Prostrations to Buddha Statue

Prostrations to Buddha Statue

Date of Advice:
January 2019
Date Posted:
March 2022

Rinpoche sent this advice to a shopkeeper after seeing a statue of the Buddha in their shop.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche shops for flowers in Singapore, March 2016. Photo: Roger Kunsang.

I am explaining what I did there in your shop, by prostrating to the statues, by putting my palms together.

When we see any statue, we should prostrate, thinking, “These are all my root gurus manifesting according to my karma, to benefit me and to bring me to enlightenment.”

It is said by the great yogi Buddhajnana, in the text Yeshe Gyatso, Oceans of Transcendental Wisdom, (there are longer verses but the essence is this):

Before the guru there is not even the name buddha.

That shows that all the buddhas come from the guru, but of course you have to understand the meaning of guru, which is all the buddhas’ holy mind, the dharmakaya. It doesn’t mean whoever is called guru in the world, but the one you have a Dharma connection with.

By prostrating, we purify so much negative karma and accumulate so much merit and the causes to become enlightened.

This is much better for business and creates much more benefit than the ordinary business of selling. By putting our palms together and prostrating, we accumulate much more merit and this guides us to enlightenment.