How Do Buddhists Pray?
Buddhist prayer is often more meditation, such as focusing on giving loving kindness to other people; therefore, Buddhists often pray by repeating certain mantras. Many Buddhists, such as those who practice Nichiren Buddhism, offer prayers to awaken the divinity inside themselves. Buddhists do not pray to a god or divine being outside of themselves because Buddhists generally believe that divinity is inside each person.
For example, Nichiren Buddhists sometimes chant various texts, such as the mystic law’s name or parts of the Lotus Sutra. This type of prayer is to encourage divine qualities in the person, such as courage or wisdom. Tibetans repeat mantras to open themselves up to a different type of consciousness, while some Japanese Buddhists offer prayers to Amida Buddha, who is the Buddha of Infinite Light. They pray to Amida Buddha in hopes that they will join the Amida Buddha in the Pure Land.
