To trace the origin and development of the God-idea, one must go back to the time when civilisation was still in its infancy and science was still unknown. Primitive people, out of fear and admiration towards the natural phenomena, had believed in different spirits and gods. They used their spirits and gods to form religions of their own. According to their respective circumstances and understanding capacity, different people founded different gods and different faiths.
In the beginning of the God-idea, people worshipped many gods -- gods of trees, streams, lightning, storm, winds, the sun, and all other terrestrial phenomena. These gods were related to each and every act of nature. Then gradually man began to transfer to these gods, sex and form as well as the physical and mental characteristics of human beings. Human attributes were given to the gods: love, hate, jealousy, fear, pride, envy and other emotions found among human beings. From all these gods, there slowly grew a realisation that the phenomena of the Universe were not many but were One. This understanding gave rise to the monotheistic God of recent ages.
In the process of developing, the God-idea went through a variety of changing social and intellectual climates. It was regarded by different men in different ways. Some idealised God as the King of heaven and earth; they had a conception of God as a person. Others thought of God as an abstract principle. Some raised the ideal of Supreme deity to the highest heaven, while others brought it down to the lowest depths of the earth. Some pictured God in a paradise while others made an idol and worshipped it. Some went so far as to say that there is no salvation without God -- no matter how much good you do, you will not receive the fruits of your actions unless you act out of a faith in God. The Theists said, 'Yes' and went on to affirm that God really did exist. The Atheists said, 'No' and went on to affirm that God did not really exist at all. The Sceptics or Agnostics said, 'We do not or we cannot know.' The positivists said that the God-idea is a meaningless problem since the idea of the term 'God' is not clear. Thus there grew a variety of ideas and beliefs and names for the God-idea: pantheism, idolatry, belief in a formless God, belief in many gods and goddesses, etc.
Even the monotheistic God of recent times has gone through a variety of changes as it passed through different nations and people. The Hindu God is quite different from the Christian God. The Christian God is again different from other Gods of other faiths. Thus numerous religions came into existence; each one differed greatly from the other and each one said that 'God is One.'
As each religion came into existence and developed around the God-idea, the religion developed its own particular explanation of creation. Thus as the God-idea evolved within different religious systems, this idea became associated with various myths. People used the God-idea as a vehicle for their explanations of the existence of man and the nature of the life.
Today, intelligent men who have carefully reviewed all the available facts, have come to the conclusion that, like the God-idea, the creation myths must be regarded as an evolution of the human imagination which began by the misunderstanding of the phenomena of nature. These misunderstandings were rooted in the fear and ignorance of primitive man. Even today, man still retains his primitive interpretations of creation. In the light of recent, scientific thinking, the theological definition of God is vague and hence has no place in the recent, creation theories or myths.
If man is created by an external source, then he must belong to that source and not to himself. Buddhists believe that man does belong to himself and that he is responsible for everything he does. Thus Buddhists have no reason to believe that man came into existence in the human form through any external sources. They believe that man is here today because of his own actions. He is neither punished nor rewarded by anyone but himself according to his own good and bad actions. In the process of evolution, the human being came into existence. However, there are no Buddha-words to support the belief that the world was created by anybody. The scientific discovery of gradual development of the world-system conforms with the Buddha's teachings.
Both he God-idea and its associated creation myths have been protected and defended by the God-religions which need these ideas to justify their existence and usefulness to human society. All the God-religions claim to have received their respective scriptures as Revelation; in other words, they all profess to come directly from the one God. Each claims that their religion stands for Universal Peace and Universal Brotherhood and other such high ideals.
However great the ideals of the religions might be, the history of the world shows that the religions up to the present day have also helped in spreading superstitions. Some have stood against science and the advancement of knowledge, leading to quarrels, ill-feelings, murders, and wars. In this respect, the God-religions have failed in their attempt to enlighten mankind. For example, in certain countries when people pray for mercy, their hands are stained with blood of the morbid sacrifices of innocent animals and, sometimes, even fellow human beings. These poor and helpless creatures are slaughtered at the desecrated altars of imaginary and imperceptible gods. It has taken a long time for people to understand the futility of such cruel practices in the name of religion. When will they realise that the path of real purification is by love and understanding?
