the |
| deprecated as vulgar practices. So, belief in gods is not | | | | Buddhist equivalents of the Hindu gods. |
| essential in Buddhism, they can't help you to achieve | | | | Buddhists insist, though, that these great boddhisattvas |
| Nirvana. In fact, early Buddhists considered the human | | | | have gone so far from the Hindu gods in their power |
| condition a more favorable one to seek enlightenment, | | | | and in their understanding of reality, that is it not |
| as the life of a god is full of distractions and it's more | | | | appropriate to think of them as being gods at all. |
| difficult to focus in meditation and wisdom. | | | | |