is there praying in Buddhism?
perhaps transferance of merits, forgiveness is more apt.
Hi Rooney,
My opinion doesn't represent Lin Yutang. But i gather from what i've read on his website that he prays to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for them to help beings... he figures that he himself does not have any blessings or sufficient merits to help them (due to his humility and practice of non-self) so he entrusts them to the Buddhas.
Which i think is a very sound approach we can emulate. Basically when one pray to the Buddhas for people, if something works, if one feels that it is basically the Buddha's blessings, not that i'm so great or anything... it is a good way to forget oneself.
if you are hungry, can anyone eat on your behalf to be full? even the Buddha cannot lessen your karma, as you reap the effects of your actions. remember the story when Maudgalyayana, the Buddha's chief disciple, tried saving 500 shakyans by lifting them up into sky but in the end they all died as a result of collective karma.
there is no praying or worshipping in Buddhism. however in pureland paradise, chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha will ensure you reborn there.
praying can be alot of things ...chanting, prostration, kindness, meditation... all these are prayers too...
Praying, like prostration, means one has faith in the Buddha, chanting Amitabha's mantra single mindedly leads to a single mindedness in concentration, without faith and devotion, it will not work.
Originally posted by wisdomeye:praying can be alot of things ...chanting, prostration, kindness, meditation... all these are prayers too...
since when prayers are meditation and chanting etc. you go check out what praying means.
praying as in u pray to a god or supernatural being for good luck, wealth, health etc. so as a buddhist, you mean buddhist pray to the buddha? meditation is hard work. rather than relying on external sources, you turn inward and begun to focus and observe your mind. how can meditation be called prayer?
Originally posted by Weychin:Praying, like prostration, means one has faith in the Buddha, chanting Amitabha's mantra single mindedly leads to a single mindedness in concentration, without faith and devotion, it will not work.
if you have faith in the Buddha, the best thing to respect and have faith is to practise the dhamma he has taught isnt it. if u prostrate, but always keep angry and having ill will towards other people, whats the use of prostration? Buddha said he is only a teacher, you yourself has to walk the path and attain liberation by yourself.
Originally posted by Rooney9:if you have faith in the Buddha, the best thing to respect and have faith is to practise the dhamma he has taught isnt it. if u prostrate, but always keep angry and having ill will towards other people, whats the use of prostration? Buddha said he is only a teacher, you yourself has to walk the path and attain liberation by yourself.
One is not always mindful, therefore one needs reminders until one can achieve mindfulness at all times. Take the analogy of two school kids fighting in a school for instance, guess what happens when someone says to them: "TEACHER'S COMING!!"
Without respect for the authority, it will not serve as a reminder to temper one's action and emotion.
hi Rooney,
Understand why you don't accept my definition of praying... i will try to give you an explanation but if you still can't accept it then it's alright. A diversity of views makes life interesting isn't it?
There are many levels of meaning to 'prayer'. What most people think of is the most external meaning...
When we say pray to Buddha, we have to examine what is 'pray' and what is 'Buddha'. Buddha is not a form only as Diamond sutra says. The ultimate Buddha is within, emptiness, nature of mind etc.. So when we say 'prayer', prayer can be full of attachments, based on a want, or it can be wantlessness.. It can also be separating, or it can be merging with Buddha, so it is the same as meditation.
Even if we talk about the most external level of meaning, prayer is also alot of hard work. Don't think only meditation is hard work... but actually the hard work is actually the same as sincerity and devotion as weychin says...
anyway, this is wandering too far off from the initial topic. so i guess that's it!
Hi WisdomEye,
I was reading some information about Di Zang but happened to stumble on this website. But not sure whether is it relevant to your thread. I copy paste some text here
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Didn't know that the karmic creditors will hasten the "process"... terrible isn't it?
Originally posted by wisdomeye:praying can be alot of things ...chanting, prostration, kindness, meditation... all these are prayers too...
Chant with calm mind.
When ones get angry or anger over somethings...that is the test on oneself, take a deep breadth, something like inside the body, drop down everything and start to chant.......I am learning and still learning till now......
Can we transfer merit to other people in our life by chanting?Transfer to ppl with problems and require help.
Originally posted by Positron:Can we transfer merit to other people in our life by chanting?Transfer to ppl with problems and require help.
Should be....I am chanting for my family good health also.
Originally posted by likeyou:
Should be....I am chanting for my family good health also.
Ok i see.
Originally posted by 2009novice:Hi WisdomEye,
I was reading some information about Di Zang but happened to stumble on this website. But not sure whether is it relevant to your thread. I copy paste some text here
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Didn't know that the karmic creditors will hasten the "process"... terrible isn't it?
If you harm someone before, then you strike it rich or have something good going on in your life, they will get jealous, angry etc etc. If they can, they will try to stop you. All these due to the grudge they bear, can't forgive, can't let-go...
It's the same here for karmic creditors. They don't want anything good to happen to you. Especially liberation.
But this is just a very narrow way of understanding the term 'karmic creditor'.
when we really think about it (just like author of the article), we are actually indebted to almost everyone. In this world, everything is so interdependent and inter-related that we should be really grateful for so many things we enjoy that come from others directly, or indirectly, whether it is obvious or not... that's what this author found out through his reflection.... so the idea of karmic creditor actually always comes back to repaying the kindness of all beings.
It is a new way of thinking of things... instead of just fear the karmic creditors... we develop universal gratitude and thereby make the wish to benefit all beings.
Dun know if you can understand what i'm tryin to say. Anyway hope it helps!
Originally posted by Positron:Can we transfer merit to other people in our life by chanting?Transfer to ppl with problems and require help.
yes can. Everytime we chant, we end by dedicating the merit to all sentient beings to attain Buddhahood. So definitely the one you have in mind will also receive merit. But if you want to emphasize on him and his problem, just mention his name too in your dedication. But a proper dedication is always for ALL sentient beings, then followed by the ones you want to help. Dedicating for all sentient beings seal the merit and make it increase greatly.
Originally posted by wisdomeye:
yes can. Everytime we chant, we end by dedicating the merit to all sentient beings to attain Buddhahood. So definitely the one you have in mind will also receive merit. But if you want to emphasize on him and his problem, just mention his name too in your dedication. But a proper dedication is always for ALL sentient beings, then followed by the ones you want to help. Dedicating for all sentient beings seal the merit and make it increase greatly.
I see.Thanks.