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Thank you so much @fran and @teena for you question and answer on this subject. It's a big one and I'll return to it in the Thursday sessions on Atisha's Lamp. But I wanted to put in my tuppence worth. It's true that Buddhism is not a theistic religion - it doesn't posit a supreme being or a entity that we would pray or prostrate to. And on an ultimate level, there is no separate self or 'other'. We are all part of the play of shunyata (emptiness). However, when Buddhism moved from the path of individual liberation, represented by the Theravadan teachings, to the Mahayana teachings of universal liberation and universal responsibility then the role of the Other becomes more and more central on a relative level. In the Mahayana, through the teachings of emptiness and interdependence, there is no separation between self and other. And this opens the door to universal compassion: there is an infinite web of suffering beings and we cannot just liberate ourselves but have to liberate all. That is the ground of Great Compassion, recognising that there is no separation. However, the good news is that there is also no separation from the enlightened beings in the web either. And this is the ground of Great Devotion. We are all connected in a web of interdependence to all the suffering beings AND all the enlightened beings. It is this "Field of Merit", (that is to say, the web of enlightened humans and non-humans in the Universe), that we connect with through prayer, supplication, appreciation, rejoicing, offerings and contemplation. On an ultimate level, there is no separation and everything is empty-clarity, but, unless we have reached full liberation, we are not living in ultimate reality so these more relative forms are celebrated and offered in the Mahayana to uplift the mind by connecting it to the enlightened forces of the universe. As Teena suggests, ultimately, all these forms, "Buddhas", "Bodhisattvas", "Gurus", "Protectors" are empty of permanent existence but their beneficial energy does exist in the conditioned world and we can lighten our individual path with the light of their existence. In short, the rituals of prayer, prostration, confession, rejoicing and offering remind us that we're not doing this on our own and that there is a vast ocean of support out there that counters the vast ocean of suffering. I hope that makes a little sense!

Thank you, Teena. I appreciate your kindness!

🕊️🪷🙏🙂xx

Alistair, our Teacher, I am immensely grateful to you for your clear and meaningful words that resonate with me and, I expect, others in this room. I appreciate and am inspired by your knowledge and wisdom. And in answer to your question, yes, your answer does make sense! Ultimately, my core questions have revolved around the concept of prostrating, confessing and praying to another being, even if enlightened. You have explained, I believe, that one of the reasons that Buddhists offer Great Devotion to enlightened beings is because through this practice, they can lighten their "individual path with the light of their existence." And so these ritutals serve to ease our suffering, and are, perhaps, springboards to enlightenment. Here is my take on that...and yes, I am a Muslim, and an imama, but also a soul seeker. I do not believe in prostrating or confessing or praying to another being, no matter how enlightened, in the same way that I would not prostate, confess or pray to Muhammad, peace be upon him. Muhammad was enlighted by God (in my view), and possessed extraordinary wisdom and abilities, but he was not God. Dear Alistair, you stated that enlightened beings are "empty of permanent existence." I pray and prostrate daily to One that does exist permanently, to One that is above the web of suffering, to One that is the ultimate reality. And is all-loving and all-compassionate too. I will end here - and you know that this is concise for me! lol Blessings and peace to you Alistair, and to all who are reading these words. With love and salaams, Fran Please allow a new postscript. I offer my spiritual thoughts, with their acknowledged Muslim perspective/bias, not to be at all confrontational, or to suggest that my viewpoint is best. I have immense respect for Buddhism, and my soul calls out to learn more, in the company of you good people! It's simply that I stand in a field that gets to be a bit confusing and lonely, trying to find an intersection between Buddhism and Islam. My heart and soul respond to both. Maybe that intersection is love? Thank you all for your kindness in allowing me to ask my questions here. Peace. xxx

it is universally the Buddhist custom to make gifts of flowers, incense and lights on the shrine. The flowers represent the bliss and beauty of samadhi (concentration or meditative absorption), the incense is the sweet fragrance of shila (discipline) and the lights represent prajna (wisdom).

Greetings of peace, everyone. While studying the Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, and listening to Thursday morning's teachings about Atisha, the Path, and the Seven Branch Prayer, I am left with several questions which I am hoping can be answered. They concern the acts of making offerings at a shrine, prostration, and prayer. I sincerely wonder: to what or whom does a Buddhist make an offering? To what or whom does a Buddhist prostrate, and to what or whom does a Buddhist pray? Why is an exterior shrine necessary when the path to enlightenment is an inward journey? Why prostrate to another, even if they are a Teacher or Supreme Practitioner, when all human beings are equal, and according to Buddhism, there is no deity? And prayer? To what entity or energy? I would be most grateful for guidance on the Path. Thank you!

Teena, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with me! Fran xx

Dearest Fran , the questions you asked were questions I asked also , so I looked for answers and found the above , it explained it so well for me so I shared , I say this because my knowledge is the same as yours , have a peaceful and blessed day xx 🙏🪷🙂

Hi Trev - apparently it’s under Tuesday. So the original Tuesday has anxiety word but the Tuesday (Thursday) doesn’t! I hope that helps!

Ah, thanks, Teena. It's berwickbordersyoga@gmail.com. That's really appreciated as it's the last of this "block"! 🤗

Awh yes! I have two Tuesdays!! Thank you Teena.