Another weakness of the God-religions is that they offer no salvation without God. Thus a man might conceivably have climbed to the highest pinnacle of virtue, and he might have led a righteous way of life, and he might even have climbed to the highest level of holiness. Yet he is to be condemned to eternal hell just because he did not believe in the existence of God. On the other hand, a man might have sinned deeply and yet, having made a late repentance, he can be forgiven and therefore 'saved' for God's sake. From the Buddhist point of view, there is no justification in this kind of doctrine.
Despite the weaknesses of the God-religions, it is not deemed advisable to preach a Godless doctrine since the belief in God has also done a tremendous service to mankind especially in times of places when where the God concept was desirable. This belief in God has helped mankind to control his animal nature. And so much help has been granted to others in the name of God. At the same time, man feels insecure without the belief in God. He finds protection and inspiration when that belief is in his mind. The reality or validity of such a belief is based on man's understanding capacity and spiritual maturity.
The basic cause for the failure of religion is when the people are made to look upon their religion as an object of mere worship. This means that the religion of essential living is given over to dead functions and ceremonials. When a religion allows these conditions to exist, the religion has ceased to be of value but becomes an actual hindrance.
However, it is not the religion, but the people who profess the religion and who create the demand for a blind faith in their religion. This blind faith in turn creates party-feelings and other forms of partisanship within and among religions. Thus religions, in spite of their high ideals, have failed to enlighten mankind.
Religion should concern our practical life. It is to be used as a guide to regulate our conduct in the world. Religion tells us what to do and what to know. If we do not do or know accordingly, religion is no good and no use to us in our daily life.
On the other hand, if the follower's of various religions are going to fight and to condemn other beliefs and practices -- specially to prove or disprove the existence of God -- and if they are going to spread anger and hatred towards other religions because of the different religious views, then they are creating enormous disharmony amongst the various religious communities. Whatever religious differences we have, it is our duty to practise tolerance, patience and understanding. It is our duty to respect the other man's religious belief even if we cannot accommodate it; tolerance is necessary for the sake of harmonious and peaceful living.
Buddhists do not deny the existence of various gods or deities who are more fortunate than human beings as far as sensual pleasures are concerned. They also possess certain powers which human beings usually lack. However the powers of these deities are limited because they are also transitory beings. They exist in happy abodes and enjoy their life for a longer period than do human beings. When they have exhausted all the good kamma, they have gathered during previous births, these deities pass away and are reborn somewhere else according to their good and bad kammas. According to the Buddha, human beings have more chances to accure merits to be born in a better condition and the gods have less chances in this respect.
Buddhists do not attribute any specific importance to such gods. They do not regard the deities as a support to the ethical development or as a support to the attainment of salvation or Nibbana. Whether they are great or small, both human beings and deities are perishable and subject to rebirth.
It is a common belief amongst the Buddhist public that such deities can be influenced to grant their favours by transferring merits to them whenever meritorious deeds are performed. This belief is based on the Buddha's injunction to the deities to protect those human beings who lead a religious way of life; this is the reason why Buddhists transfer the merits to such deities or remember them whenever they do some meritorious deeds. However, worshipping and offering in the name of such deities are not that important, although some Buddhist customs center around such activities. When people are in great difficulties, naturally they turn to the deities to express their grievances in a place of worship. By doing this, they get some relief and consolation; in their heart, they feel much better. However, to an intellectual who has strong will power, sound education and understanding, such beliefs and actions need not be resorted to. There is definitely no such teaching in Buddhism to the effect Buddhists can attain Nibbana by praying to any deity. Buddhists believe that purity and impurity depend on oneself. No one from outside can purify another. This method proved successful in attaining Buddhahood and hence Nibbana without the least help from an external source. Therefore, Buddhists can practise their religion with or without the deities.
====Taken from "What Buddhists Believe"
Written by Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda
Published by Buddhist Missionary Society====
Buddhists are not idol worshippers but ideal worshippers.
