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insight, rather than to request external forces based qualities himself/herself. In short, we pray in the spirit
on power, fame or heavenly gain. In fact, Buddhist of the seven-limb prayer mentioned above. In line with
prayer is a form of meditation because it is a practice of that spirit, the Buddha has said in the Dhammapada:
mindfulness, inner peace, happiness and equanimity.
Each one is one’s own refuge;
Dadul: Just as in ordinary sense, we can ask someone No other can be your refuge;
more powerful or able for some external help, likewise Only when one has fully tamed oneself,
prayer in the similar sense of asking for support and Then, will one have attained the rare and sought for
help is conceivable. However, that would only be refuge. (Verse 60)
confined to help from the outside, not in doing the inner
work for us. Written by Geshe Dadul Namgyal, and edited by
Martha Leslie Baker.
If non-Buddhists were to ask you what is the
Buddhist approach to prayer what would be a
simple but meaningful answer to them?

Aggacitta: Buddhists who try to follow the teachings of
the Buddha recorded in the Pāli Canon endeavor to be
self-reliant in their quest for liberation. However, when
they have exhausted their own efforts to overcome
obstacles along the way, they may resort to prayer for Venerable Āyasmā Aggacitta is the founder of the
help to proceed. Sāsanārakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS) in Taiping,
Perak, a Pāli scholar and a meditation teacher.
Min Wei: I would tell them that Buddhists don’t pray
to a God, but we do have meditation practices which
is similar to praying. Cultivating loving-kindness to all
living beings is a practice which will benefit all beings.
The sharing of merit is a practice where one dedicates
the goodness of one’s life to the benefit of all living
beings as well as praying for a particular person.
Geshe Dadul Namgyal is a Geshe Lharampa
In fact, in Buddhism, we are taught to rely on our own and senior resident teacher at Drepung Loseling
practice or cultivation rather than the power of others. Monastery in Atlanta, Georgia, USA
It means we have to take our destiny into our own
hands. We can’t just have faith in another person, even Ven. Ming Wei is a teacher of e-learning at the
if that other person has the stability and wisdom of the International Buddhist College (IBC) and an
Buddha, Jesus, or Mohammed. independent translator of Buddhism.

Dadul: We pray as a way of reflecting on the teachings
and qualities of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, etc.
and celebrate them while wishing he/she would be
successful in living the teachings and realizing the