Question asked by Aditya
Dear Dharma Masters,
Having defected from vedic practices,I find that I almost have started to harbor deep resentment and even animosity towards the Hindu deities who seem to be literally powerless in eliminating peoples afflictions.Is my attitude wrong ? What is the role of the gods in Buddhism,many sutras seem to be singing glories of Hindu deities (Eg. Suvarnaprabhasa glorifies goddesses lakshmi,saraswathi and Bhumi stating that they provide magical protection to followers ),is this not against the fundamental law of Karma ? The Karma sutra states that even gods cannot alter the karmic path,that takes its own course.I personally have experienced the same,with my life going from bad to worse in spite of my sincere piousness towards the gods.
My Humble thanks
Dear Aditya,
Some Hindu deities have entered the Buddhist pantheon and are worshipped by Buddhists with great respect. They do have special powers and can provide protection to those who have created the merits to receive. It is not fair to blame the deities for your or others’ unhappiness. This is indeed the wrong attitude to take. No god, not even the Buddha, can remove our afflictions which are the results of our karma. We ourselves must take the responsibility to overcome our afflictions by practising the Dharma well and gaining merits to support our practice. In other words, we have to walk the path. It is said that the Buddhas only show the way.
According to H.E. Tsem Rinpoche, “we need to empower ourselves by knowing that Buddha said, ‘Karma is created by us. We are the creators of our future. It is in our own hands.’ No god, no deity, no one out there, can change our future if we don’t do something. They can only teach us, they can only show us by example, but they can’t give it to us. If they can, the whole world would be at peace and everything would be perfect.”
I urge you to study and contemplate the Dharma. It will help you to understand the causes of your problems and find the method to overcome them. Above all, do not blame the gods because they are not the cause of your suffering. As H.E. Tsem Rinpoche said, “just as all your problems were created by you, all the happiness you have was also from you. You are the source.”