Although it is customary amongst Buddhists to keep Buddha images and to pay their respects to the Buddha, Buddhists are not idol worshippers. Idolatry generally means erecting images of unknown gods and goddesses in various shapes and sizes and to pray directly to these images. The prayers are a request to the gods for guidance and protection. The gods and goddesses are asked to bestow health, wealth, property and to provide for various needs; they are asked to forgive transgressions. The 'worshipping' at the Buddha image is quite a different matter. Buddhists revere the image of the Buddha as a gesture to the greatest, wisest, most benevolent, compassionate and holy man who has ever lived in this world. It is a historical fact that this great man actually lived in this world and has done a great service to mankind. The worship of the Buddha really means paying homage, veneration and devotion to Him and what He represents, and not to the stone or metal figure. The image is a visual aid that helps one to recall the Buddha in the mind and to remember His great qualities which inspired millions of people from generation to generation throughout the civilized world. Buddhists use the statue as a symbol and as an object of concentration to gain a peace of mind. When Buddhists look upon the image of the Buddha, they put aside thoughts of strife and think only of peace, serenity, calmness and tranquillity. The statue enables the mind to recall this great man and inspires devotees to follow His example and instructions. In their mind, the devout Buddhists feel the living presence of the Master. This feeling makes their act of worship become vivid and significant. The serenity of the Buddha image influences and inspires them to observe the right path of conduct and thought.
An understanding Buddhist never asks favours from the image nor does he request forgiveness for evil deeds committed. An understanding Buddhist tries to control his mind, to follow the Buddha's advice, to get rid of worldly miseries and to find his salvation. Those who criticize Buddhists for practising idol worship are really misinterpreting what Buddhists do. If people can keep the photographs of their parents and grandparents to cherish in their memory, if people can keep the photographs of kings, queens, prime ministers, great heroes, philosophers, and poets, there is certainly no reason why Buddhists cannot keep their beloved Master's picture or image to remember and respect Him. What harm is there if people recite some verses praising the great qualities of their Master? If people can lay wreaths on the graves of beloved ones to express their gratitude, what harm is there is Buddhists too offer some flowers, joss-sticks, incense, etc., to their beloved Teacher who devoted His life to help suffering humanity? People make statues of certain conquering heroes who were in fact murderers and who were responsible for the death of millions of innocent people. For the sake of power, these conquerors committed murder with hatred, cruelty and greed. They invaded poor countries and created untold suffering by taking away lands and properties of others, and causing much destruction. Many of these conquerors are regarded as national heroes; memorial services are conducted for them and flowers are offered on their graves and tombs. What is wrong then, if Buddhists pay their respects to their world honored Teacher who sacrificed His worldly pleasures for the sake of Enlightenment to show others the Path of Salvation? Images are the language of the subconscious. Therefore, the image of the Enlightened One is often created within one's mind as the embodiment of perfection, the image will deeply penetrate into the subconscious mind and (if it is sufficiently strong enough)can act as an automatic brake against impulses. The recollection of the Buddha produces joy, invigorate the mind and elevates man from states of restlessness, tension and frustration. Thus the worship of the Buddha is not a prayer in its usual sense but a meditation. Therefore, it is not idol worship, but 'ideal' worship. Thus Buddhists can find fresh strength to build a shrine of their lives. They cleanse their hearts until they feel worthy to bear the image in their innermost shrine. Buddhists pay respects to the great person who is represented by the image. They try to gain inspiration from His Noble personality and emulate Him. Buddhists do not see the Buddha image as a dead idol of wood or metal or clay. The image represents something vibrant to those who understand and are purified in thought, word and deed. The Buddha images are nothing more than symbolic representations of His great qualities. It is not unnatural that the deep respect for the Buddha should be expressed in some of the finest and most beautiful forms of art and sculpture the world has ever known. It is difficult to understand why some people look down on those who pay respect to images which represent holy religious teachers.
The calm and serene image of the Buddha has been a common concept of ideal beauty. The Buddha's image is the most precious, common asset of Asian cultures. Without the image of the Buddha, where can we find a serene, radiant and spiritually emancipated personality? But the image of the Buddha is appreciated not only by Asian or Buddhists. Anatole France in his autobiography writes, 'On the first of May, 1890, chance led me to visit the Museum in Paris. There standing in the silence and simplicity of the gods of Asia, my eyes fell on the statue of the Buddha who beckoned to suffering humanity to develop understanding and compassion. If ever a god walked on this earth, I felt here was He. I felt like kneeling down to Him and praying to Him as to a God. Once a general left an image of the Buddha as a legacy to Winston Churchill. The general said, 'if ever your mind gets perturbed and perplexed, I want you to see this image and be comforted.' What is it that makes the message of the Buddha so attractive to people who have cultivated their intellect? Perhaps the answer can be seen in the serenity of the image of the Buddha. Not only in color and line did men express their faith in the Buddha and the graciousness of His Teaching. Human hands wrought in metal and stone to produce the Buddha image that is one of the greatest creations of the human genius. Witness the famous image in the Abhayagiri Vihara in Sri Lanka, or the Buddha image of Sarnath or the celebrated images of Borobudur. The eyes are full of compassion and the hands express fearlessness, or goodwill and blessings, or they unravel some thread of thought or call the earth to witness His great search for Truth. Wherever the Dhamma went, the image of the great Teacher went with it, not only as an object of worship but also as an object of meditation and reverence. 'I known nothing,'says Keyserling,' more grand in this world than the figure of the Buddha. It is an absolutely perfect embodiment of spirituality in the visible domain.'
