I don't know what to say or pray when I stand before Buddha in any buddhist temple.
What to do?
Start to cry, then laught, then do both at the same time.
Originally posted by TTFU:Start to cry, then laught, then do both at the same time.
Pray for health...
Pray for safety...
Pray for Toto ( go Singapore Pools, selegie )
Originally posted by Just_do_it_lah:
Pray for health...Pray for safety...
Pray for Toto ( go Singapore Pools, selegie )
Bad idea especially to pray for toto. Pray for health and safety still ok but I think the best is just rely on oneself. It's like giving Buddha a bow but in return expect so much? When we bow to Buddha, it is not to pray superstitiously for things, rather it is to pay our respect sincerely to our Teacher, who taught the dharma for the liberation of sentient beings..
Praying for toto is increasing one's own greed and delusion, and the Buddha strongly advised against gambling.
Secondly, The Buddha advised Buddhist lay followers not to be superstitious.
"They do not get carried away by superstition; they believe in deeds, aspiring to results from their own deeds through their own effort in a rational way; they are not excited by wildly rumored superstition, talismans or lucky charms; they do not aspire to results from praying for miracles."
(From Anguttara Nikaya III 206, Pali Tipitaka)
http://tontun.multiply.com/journal/item/8
BUDDHISTS OF THE LEADING TYPE
Those Buddhists who are referred to as upasaka à¸à¸¸à¸šà¸²à¸ªà¸� and upasika à¸à¸¸à¸šà¸²à¸ªà¸´à¸�า [Buddhist lay followers] are considered Buddhists of the leading type. They must be steadfast and firmly established in the [Buddhist] principlas to serve as examples for Buddhists in general. Apart from observing the Buddhist's discipline, they must possess the five qualities of Buddhist lay followers (upasakadhamma à¸à¸¸à¸šà¸²à¸ªà¸�ธรรม) as follows:
1.
They have faith, their belief being endowed with wisdom; they are not given to blind faith; they have confidence in the Triple Gem [the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha], neither being shaken nor faltering; they adhere to the Dhamma as the principal and supreme cause.
2.
They have morality; apart from maintaining themselves in the Five Precepts and righteous livelihood, they should undertake the Eight Observances on due occasions to develop themselves so that their lives and happiness depend less on material needs, thus reducing harm and increasing beneficence towards others.
3.
They do not get carried away by superstition; they believe in deeds, aspiring to results from their own deeds through their own effort in a rational way; they are not excited by wildly rumored superstition, talismans or lucky charms; they do not aspire to results from praying fo rmiracles.
4.
They do not seek the gift-worthy outside of this teaching; they do not grasp at fields of merit, miracle workers or holy personalities that are outside the Buddhist principles.
5.
They apply themselves to supporting and helping with the Buddhist cause; they attend to, initiate and support charity work in accordance with the teaching of the Perfectly Enlightened One.
Originally posted by hasene:I don't know what to say or pray when I stand before Buddha in any buddhist temple.
What to do?
For me, I just do my 3 prostration to Buddha. I do not say or pray anything.
Different traditions practice differently.
You can ask someone there to guide you.
Originally posted by TTFU:Start to cry, then laught, then do both at the same time.
Too emo le bah.
pray for emptiness
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:For me, I just do my 3 prostration to Buddha. I do not say or pray anything.
Different traditions practice differently.
You can ask someone there to guide you.
Fine.
I will wait for other buddhists to reply
Originally posted by hasene:I don't know what to say or pray when I stand before Buddha in any buddhist temple.
What to do?
yah same applies to me...
but i started observing people. The buddhists prostrates before Buddha 3 times. Got a kind of a handsign on their forehead.. Two index fingers meeting together.. I still learning.
Prostration before Buddha is to "lessen or eradicate" our ego. I not sure I am using the right terms here...
Then I started to learn chanting. Trying to understand what the sutras means.
For me, it depends on which Buddha. If is to Earth Store Bodhisattvas , I will say that I'm very grateful to him (感�) because he has cured the sickness of my family member. If is to Amitabha, I will say I wish to be born in Amitabha's Pureland. If I have problem, I will tell Goddess of Mercy, she can read my thoughts without I saying my problems aloud. If is to Siddh�rtha Buddha, I will say I'm grateful to him for his teachings.
