| This is a difficult question. The Buddha said that he | | | | rebirth, having a better chance to advance in your path |
| came to this world to point out the way. He said not to | | | | to enlightenment in a future life. |
| look at the finger, but at the way. So, why all these | | | | Lay followers generally engaged in this kind of worship. |
| images of the Buddha? Do Buddhists worship him? Is | | | | Monks and nuns also worshiped these objects, but |
| he a god for them? | | | | with a different goal in mind. They worshiped these |
| Well, the Buddha didn't want people to worship him. | | | | objects in a kind of meditation, to be reminded of the |
| Anyway, after his Parinirvana(passing), his followers | | | | Buddha's teaching. |
| cremated his body and took some relics. Many of | | | | What we were talking until now could be applied to |
| these followers (specially the lay ones) started to | | | | what is considered traditional Buddhism, that is, the |
| worship these artifacts that had a relationship to the | | | | tradition practiced by the early community of followers |
| Buddha. They could be the relics of his cremation or | | | | after the death of the Buddha. Today, the school of |
| simply objects that the Buddha touched during his life, | | | | Buddhism that tries to imitate this traditional ideal is the |
| like his begging ball. Eventually, they built great and | | | | Theravada. Theravada Buddhism is practiced in South |
| beautiful shrines to hold and worship these objects. | | | | East Asia: Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma. It could be |
| Why do they do that? What is the meaning of this | | | | considered the conservative branch of Buddhism. |
| worship? Well, the Buddha isn't a god. He isn't even | | | | When we talk about worship in Buddhism, inevitably |
| present in this world anymore. After his Parinirvana, he | | | | we have to talk about the Mahayana school. The |
| passed from the cycle of death and rebirth. He doesn't | | | | Mahayana is a reform movement that emerged in |
| exist anymore like us. He can't influence this world, at | | | | India around the beginning of the A.D. era. It changes |
| least directly. That is exactly what these worshipers | | | | the style, the tone and the content of Buddhist practice |
| believed. | | | | in profound ways. |
| They believed that the Buddha wasn't present | | | | With the Mahayana, Buddhism becomes less |
| anymore, but he left a sustaining power in these | | | | individualist and more compassionate. In many varieties |
| objects. This sustaining power could affect their karma. | | | | of the Mahayana, you need to rely not in your own |
| That is, by worshiping these objects that have the | | | | capabilities, but in the power of a bodhisattva (a kind of |
| power of the Buddha, they will have a better rebirth in | | | | deity), to achieve enlightenment or salvation. If this |
| a future life. Remember that Buddhist believe that, to | | | | sounds like anything but Buddhism, you might be |
| achieve Nirvana, you need to go through a great | | | | interested in reading the following sources. |
| number of lives. So, it is better for you to have a good | | | | |