A life so beautiful, a heart so pure and kind, a mind so deep and enlightened, a personality so inspiring and selfless -- such a perfect life, such a compassionate heart, such a calm mind, such a serene personality is really worthy of respect, worthy of honour and worthy of offering. The Buddha is the highest perfection of mankind. The Buddha image is the symbol, not of a person, but of Buddhahood -- that to which all men can attain though few do. For Buddhahood is not for one but for many: 'The Buddhas of the past ages, the Buddhas that are yet to come, the Buddha of the present age; humbly I each day adore.' However, it is not compulsory for every Buddhist to have a Buddha image to practise Buddhism. Those who can control their mind and the senses, can certainly do so without an image as an object. If Buddhists truly wish to behold the Buddha in all the majestic splendor and beauty of His ideal presence, they must translate His Teachings into practice in their daily lives. It is in the practice of His Teachings that they can come closer to Him and feel the wonderful radiance of His undying wisdom and compassion. Simply respecting the images without following His Sublime Teachings is not the way to find salvation. We must also endeavor to understand the spirit of the Buddha. His Teaching is the only way to save this troubled world. In spite of the tremendous advantages of science and technology, people in the world today are filled with fear, anxiety and despair. The answer to our troubled world is found in the Teaching of the Buddha.
In many religions in the world except Buddhism, the ultimate head of the religion is always a God with supernatural power. This God is almighty, who knows the past and the future, and controls all beings in the universe. This God is worshipped by mankind. Only those who believe in this God can be saved and attain eternal happiness.
Buddhism teaches that every man in the universe is his own lord, controls his own destiny, and is not controlled by any other man or any supernatural God. Sakyamuni attributed His own enlightenment, achievements and results to His own great efforts and wisdom.
Buddhism teaches that a person's luck or misfortune, success or failure is determined by that person's deeds - good or bad, and his efforts. The Buddha can show him the way, but he has to do the work himself. In Buddhism, there is no superior being like God that is higher than all men. The Buddha was a man, and every man can become a Buddha.
Sakyamuni, like all of us, was an ordinary man. Through His wisdom and practice, He was enlightened and became a Buddha. Every man can follow Sakyamuni's footstep to practise Buddhism and become enlightened.
"Buddha" is only a term we use to refer to a person who has been enlightened. it is like referring to someone who can "preach, teach and solve confusion" as "teacher". There is not only one teacher. Anyone can become a teacher, and there can be teachers everywhere. Similarly, Buddha does not refer to Sakyamuni only. Everyone can become a Buddha. There can be Buddhas everywhere, in this world, in another world, and in another universe.
Most of the religions in the world only recognize their religion to be the only "truth faith", and reject other religions as "superstition."
Buddhism teaches that among all religions in the world, there is only difference in the complexity of the teachings, with very little difference in good or bad, right or wrong. Every religion which can exist in this world for over one thousand years must provide useful benefits to mankind, to be accepted and followed for such a long time. Otherwise, these religions would have been filtered by human wisdom and be discarded.
In the 2500 years of the history of Buddhism, it has always existed peacefully with other religions, there has never been any incident in history where the spreading or preaching of Buddhism had created conflict with other religions resulting in bloodshed. Buddhism is truly a most tolerant, understanding or peaceful religion.
Buddhists are taught: "Do not only respect your own religion and snub other religions, you should also respect other religions. This way, besides helping your own religion to grow, you also fulfil your responsibility to other religions. Otherwise, while hurting other religions, you are hurting your own religion as well." This kind of tolerance and sincerity is one of the most treasured characteristics of Buddhism.
From the perspective of Buddhism, "true faith" has no country boundary, and it doe require the trademark of a religion. It does not belong to any one religion, or to any one person at any one time. The "true doctrine" preached h the Buddha is not His exclusive possession, the Buddha was simply one of the discoverer of the Truth. Just like Newton discovered the law gravity, he did not possess the law.
