sites from which there are sculptural remains, there is
evidence that such objects were worshiped in much the
same way that the Buddha describes the proper wor-
ship of his relics: Offerings are made of flowers and the
worshipers bow down in respect, forming the añjali
mudra,or gesture of reverence and respect.
Sculptural images of the Buddha himself began to
appear sometime around the turn of the first millen-
nium. These images focus on significant moments in
the biography of the Buddha, such as his enlighten-
ment or his defeat of MARA. In medieval India, a set
of eight episodes from the Buddha’s life—the astama-
hapratiharya—became a common sculptural motif,
and allowed the worshiper to honor and venerate the
entire life of the Buddha in a single image.
Perhaps the most common form of worship in the
Buddhist world is buddha puja,literally “honoring the
Buddha,” which can be performed both in the formal
setting of a monastery or at a home shrine. It typically
involves making some sort of offering to a Buddha im-
age or relic or stupa—a flower, a small lamp, food, or
even money. When buddha puja is performed in a
monastery, the worshiper first removes his or her
shoes, washes the object to be offered to purify the of-
fering, and then approaches the image or stupa with
hands clasped in the añjaligesture of respect. The ob-
ject is then offered, and the worshiper bows down or
prostrates before the image or stupa. Such worship fo-
cuses the mind of the worshiper on the Buddha and
his teachings and also generates merit. Although bud-
dha pujacan be performed at any time, it is particu-
larly important to worship the Buddha in this manner
on posadha(Pali, uposatha) days and on special holi-
days, such as the Buddha’s birthday, Vesak.
In the Mahayana tradition, in addition to worship
that is directed toward the Buddha, bodhisattvas and
other DIVINITIES(such as Taraand Prajñaparamita) are
objects of great devotion. In the PURELAND SCHOOLS,
AMITABHAin particular is worshiped; proper venera-
tion of and faith in Amitabha, in some schools attained
through the fervent recitation of his name, leads to re-
birth in his Pure Land.Finally, not only are buddhas and bodhisattvas the
object of worship, but also MONKS, since one should
honor and worship one’s teacher as a living embodi-
ment of the Buddha’s teachings. In Thailand, the relics
of famous monks are often objects of great devotion
and worship. Likewise, in China and Japan, the mum-
mified bodies of important monks are sometimes pre-
served as living presences, and in many Buddhist
schools in Tibet, one worships one’s LAMAin the same
way that one would honor the Buddha himself.See also:Buddha Images; Buddhanusmrti (Recollec-
tion of the Buddha); Dharma and Dharmas; Merit and
Merit-Making; Relics and Relics CultsBibliography
Eckel, Malcom David. To See the Buddha: A Philosopher’s Quest
for the Meaning of Emptiness.San Francisco: Harper, 1992.
Kinnard, Jacob N. Imaging Wisdom: Seeing and Knowing in the
Art of Indian Buddhism.Richmond, UK: Curzon Press, 1999.
Trainor, Kevin. Relics, Ritual, and Representation in Buddhism:
Rematerializing the Sri Lankan Theravada Tradition.Cam-
bridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1997.JACOBN. KINNARDWORSHIP