FILTHY IDOLATORS!

When people from the West get over the inevitable shock that Buddhists don't belive in god, much less God, they eventually have a pressing question to ask. It's pressing because many of them have been raised in houses with a ridiculous book in it that commands folks not to create any graven images. Also, not to worship images of gold or silver. Also, not to have any other gods. The Lord admits right off the bat to Moses that he is, in fact, a jealous god. "Mo," he says, "I'm bout jealous."

Muslims find Buddhists quite shocking as well. Infinitely more shocking than Christians and Jews, whom they refer to as "People of the Book", meaning fellow Abrahamic followers. Muslims have a stance on graven images that is, like so much else in their religion, militant. Were they to actually keep to the literal Koran, they'd have to kill me, convert me, or impose a huge, non-Muslim tax on me.

As it is, everyone who isn't a Buddhist wants to know the same thing; why we have those silly shrines where we bow to Buddha and worship all our other pagan gods. This is a legitimate question, and one I like to answer as it dispels several misconceptions at once.

Misconception 1: We bow to images of Buddha because we worship him.

This is not true. No Buddhist anywhere in the world, of any sect or discipline, worships the Buddha. The Buddha taught that the state of being awake and free and happy is inherent to being human. It is not something outside of ourselves that we must seek, nor can it be conferred by a higher being. This state of true wakefulness is where the Buddha came by his title, as Buddha simply means "awakened one."

Buddhism is not a religion. It does not have a savior, only teachers. Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, was not the first, nor will he be the last. His teachings point to a truth that is visible to anyone should they care to look. One needs neither piety nor salvation to discover that one is already happy and at peace. The so-called state of "Enlightenment" is as natural as breathing, it is not holy, and it is already possessed by everyone.

Why then, do we bow to images of Buddha on our shrines? Because we are bowing to ourselves. We are the Buddha. We bow to our own awakened nature to remind ourselves of what we're doing. We bow in respect to ourselves, because it's only by our own actions that we can be saved. No one can do this for us. The shrine is a mirror that reflects our perfection. Before we sit down to meditate, we bow in front of this mirror to catch a glimpse of the Truth.

We also bow out of respect for the Buddha. He went before us and created a path that makes it easier for the rest of us to follow. Because of him, we have an established method of interacting with internal peace that has been empirically tested over the past 2500 years. He showed us that compassion and wisdom are the two wings to freedom. He developed a highly specified means to cultivate these, based on his own experiences. Therefore, because of our gratitude and respect for him as our teacher, we bow in thanks.

Misconception 2: The Buddha was a god, which is why we revere him.

Again, sorry. Not a chance. The Buddha was not a god. He didn't die for our sins so he could keep watch over us from beyond the stars. He was just a guy. He was dissatisfied with our fleeting pleasures and enduring suffering. He believed it was possible to be totally free and happy and content in this life. When he discovered that this was indeed true, he took it upon himself to teach it to others. He outright told his followers that he was just a man like them. He refused to be worshiped or placed on a level above others. He insisted that each and every one of us can discover the Truth in the exact same manner in which he did. When he was dying, his disciples were anxious because he had not named a successor. They wanted desperately to be able to hold on to something even after his death. In his final lesson, the Buddha refused to give that to them. He did not empower a successor, he told them to work diligently on their own salvation. He told them that they were responsible for themselves, not him. Then he died.

The Buddha was our teacher. Our human, imperfect, mortal, 5th century BCE, no doubt totally smelly, homeless teacher.

Misconception 3: When we die, we will be reunited with Buddha.

Nope. The Buddha is dead. He's gone. We'll never see him again. What's more, we don't really know what happens when we die. We're a little more concerned with living. Happiness is already here. We don't need death or the ghost of the Buddha to get us there. He taught his followers that they shouldn't concern themselves overmuch with what happened after death. And he certainly never mentioned that we'd all be in a happy place with him, all of our loved ones, and our pet turtle Frank, who passed at the unlikely age of two under the water heater. What and who we love in this world are transitory, and we will not take it with us into whatever happens next.

Misconception 4: It's necessary to have a shrine to be a Buddhist.

Definitely not true. Many Buddhist, especially here in the West, completely eschew this practice. Conversely, many native Buddhists all over the Eastern Hemisphere have elaborate shrines in their houses where they pay lip service to images of the Buddha without ever understanding why. They don't meditate or study. Buddhist images are so ingrained in their society that they often mistakenly believe that making offerings on their altars will ensure salvation.

A shrine is not a requirement to practice Buddhism. Many of us have them because it helps focus our practice. We have a corner or an entire room dedicated to this one activity. The shrine is a constant focal point and reminder. We're not here to worry about our cell phone bill, or to mentally balance our checkbook. We're not sitting down to rest or relax or get away from the world. We sit down in front of the Buddha, just like his followers did 2500 years ago. We meditate under his tutelage, just like they did.

But this is not necessary. It's just a visual reminder of Truth, which is internal. You can meditate anywhere, study anywhere, learn anywhere. There is no spiritual difference between someone who sits in their gorgeous shrine room with it's Buddha images and candles and incense and calligraphy, and the guy who sits in the corner next to his bed under his Aerosmith poster.