That is why Buddhism teaches that all reasonable, and everlasting doctrines of any religion are also considered to be Buddhist principles, and many Buddhist principles are also part of the teachings of other religions.
"Love thy enemy" came from the Christian bible. Buddhism unquestionably recognizes this virtuous truth, and this saying is also stressed in a similar manner in the teachings of Buddhism. A number of the Christian Ten Commandments are also very similar to the five Precepts (rules) of Buddhism.
There is no conflict between Buddhism and science, their mutual goal is to pursue "truth" and "fact". Many teachings of Buddhism are actually compatible with the modern science discoveries.
a. The Buddha said "Space has no end, and there are endless number of worlds." This means that the universe has no limit, and has an endless number of stars and planets.
It was only after Galileo started to observe stars with a telescope, that man has a more advance knowledge of astronomy. Man began to understand and accept that the earth is not the centre of the universe. The earth is only a small planet in this solar system, and the universe has an endless number of solar systems.
Over 2500 years ago, without a telescope, the Buddha told us about the endless space and countless number of stars, He was indeed an enlightened wise man to describe the truth about the great mysterious and overwhelming universe.
b. The Buddha also talked about endless lives in this world and other worlds. He pointed to a cup of water and said that there were eighty four thousand lives in the water (84,000 signifies a large quantity).
Today, scientists cannot deny the possibility of the existence of life in other stars or planets. Under a microscope, a cup of water has millions of micro living organisms. Over 2500 years ago when the Buddha was able to reveal such true fact without a microscope he certainly had amazing wisdom.
c. One Of the principles Of Buddhism states that nothing is unchangeable, substance can be destroyed and can be created.
This contradicted with scientific theories until Einstein's atomic theory E=MC2 proved that matter can be converted into energy (disappearance of substance) and matter can also be converted from energy (creation of substance).
d. The Buddha once said that for the time it took him to finish a sermon on earth, thousands of years have passed in another world. This seemingly unbelievable tale did not seem so absurd any more after Einstein invented his Theory of Relativity.
In the history of mankind, science had been regarded as a threat to religious conceptions of man and the universe from the time of Galileo, Bruno and Copernicus who were instrumental in altering erroneous notions of the universe. The theory of evolution and modern phycology went against accepted principles of many religions dealing with man and his mind as recorded in their "sacred writings." However, basic principles of Buddhism are in harmony with the findings of science and not opposed to them in anyway.
On May 19th, 1939, Albert Einstein, the great scientist of the atomic age, delivered a remarkable speech on "Science and Religion" in Princeton, New Je rsey, U.S.A. He said that "There is no conflict between science and religion, science asks what the world is, and religion asks what humankind and society should become." Einstein expressed this appreciation of Buddhism, "The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description." Highly appreciative references to Buddhism were also made by philosophers, scientists, historians, psychologists and thinkers of modern age including H.G. Wells, Bertrand Russell, Aldous Huxley, C.G. Jung, Erich Fromm etc.
Science without morality spells destruction. Science plus religion like Buddhism can save the world and make it a happy place for people to live in. More importantly, Buddhism moves beyond the limitations of science.
In other religions, the words spoken by the founder are "orders" that cannot be refused, and "gospel truth" that cannot be doubted. Anyone who doubts or does not follow the gospel will be "punished" by God. There were stories in other religion's "holy book" that men were punished severely by God because they did not follow God's orders.
In Buddhism scriptures, there is no record of any anger expressed by the Buddha. There was no punishment exercised by the Buddha. In the forty-five years of the Buddha's teaching life, He had always been kind, calm, and peaceful, to both good and bad people.
The Buddha never forced His disciples to accept His teachings. He constantly encouraged them to doubt and to question. He said "small doubts result in small realization, only great doubts result in great realization, no doubt results in no realization."
In His last days, the Buddha said to His followers: "I never think of you as my students or my disciples, I am just one of you, being with you frequently. I never force anyone to listen to me, and I do not want anyone to obey me." How kind and touching!
People cannot be forced to accept true faith. They cannot be persuaded to accept what they do not understand, or what they do not like. That is politics, not religion. True faith will only flourish under democracy and total freedom. After careful thoughts and repeated differentiation, the spirit and value of a true faith will truly shine.
