Quick question about Buddha being worshipped

[Curious_Hobbit]

I heard that several generations after Buddha died, people began to worship Buddha even though he never claimed to be divine. Has anyone heard of this? What time period? Sources?

 

[rskempf]

I did not hear of this. Our library has a good video documentry on India. It includes the impact Buddha had on the culture. I have seen some of effects in China, when traveling on business.

I am fascinated with this faith and others that have the same three characteristics.

• First, these faiths are based on private revelation to a single person - no witnesses (convenient).
• Second, the beginning of the faith tradition was not accompanied with miracles or signs from God.
• Third, there was no prophecy indicating this faith was about to start.

Our Catholic faith is the only one I know of that has these marks of integrity.

The three points above I believe apply to Buddhism, Islam, and Mormonism.

What do you think?

 

[rossum]

I am fascinated with this faith and others that have the same three characteristics.

• First, these faiths are based on private revelation to a single person - no witnesses (convenient).
• Second, the beginning of the faith tradition was not accompanied with miracles or signs from God.
• Third, there was no prophecy indicating this faith was about to start.

Our Catholic faith is the only one I know of that has these marks of integrity.

The three points above I believe apply to Buddhism, Islam, and Mormonism.

What do you think?

Taking your points in order.

First: Buddhism is not a revealed religion, it is a (re)discovered religion. The Buddha rediscovered Buddhism. The usual parable is of an overgrown path through the jungle that has not been used for many years but is rediscovered by an intrepid explorer. Once rediscovered the path can be walked by anyone. Others besides the Buddha have also attained enlightenment from during the Buddha’s lifetime right up to the present day.

Second: You really need to read some Buddhist scriptures about the miracles that happened around the Buddha. His mother conceived miraculously; he emerged from her side; he walked seven steps and spoke immediately after being born; the shadow of a tree did not move as he sat under it. Some of the miracles are briefly described in the Wikipedia article: ‘Miracles of Gautama Buddha’.

Third: The Buddha was prophesied by his twenty-eighth predecessor, Dipankara Buddha. The next Buddha on Earth, Maitreya Buddha, has been prophesied by Gautama Buddha.

rossum

 

[Curious_Hobbit]

rossum, what do you know about later generations of Buddhists beginning to worship him? I think it was the Pure Land sect.

 

[rossum]

rossum, what do you know about later generations of Buddhists beginning to worship him? I think it was the Pure Land sect.

I suspect that the situation may have some similarities with the place of Saints in Catholicism. You are not meant to actually worship Saints, merely to respect them for what they represent. However, some people cannot quite grasp the difference and mistakenly worship the Saint, rather than requesting the Saint’s help. The same with the Buddha, he is to be respected and emulated, not worshipped. However, not everyone gets it right and so some people do end up worshipping him.

Pure Land Buddhists want to be reborn in the Western Paradise (sukhavati) of the Amida Buddha. That is not nirvana, but instead a place from where it is a lot easier to attain nirvana than here. Being his own Buddha Land, it is perfectly legitimate to ask the Amida Buddha to help you to get reborn in his own land. Getting from there to nirvana has to be your own work. Amida Buddha is a different Buddha from Gautama Buddha; there are many many Buddhas.

rossum