Is Buddhism devotional?

[Andal]

Namaste

pure land= pure mind is a very zen interpretation. if you talk to chinese adherents they will not disagree but they will also say that this does not negate the existence of Sukhavati. Some of the great Dharma masters out of china sought rebirth there. If you accept the rest of the Mahayana cannon then there is absolutely nothing wrong with accepting the literal truth of the Sukhavativyuha Sutras. Within Chin Tu there is not this idea of no self power like you see in the Japanese schools of pure land. It is a combination of self and other power. The practice of nien fo is what gains one admittance into the pure land (along with vows and conduct). This practice also leads to samadhi and attaining of jnanas

Outside of Zen the rest of Mahayana is highly devotional. If you look at the practices of Shingon, Tientai, Ching tu; they all have highly devotional aspects. Even in Chan monastaries there is still devotion praticed to Avalokiteshvara, K****igarbha, Manjusri, and Bhaisajyaguru.

Vajrayana is also highly devotional with its myriad of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Devas, and Devis.

Buddhism I think has a lot in common with Hinduism in that you can go from the most theistic to the most athiestic traditions and it all works.

 

[dhamma_sena]

Yes , I feel grateful for the Buddha's teaching but the kind of worship I show towards the Buddha , in my opinion , is quite different from that of Christians to Jesus . I dont see Buddha as a God . I see him as an enlightened man , whose teaching has tremendously helped me a lot in my finding of peace and sanity . The Buddha to me is like a spiritual teacher , and a spiritual doctor , who wants everyone to be happy , and peaceful through his teachings and medicine ( Dhamma ) . My devotional practice includes envisioning Buddha in mind and reminding myself that I have the seed of Buddhahood in myself too , I only to pursue the path to let it shine through.

 

[zenzero]

Friend dhamma sena,

Yes , I feel grateful for the Buddha's teaching but the kind of worship I show towards the Buddha , in my opinion , is quite different from that of Christians to Jesus . I dont see Buddha as a God . I see him as an enlightened man , whose teaching has tremendously helped me a lot in my finding of peace and sanity . The Buddha to me is like a spiritual teacher , and a spiritual doctor , who wants everyone to be happy , and peaceful through his teachings and medicine ( Dhamma ) . My devotional practice includes envisioning Buddha in mind and reminding myself that I have the seed of Buddhahood in myself too , I only to pursue the path to let it shine through.

Your statement started of with * Yes, I am grateful....*
Who is that *I*?
Is it the body? is it the mind? who or what is that *I*?
The problem is that we humans start with *I* to find that non-existent *god*.
The search can only start with
who is that *I*.
When that is known on is enlightened.
Make no mistake that *god* is a concept developed by humans and all search for that fugitive is futile and so as you have mentioned Gautama was an enlightened person and not *god*
Every individual will all become enlightened as there is no other WAY but the choice is with the individual as to when he chooses to BE so.
HERE-NOW or in some unknown future when through the evolutionary process one eventually reaches there.
Love & rgds