In Buddhism, the spirit of allowing and encouraging its disciples to freely doubt, question or even explore the teachings of the founder of the religion, is certainly unique amongst the world religions. Among all religions in the world, only Buddhism's founder and its scriptures are permitted to be doubted, discussed and explored and questioned. Buddhism welcome people with research spirit, independent character, and wisdom to study Buddhism.
Buddhism invites anyone to come and see for himself and permits him to accept only those facts, which agree with reason, logic and truth. It encourages the seeker of a new way to discard hearsay, blind faith, miracles and magic. Principles of Buddhism invite criticism and testing. Buddhism is therefore a most appealing and most compelling factor that leads the modern minds in the world today.
[Originally published in Yat-Biu Ching, Buddhism You Too Can Understand, (Canada: True Faith Buddhism Association of Canada, 1992), pp. 28-35.]
Originally posted by Rooney9:Although it is customary amongst Buddhists to keep Buddha images and to pay their respects to the Buddha, Buddhists are not idol worshippers. Idolatry generally means erecting images of unknown gods and goddesses in various shapes and sizes and to pray directly to these images. The prayers are a request to the gods for guidance and protection. The gods and goddesses are asked to bestow health, wealth, property and to provide for various needs; they are asked to forgive transgressions. The 'worshipping' at the Buddha image is quite a different matter. Buddhists revere the image of the Buddha as a gesture to the greatest, wisest, most benevolent, compassionate and holy man who has ever lived in this world. It is a historical fact that this great man actually lived in this world and has done a great service to mankind. The worship of the Buddha really means paying homage, veneration and devotion to Him and what He represents, and not to the stone or metal figure. The image is a visual aid that helps one to recall the Buddha in the mind and to remember His great qualities which inspired millions of people from generation to generation throughout the civilized world. Buddhists use the statue as a symbol and as an object of concentration to gain a peace of mind. When Buddhists look upon the image of the Buddha, they put aside thoughts of strife and think only of peace, serenity, calmness and tranquillity. The statue enables the mind to recall this great man and inspires devotees to follow His example and instructions. In their mind, the devout Buddhists feel the living presence of the Master. This feeling makes their act of worship become vivid and significant. The serenity of the Buddha image influences and inspires them to observe the right path of conduct and thought.
An understanding Buddhist never asks favours from the image nor does he request forgiveness for evil deeds committed. An understanding Buddhist tries to control his mind, to follow the Buddha's advice, to get rid of worldly miseries and to find his salvation. Those who criticize Buddhists for practising idol worship are really misinterpreting what Buddhists do. If people can keep the photographs of their parents and grandparents to cherish in their memory, if people can keep the photographs of kings, queens, prime ministers, great heroes, philosophers, and poets, there is certainly no reason why Buddhists cannot keep their beloved Master's picture or image to remember and respect Him. What harm is there if people recite some verses praising the great qualities of their Master? If people can lay wreaths on the graves of beloved ones to express their gratitude, what harm is there is Buddhists too offer some flowers, joss-sticks, incense, etc., to their beloved Teacher who devoted His life to help suffering humanity? People make statues of certain conquering heroes who were in fact murderers and who were responsible for the death of millions of innocent people. For the sake of power, these conquerors committed murder with hatred, cruelty and greed. They invaded poor countries and created untold suffering by taking away lands and properties of others, and causing much destruction. Many of these conquerors are regarded as national heroes; memorial services are conducted for them and flowers are offered on their graves and tombs. What is wrong then, if Buddhists pay their respects to their world honored Teacher who sacrificed His worldly pleasures for the sake of Enlightenment to show others the Path of Salvation? Images are the language of the subconscious. Therefore, the image of the Enlightened One is often created within one's mind as the embodiment of perfection, the image will deeply penetrate into the subconscious mind and (if it is sufficiently strong enough)can act as an automatic brake against impulses. The recollection of the Buddha produces joy, invigorate the mind and elevates man from states of restlessness, tension and frustration. Thus the worship of the Buddha is not a prayer in its usual sense but a meditation. Therefore, it is not idol worship, but 'ideal' worship. Thus Buddhists can find fresh strength to build a shrine of their lives. They cleanse their hearts until they feel worthy to bear the image in their innermost shrine. Buddhists pay respects to the great person who is represented by the image. They try to gain inspiration from His Noble personality and emulate Him. Buddhists do not see the Buddha image as a dead idol of wood or metal or clay. The image represents something vibrant to those who understand and are purified in thought, word and deed. The Buddha images are nothing more than symbolic representations of His great qualities. It is not unnatural that the deep respect for the Buddha should be expressed in some of the finest and most beautiful forms of art and sculpture the world has ever known. It is difficult to understand why some people look down on those who pay respect to images which represent holy religious teachers.
