Buddha Puja is an expression of honor, worship and devotional attention for the Noble Qualities of the Buddha. The Buddha acquired the superior knowledge of the reality (Wisdom) through totally purifying his mind from defiled thoughts such as lust, anger and delusion at the Enlightenment. The Wisdom acquired by the Buddha at the Enlightenment, contents three kinds of knowledge.
• Remembrance of previous rebirths
• The Devine Eye (ability to visualize the next birth after death)
• Extinctions of all cankers or influxes (The Buddha stops all kinds of Kamma Formation at the Enlightenment through which he stopped the future existence or rebirth-death vicious circle)
The act of puja includes bowing, making offerings and chanting. The devotional acts are generally performed daily in the morning or in the evening or both, as well as before meditations sessions and during community festivals.
The act of raising one’s hand together and lowering one’s hand in a gesture of homage and humility in front of the Buddha statue, a stupa (a pagoda that enshrines the bodily relics of the Buddha) or to the Bodhi Tree (the tree under which the Buddha acquired the Enlightenment).
Symbolic offerings are made to the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha) in order to express contemplative gratitude and inspiration. The typical materials used for offerings are simple objects such as a lit candle or a oil lamp, burning incense, flower, food, water and drink. During offerings, one can observes and tangibly sees the impermanence nature which is one of three characteristics of existence.
During the offerings, one can generate strong confidence, will or faith (Saddha) in the mind on the Triple Gem,
• Buddha, his wisdom and his noble qualities
• Dhamma (the reality of existence that discovered by the Buddha at his Enlightenment)
• Sangha (disciples who follow the Buddha’s doctrine)
The faith (Saddha) is the essential mental state, in order to eliminate or correct the misbelief or doubt built up in the mind known as Vicikicca. The elimination of doubt is a must, in order to move forward in the path of purification which is the path for attaining the Bliss of Nibbana.
During offerings, devotees receive the tranquility state in the mind, free from any other emotional thoughts, generated from lust, anger and delusion. The purified mind is the base for accumulation of merits which is the prerequisites for acquiring good life to move forward in the path of purification. According to the Buddha, the merits accumulated in good deeds such as offerings can be mentally transferred to the departed love ones.
691 Campbell Ave
Windsor, Ontario.
N9B 2H6