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Praying

KevincKevinc
edited March 2010 in Buddhism Basics
I'm pretty knew to Buddhism and I'm wondering about praying. Do Buddhist pray because I've read a few things about Buddhist praying and I'm wondering if they do, who are they praying too and what would be the point.
Just curious thanks.

Comments

  • StephenStephen
    edited March 2010
    In brief, no. Some Buddhist practices may be mistaken for prayer, but are meant only to bring the Buddha or some aspect of his teachings into focus within ourselves.

    The goal of Buddhism is salvation from suffering through your own study of the teachings, practice of the path, and realization of the true nature of reality that the "self" blinds us to. There is no one, no thing, to pray to. Though some Buddhists, and some Buddhist teachings, profess devas (deities or gods if you will) and other beings on different planes of existence from our own, even if you believe so they are just as impermanent and subject to change; moreover, they are not said to have any power on our planes of existence.

    How the Buddha tried to save us was by teaching us how to save ourselves. He never said to pray to him or to anyone. Buddhism is unique in that a person is solely responsible for their own liberation; we are not saved through anyone else, only through our own efforts.
  • KevincKevinc
    edited March 2010
    Ya that's what I've come to love about Buddhism is that it's your own journey and own path. Thanks for the info just trying to clear some things up.
  • StephenStephen
    edited March 2010
    No problem. Buddhism helped me immensely and I'm firmly on the path to the goal. It would be extremely selfish of me not to try and help while I can. If I become a recluse or a monk I might not be on the internet again. :)
  • KevincKevinc
    edited March 2010
    Ya Buddhism has helped me alot too. I'd love to be a monk or atleast live secluded and simple. Good luck with that.
  • ansannaansanna Veteran
    edited March 2010
    in deeper understanding, prayer in Buddhist practice is to set oneself a concrete target for your actions to follow, it is a determination, a pledge or a vow to realise for the sake of your Buddhist practice in the most profound sense.
  • StephenStephen
    edited March 2010
    Right, but let's just make sure everyone knows that you're not praying to any god or other being to save you. That's the difference. Whatever method is employed by the Buddhist practitioner, it is inevitably as a tool to inner focus, calm, insight, what have you. It is all a form of meditation and of strengthening the mind.
  • NiosNios Veteran
    edited March 2010
    Stephen is right. Prayer in Buddhism is not the Judeo-Christian type prayer. What we call "prayer" can be more like an aspiration "may all beings be free from suffering" for example. Sometimes, the Nembutsu has been called a prayer http://www.jodo.org/teachings/nembutsu.html

    Nios.
  • PietroPumokinPietroPumokin
    edited March 2010
    my prayer tends to reflect both religion's methods, because i often make wishes for all beings to be happy and such, without beseeching any other being or anything, but because i'm crazy i also pray TO beings such as avalokitesvara, prince buddha, and sometimes even jesus christ since he is such a renowned bodhisattva in western society.... but i am crazy; however, you can still direct your prayer to 'other' beings, without holding any belief in their true existence, but merely using them as a fulcrum in achieving your goals, whatever they may be in prayer. usually though, i think when a buddhist is praying, it is motivated largely by compassion and directed towards love, i don't think hinayana (narrow vehicle) practitioners "pray" often, though surely they recite mantras and chant and such, but prayer has different connotations.
  • StephenStephen
    edited March 2010
    That's all good.

    I would stick to saying either Mahayana or Theravada as the two types of schools and let go of the derogatory term Hinayana; I'm not of any school myself, but that term is designed to be offensive toward the Theravadins and so is not proper.
  • skydancerskydancer Veteran
    edited March 2010
    I like prayer. Aspiration prayers, for example, the prayer to attain the citadel of awareness, dedication prayers like the precept dedication prayer HH the Dalai Lama says every day from Shantideva, refuge prayer, seven branch prayer, confessions etc.

    Who do I pray to? My own potential, my Buddha nature and the lineage of realized masters of awareness who guide me on the path.

    The prayer sets my motivation and helps me keep my mind on benefiting sentient beings all day.
  • ansannaansanna Veteran
    edited March 2010
    as in advance Mahayana would say, the prayer in Buddhist practice is certainly not those begging prayer, as this would reduce the people to helpless sheeps.
    On the other hand, prayer in advance Mahayana is to pledge to invoke the great potential of one's inner Buddha nature , and manifest into strength , wisdom, courage, determination , good fortune inorder to overcome the problem, and could also demonstrate to the people around you how your practice help to resolve the problem , so as to lead them to the Dharma gate.
  • PietroPumokinPietroPumokin
    edited March 2010
    Stephen wrote: »
    That's all good.

    I would stick to saying either Mahayana or Theravada as the two types of schools and let go of the derogatory term Hinayana; I'm not of any school myself, but that term is designed to be offensive toward the Theravadins and so is not proper.
    sorry, to clarify i was not making that distinction, which is why i said narrow vehicle rather than inferior, which is the usual translation, i simply meant that when one is practicing hinayana, whether they be theravadin or mahayanist, their practice is self-oriented rather than all-encompassing, which is not to say it is bad or good or anything but just a different and smaller type of practice. for for example even though zen is technically a mahayana school of buddhism, i know that not all adherents of zen practice with a mahayana mind, and are really mostly engaged in a practice that is not aimed at the benefit of others, but only when as a by-product
  • StephenStephen
    edited March 2010
    I have trouble accepting that anyone who achieves enlightenment would not live for the benefit of others. It's nice to make a vow to do so beforehand, but whether you make a vow or not... even if you do not go into the process to eventually help others... if you reach that state of supreme awakening, there is nothing to do *except* live for the benefit of others. You've already liberated yourself, so there is no further desire for selfish goals, only for selfless ones bound to the compassionate nature of one such as he or she.

    In that line of reasoning, I do not believe there are any lesser or greater schools of Buddhist thought. As long as they share the path to liberation of one's self, they will lead to the benefit of others. Any other view seems to be narrow, at least to me.
  • PietroPumokinPietroPumokin
    edited March 2010
    not talkin bout schools though, rather individual practice, whether or not it is centered in loving-kindness and the bodhisattva mission, it is nothing lesser or greater, or worse or better, but there is small and large, narrow and wide; besides, not all people are suitable for the life of the bodhisattva, but they can be if they want. however, though, i don't know if simply because you are enlightened, you are tirelessly working for others's enlightenment and salvation, for there are many buddhist hermits. but then as you said stephen, perhaps their enlightenment is not supreme awakening, but, i don't know, i'm just talking.
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