If is to all the Buddhas, I will just prostrates before Buddhas 3 times. The most effective way to pray to all Buddhas is to recite their holy names as many times as possible and recite the sutras. I find it not effective just by praying using joss sticks.
Recite Buddha's name
for me, if i got little time, i juz make prostrations and make some offerings either incense or light etc to accumulate merit and then dedicate the merit to enlightenment of all sentient beings.
If got alot time, then try to make some positive aspirations... can also recite the 普贤行愿�。
If middling time, then try to make aspirations for no obstacles on Buddhist path, aspiration to generate renunciation, bodhichitta and realise emptiness and to wish for rebirth in Amitabha pureland etc. These aspirations mainly connected with liberation... which is the most important thing...
But if facing a mundane worldly problem, no matter what, health, money, success of project, etc i will also pray for resolution of problem... basically i go to Triple Gems for all my problems... cos take refuge in them mah...
As long as Buddha statue or stupa or scriptures which are representations of the triple gems are there, i will regard all the Buddhas as present, and just do the above.
hope tis helps.........
Hey Hasene
I believe that by your enquiry. It does show that you have good affinity with Buddhism.
Most Buddist will do bowing, flower, incense etc offerings before the Buddha. All these are consider skillful means. Do bear in mind that Buddha does not need any of our offerings. It makes no differences to him.
As Buddha is our teacher and we are his student. The skillful means are meant to humble us so that we can learn to overcome the three poison; ignorance, greed and pride.
Lotus Sutra Chapter 2 said
And if persons, in the presence of such memorial towers,
such jeweled images and painted images,
should with reverent minds make offerings
of flowers, incense, banners or canopies,
or if they should employ persons to make music,
striking drums or blowing horns or conch shells,
playing pipes, flutes, zithers, harps,
balloon guitars, cymbals and gongs,
and if these many kinds of wonderful notes
are intended wholly as an offering;
or if one with a joyful mind
sings a song in praise of the Buddha's virtue,
even if it is just one small note,
then all who do these things have attained the Buddha way.
If someone with a confused and distracted mind
should take even one flower
and offer it to a painted image,
in time he would come to see countless Buddhas.
Or if a person should bow or perform obeisance,
or should merely press his palms together,
or even should raise a single hand,
or give no more than a slight nod of the head,
and if this were done in offering to an image,
then in time he would come to see countless Buddhas.
Hence next time, when you are in the temple, just know that whatever one does. Each acts are a offering to Buddha and the merits accrued will help in your practice.
Gassho
Thanks to all our reply.
Now I have an rough idea what to do when I visit the temple next. I am so blur I thought tomorrow is Vesak's Day.
Originally posted by reborn76:Hey Hasene
I believe that by your enquiry. It does show that you have good affinity with Buddhism.
Most Buddist will do bowing, flower, incense etc offerings before the Buddha. All these are consider skillful means. Do bear in mind that Buddha does not need any of our offerings. It makes no differences to him.
As Buddha is our teacher and we are his student. The skillful means are meant to humble us so that we can learn to overcome the three poison; ignorance, greed and pride.
Lotus Sutra Chapter 2 said
And if persons, in the presence of such memorial towers,
such jeweled images and painted images,
should with reverent minds make offerings
of flowers, incense, banners or canopies,
or if they should employ persons to make music,
striking drums or blowing horns or conch shells,
playing pipes, flutes, zithers, harps,
balloon guitars, cymbals and gongs,
and if these many kinds of wonderful notes
are intended wholly as an offering;
or if one with a joyful mind
sings a song in praise of the Buddha's virtue,
even if it is just one small note,
then all who do these things have attained the Buddha way.
If someone with a confused and distracted mind
should take even one flower
and offer it to a painted image,
in time he would come to see countless Buddhas.
Or if a person should bow or perform obeisance,
or should merely press his palms together,
or even should raise a single hand,
or give no more than a slight nod of the head,
and if this were done in offering to an image,
then in time he would come to see countless Buddhas.Hence next time, when you are in the temple, just know that whatever one does. Each acts are a offering to Buddha and the merits accrued will help in your practice.
Gassho
Thanks for your good words. I am still searching.
I am so eager to visit temple on VEsak Day for the fact that this year I got to know buddha a little better and by visiting a temple on vesek day means something. In the past, I just went and pray blindly.