The calm and serene image of the Buddha has been a common concept of ideal beauty. The Buddha's image is the most precious, common asset of Asian cultures. Without the image of the Buddha, where can we find a serene, radiant and spiritually emancipated personality? But the image of the Buddha is appreciated not only by Asian or Buddhists. Anatole France in his autobiography writes, 'On the first of May, 1890, chance led me to visit the Museum in Paris. There standing in the silence and simplicity of the gods of Asia, my eyes fell on the statue of the Buddha who beckoned to suffering humanity to develop understanding and compassion. If ever a god walked on this earth, I felt here was He. I felt like kneeling down to Him and praying to Him as to a God. Once a general left an image of the Buddha as a legacy to Winston Churchill. The general said, 'if ever your mind gets perturbed and perplexed, I want you to see this image and be comforted.' What is it that makes the message of the Buddha so attractive to people who have cultivated their intellect? Perhaps the answer can be seen in the serenity of the image of the Buddha. Not only in color and line did men express their faith in the Buddha and the graciousness of His Teaching. Human hands wrought in metal and stone to produce the Buddha image that is one of the greatest creations of the human genius. Witness the famous image in the Abhayagiri Vihara in Sri Lanka, or the Buddha image of Sarnath or the celebrated images of Borobudur. The eyes are full of compassion and the hands express fearlessness, or goodwill and blessings, or they unravel some thread of thought or call the earth to witness His great search for Truth. Wherever the Dhamma went, the image of the great Teacher went with it, not only as an object of worship but also as an object of meditation and reverence. 'I known nothing,'says Keyserling,' more grand in this world than the figure of the Buddha. It is an absolutely perfect embodiment of spirituality in the visible domain.'
A life so beautiful, a heart so pure and kind, a mind so deep and enlightened, a personality so inspiring and selfless -- such a perfect life, such a compassionate heart, such a calm mind, such a serene personality is really worthy of respect, worthy of honour and worthy of offering. The Buddha is the highest perfection of mankind. The Buddha image is the symbol, not of a person, but of Buddhahood -- that to which all men can attain though few do. For Buddhahood is not for one but for many: 'The Buddhas of the past ages, the Buddhas that are yet to come, the Buddha of the present age; humbly I each day adore.' However, it is not compulsory for every Buddhist to have a Buddha image to practise Buddhism. Those who can control their mind and the senses, can certainly do so without an image as an object. If Buddhists truly wish to behold the Buddha in all the majestic splendor and beauty of His ideal presence, they must translate His Teachings into practice in their daily lives. It is in the practice of His Teachings that they can come closer to Him and feel the wonderful radiance of His undying wisdom and compassion. Simply respecting the images without following His Sublime Teachings is not the way to find salvation. We must also endeavor to understand the spirit of the Buddha. His Teaching is the only way to save this troubled world. In spite of the tremendous advantages of science and technology, people in the world today are filled with fear, anxiety and despair. The answer to our troubled world is found in the Teaching of the Buddha.
To me the below is the best summarised answer on the worship of the Buddha for Buddhists and non-Buddhists:
"The worship of the Buddha really means paying homage, veneration and devotion to Him and what He represents, and not to the stone or metal figure.
The image is a visual aid that helps one to recall the Buddha in the mind and to remember His great qualities which inspired millions of people from generation to generation throughout the civilized world.
Buddhists use the statue as a symbol and as an object of concentration to gain a peace of mind. When Buddhists look upon the image of the Buddha, they put aside thoughts of strife and think only of peace, serenity, calmness and tranquillity.
The statue enables the mind to recall this great man and inspires devotees to follow His example and instructions. In their mind, the devout Buddhists feel the living presence of the Master. This feeling makes their act of worship become vivid and significant. The serenity of the Buddha image influences and inspires them to observe the right path of conduct and thought.
An understanding Buddhist never asks favours from the image nor does he request forgiveness for evil deeds committed. An understanding Buddhist tries to control his mind, to follow the Buddha's advice, to get rid of worldly miseries and to find his salvation.
However what I understand so far is one can do repentance in front of a Buddha image. What I am unsure of is whether this can be considered as requesting forgiveness for evil deeds,