and now if we look

at different cultures

if you take Burma or you take anyother culture out there that when that child

is born their primary religion for that area is Buddhism ok?

When that child is born it is a baby Buddhist

when they grow up they're a Buddhist and when they die, they die a Buddhist

to them that may be

their religion.....fair enough???

so they may see the buddha as their God

they very well may

but who am I

to say they're wrong

if that is the only culture they know and they have no concept of a Christian God

or they had no concept of the creator

chances are they probably pray to the Buddha because that is their religion

but who are we to say there wrong?

Now...for me personally

I choose to believe what the Buddha said about himself

Shakyamuni Buddha said I am not a God and you know what, it thats what the man

said about himself

Im down with him

i'm right there with him

but he goes into

another thought... well wait a minute now

if you buddhist don't think that the Buddha is a god why do ya'll bow down to him?

Thats a good one

I was hoping my dad would be here so I could answer that for him

why did you bowed down to a statue, why do you bow down

to a picture?

if if the Buddha is not your God, why do you

bow down and worship him?

Well...in order to answer that question we need to look a little deeper in what it to look a little deeper at what does it

means to do prostrations?

why

are we bowing down to a statue?

are we bowing to a picture?

no...that's not what we're bowing to

we're bowing

to what it represents..okay?

we are bound to the Buddha-Natue or the Buddha-Mind within ourselves

we're bowing to our ability

the inner ability that we have

to reach the same level

that he

that he was able to reach

that ability is within us

however it's up to us to have to discipline, it's up to us to have the drive

and it's up to us that the want to

to put forth the effort

so..are we bowing to a statue?

no

we're bowing to what

that statue represents. That statute represents

our ability

to reach enlightenment,

our ability

to change our world

our ability

to be able to change our way of thinking

to change our actions, to change words within ourselves.

to make us better

people not only for ourselves

but for everybody else to.

That's what a Bodhisattva is. Now what the difference...now I have a picture of Jesus hanging on my wall...

whats the difference in

my mom and dad been Christians having a picture jesus

they're not praying to a picture,

they're not worshipping a picture

there worshipping

the man, their worshipping what he represents to them,

and it's no different for us Buddhist. There's no difference.

all we're doing is bowing to something that what represents what we wish to obtain

and we/re bowing understanding that

it is obtainable

because if a man, not a God, not a deity

was able to reach that level

why can't we

why can't we as human beings step up

The Buddha never once said if you don't believe in me

you're going to burn in hell for all eternity

the Buddha never said that.

The Buddha never once professed that oh...

that unless you beleive in me that you're going to

some heaven

He never said that

the Buddha never once wanted anyone to worship him and he didn't even want us to believe what he

said

"Don't beleive what I say and dont beleive what I teached" is what the Buddha taught.

"Don't believe what you read"

take it on, try it

take it out for a test drive

if it works for you...cool!

that is now your truth

if it doesn't

that's okay too....fair enough?

So, that's two myths wrapped up in one, it's like a buy one get one free on that one.

that's two myths.

Buddhist do not worship a false God,

and that when Buddhist prostrate before the Buddha, their not bowing or prostrating to a statue..ok.

that's no what we prostrate to.

Are there any questions so far?

no questions? that must mean Im doing

pretty good. Yeah okay, Charles gave me th thumbs up.