Big Ignorant Children

The Buddha's teachings are statements of things as they truly are!

This contrasts greatly with the very devotional/ religious aspect that we see in traditional temples; all the images, candles, incense, etc are the outcome of people's need to indulge into the religious aspect, of prayers, rituals and devotion.

But when we objectively study the Buddha's discourses, we find ourselves very remote from all that.

The Buddha is a discoverer. He is a scientist who discovers something: he does not make a religion out of it. He discovered many aspects of nature, the mind, man and society, many truths that we either do not see or choose to deny, and he taught these discoveries to his students so that they can be better people. His pupils listen and learn, and most importantly seek out the truth of his findings by themselves in their own experience.

We are students of the Dhamma who listen to his teaching. We try to understand our Mind and body, and once we understand, we live our lives in harmony with nature and in the process improve ourselves.

Thus, there are no petitional prayers, no rituals, no invocation of divinities. We do not expect anything from anyone else other than from ourselves. It is all about work to do on ourselves such that we evolve to be better beings. It is mainly a work of understanding and wisdom, because in fact, we are nothing else but big ignorant children.