Thai buddists always tell me that they don't have a God, yet they go to temple to pray, donate and make merit.

If there is no God, who are they praying to? Who are they hoping gain merit from?

Is it a case of "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"?

Have you studied Buddhism?

Buddhists do not pray to a God, but most will pay respect to Buddha images, which are created to remind of the teaching. Donations are made for charity, in order to practice the act of giving and to make sure the teachings can be passed on and spread to those who need it.

The making of merit accumulates good karma, which is said to lead to positive results in this life as well as the following ones (rebirth of one aspect of consciousness is a central Buddhist teaching), due to the law of karma, not because of the will of a God.

However, the standard cosmology of Buddhism involves beings in other realms, including angel-like beings with supernatural powers living in "heavenly" realms, and netherworld "hell" realm beings, as well as various types of ghosts.

Some people who refer to themselves as Buddhists, primarily Western ones, reject the supernatural parts and cosmology, and claim that the talk of rebirth is to be understand purely on a moment-to-moment basis, and that we only get one life.

Buddhism as practiced by many people who are born into the religion, is an amalgamation of old cultural beliefs and superstition with the school of Buddhism that particular culture came into contact with. We can not be 100% certain of what the Buddha said, but it is possible to extract some core teachings when you compare texts available in both Northern and Southern Buddhism as well as texts found at archaeological sites where early Buddhism was practiced.

Unless you think that is enough as an answer, I'd recommend you to just google your question. That way you'll find the thoughts of people who both know more about the subject and who have had more time to arrange their thoughts coherently in text than I, or others who will respond in this thread.

We've had a few other threads on this topic:

Did Lord Buddha say God didn't exist or just wasn't important?

Can a Buddhist believe in God?

I like Ajarn Brahm even if the Thai Sangha don't - some wise words which answers the unanswerable question to most theistic religions which is 'where was God when the holocaust happened , why are innocent children killed /abused dilemma'.

Well, Thais are likely to believe in God or anything else that might bring them good luck. But despite their protestations to the contrary, I have yet to meet a Thai that was a Buddhist. What Thais practice and what they seem to believe has absolutely nothing to do with anything the Lord Buddha taught.

Have you studied Buddhism?

From his question, he seems like he is studying Buddhism. Have you studied Good Manners? What answer did you contribute to this question?

A large part of Thai Buddhism as practised by the laity is dana (generosity) to the community of monks. This was taught by the Buddha. The rewards for practising dana are specified in the Pali Canon. Believing there is some kind of spirit in a Buddha image that can answer prayers is not what the Buddha taught. It's an animist practice from the indigenous religion that predates the introduction of Buddhism into the country.

Have you studied Buddhism?

From his question, he seems like he is studying Buddhism. Have you studied Good Manners? What answer did you contribute to this question?

Hi Stoli.

Perhaps my wording could have been better, but my intentions were pure.

I'm sorry you took things the wrong way.

No contribution has been supplied as I was waiting for an answer.

My reason for the question was to allow me to frame my response around the posters level of Buddhist knowledge.

Within orthodox Buddhism there are two interpretations of what Awakening might be, as well as a dilution of practice due to the infusion of culture and Animism.

Add to this age old customs handed down over centuries and followed without question and you end up with the deification of the Buddha.

Some Thais incorrectly believe that the Buddha sits in a Buddhist Heaven called Nibbanna and that he can hear their prayers.

In terms of "good manners", think of my post as a poor execution of what I wished to convey.

I don't believe in God and I never pray for God. I pray for the truth that if what I have just done is a good thing, please empower me with wisdom. That's all.

Or: I want to become cool, clean, clear, calm. Enough. My pray (Tan Buddhadasa gave me the instruction).

I don't believe in God and I never pray for God. I pray for the truth that if what I have just done is a good thing, please empower me with wisdom. That's all.

Who's gonna empower you if there is no 'God'?

Practice empowers you.

It's is all about increasing ones level of awareness.

Experience of being truly in the present moment and not lamenting over past thoughts or dreaming of a desirable future.

Practicing the eightfold path regularly empowers.

I don't believe in God and I never pray for God. I pray for the truth that if what I have just done is a good thing, please empower me with wisdom. That's all.

So, to whom, or what, do you pray for this empowerment?

I don't believe in God and I never pray for God. I pray for the truth that if what I have just done is a good thing, please empower me with wisdom. That's all.

So, to whom, or what, do you pray for this empowerment?

It is not called praying. In Buddhism this kind of 'determination' is called Attithana . The determination to attain a certain insight or level of practice. In meditation one might determine to see a past cause for one's present karmic vipakha ( the fruit of past karma), or see a past existence.

There is no god who grants this wish. It is all due to natural laws and consequences...Dhamma. By practising with determination one might attain the result.

The power of the mind, the laws of karma and nature, are beyond our understanding.....but they are laws which apply to all beings, no matter what their beliefs or desires or understanding.

I don't believe in God and I never pray for God. I pray for the truth that if what I have just done is a good thing, please empower me with wisdom. That's all.

So, to whom, or what, do you pray for this empowerment?

It is not called praying. In Buddhism this kind of 'determination' is called Attithana . The determination to attain a certain insight or level of practice. In meditation one might determine to see a past cause for one's present karmic vipakha ( the fruit of past karma), or see a past existence.

There is no god who grants this wish. It is all due to natural laws and consequences...Dhamma. By practising with determination one might attain the result.

The power of the mind, the laws of karma and nature, are beyond our understanding.....but they are laws which apply to all beings, no matter what their beliefs or desires or understanding.

Thanks for your response. I too, am unsustained by a faith in religion, but find Buddhism, (in its essence, and not as popularly practised in Thailand), to be the most credible code by which to live. Your post gives me something to think about.