WHO DO YOU PRAY TO?

Praying at the Shwedagon Pagoda.

In Myanmar, Buddhist temples are always open, and many people go in during the day. They bring flowers or gift baskets, light a candle or burn incense and pour water over the Buddha's statue. Temples are places of respectful devotion, but also places to hang around and relax for a while. There is no schedule for when to go to the temple, it seems.

If I got it right, Buddhism is a religion without a God. So I wondered, who do Buddhists pray to? Or do they pray at all? The answer I get from people I talk to in Myanmar is that they do pray. But unlike, say Christians, they do not pray another being. Their prayers are directed to the Buddha within themselves; because Buddhists believe that the enlightened nature of the Buddha is their own real nature which they have not yet reached. So when they pray, it is to that deepest part of themselves. Not to a God who, in concept, exists independently from them. They pray their own selves...

At first, it sounds comprehensible and analogies can be found with other religions (don't many Christians pray to be like Jesus?). But I think that it is deeper than that, with many layers and deep roots into the construction of social norms, neuro-cognitive development, and the power to define one's outlook on the world, determine relationships to others and oneself. At least, that is what I imagine when I look around. Another wonderful invitation to open my mind, listen and learn...

And you, who do you pray to?