Antonio,
I have now started to read about The Buddha.
“Buddha” means “one who is awake.” The Buddha who lived 2,600 years ago was not a god. He was an ordinary person, named Siddhartha Gautama, whose profound insights inspired the world. So he is not a god, but the son of a king who wanted to be awake to the reality of life.
I now understand that one does not pray TO Buddha, he is not a God, but rather an inspiration for a path in life to "enlightenment. The offering we see are not offerings to a God, to get some favored result, but rather signs of one's giving up worldly goods in some manner. I doubt that a lot of folk really understand that, and I would imagine its more likely that folk give offerings with the idea of benefiting in good health or fortune in some way as there seem to be Buddhas for different benefits!
Its difficult to determine whats in the mind of devcotees. I guess one would have to ask Budhhists from different educational backgrounds what they considered, if anything the Buddha would do for them. Perhaps its uniformly understood that he doesn't intervene but is a memory. That I will have to find out or perhaps someone knows.
But what's impressive is that the massively and multiplicity of the statues make them seem to these eyes as idols. But then Mary and Jesus statues one might view in the same way. Certainly with the latter, its common to believe that praying to these statues is a route to getting favorable divine intervention, if one is sincere and obedient to "Christ as savior" and "Mary as a path to Jesus".
Since there is seemingly common human behavior, it stretches credulity to think they may be actually different processes but just different packages of the same search for spirituality and higher meaning in life.
But for sure these scenes are beautiful and inspiring.
Whether or not they are also delusional is another matter. I do think that we walk around, each in a set of private and shared overlapping delusions.
But I have deference and respect, as these are traditions that go back in time and appear to serve their people as much as the people serve the meme!
Note that such statues, Gods or not, as strictly frowned upon and forbidden in Judaism and Islam. In the latter, not even for mundane art! These would all be classed as forbidden idols. But as symbols of other religions, there might be room for coexistence, but not welcomed!
Asher
