Q: Why do people pray?

A: It depends on people: some pray because they are suffering; others pray for their wish or desire.

Q: Do you think it really works?

A: I think it depends on the way people pray.For example, if people pray because they are suffering, their prayer should be focused on the realization of origin of suffering.If people pray for their wish or desire, they should make sure through prayer certain wish or desire is what they really want in their life.

Q: How does the prayer work?

A: In the above example, the former kind of prayer helps people to realize the law of cause and effect. The latter kind of prayer helps people to know the true meaning of their life. As a result, if one knows the law of cause and effect and the true meaning of life, she or he can achieve the highest level of life.

Q: Then, why do some people think that even though they prayed very hard, they did not receive the blessing or empowerment from Buddha or Bodhisattvas?

A: Because they prayed in a wrong way without knowing the real meaning of the prayer.

Q: Could you explain a little bit about the right prayer?

A: Like I mentioned previously, if you pray because you are suffering, you have to ask Buddha through prayer “My Lord Buddha! What is the reason for my suffering?” It is because ignorance is the true cause of our suffering. You can ask constantly what you have to know in order to be free from the present suffering until you realize it. On the other hand, if you pray for your wish or desire, you have to ask Buddha if such wish or desire is what you truly want until you are certain of it; for, we do not know what we really want because we do not know who we truly are.

Q: What is the wrong prayer?

A: The worst prayer is to pray without inquiring one’s own mistake or ignorance. The most important factor for accomplishment of praying is mental attitude to be honest and to accept one’s own ignorance. Honesty to oneself is the starting point of change and transformation.

Q: What is the true meaning of prayer?

A: It is to cease the origin of one’s suffering and to lead one into the path towards enlightenment. In such sense, a prayer is the process of knowing and enlightenment. In other words, a prayer is the process of changing and transforming of mind.

Q: Then, is Buddhism a salvation through one’s own effort or reliance upon others?

A: I think neither one nor the other. It works based on both, for, all things work based on the law of inner cause and outer condition. The inner cause of one’s problem is correlated with outer condition. In other words,one’problem arises depending on outer condition (others) and the outer condition (others) is being changed by the inner cause (oneself). However, the first gate to salvation is located in the inner cause that is one’s own problem.