BOWING 3 Apr.

Why do some Buddhists not bow when they come across a Buddha image? Do they not remember the significance of bowing? It is to pay our homage to the Supreme One while humbling ourselves so that we can be more willing to learn. We all know well that that is just a block of wood, ceramic or metal. However, in the moment of bowing, the Buddha image is envisioned to be the Buddha Himself. It is taken to represent Him because the Buddha is not visibly around now, and humans are creatures that need images for remembrance. Why not bow when it takes only a little time and a little effort? There are the two common causes (besides sheet laziness) why one does not:

One is attached to the ego and thus detaches from ceremony, as bowing helps to reduce the ego.

One is already detached from the ego and thus sees no point in bowing.

Don’t ever overlook this simple gesture of devotion. It is often not enough for us to just understand the observances in Buddhism; we need to do them to truly benefit from them.

It should be noted that it is still possible for a Buddhist to bow with lots of pride in his bowing, bursting with ego!

Which category do you belong to?