Actually Buddha himself believed in the many gods of the Hindus, but didn't worship them.
....Brahma in the Pali Canon[ edit] Brahma is among the common gods found in the Pali Canon. Brahma (in common with all other devas) is subject to change, final decline and death, just as are all other sentient beings in samsara (the plane of continual reincarnation and suffering). In fact there are several different Brahma worlds and several kinds of Brahmas in Buddhism, all of which however are just beings stuck in samsara for a long while. Sir Charles Eliot describes attitudes towards Brahma in early Buddhism as follows:
There comes a time when this world system passes away and then certain beings are reborn in the "World of Radiance" and remain there a long time. Sooner or later, the world system begins to evolve again and the palace of Brahma appears, but it is empty. Then some being whose time is up falls from the "World of Radiance" and comes to life in the palace and remains there alone. At last he wishes for company, and it so happens that other beings whose time is up fall from the "World of Radiance" and join him. And the first being thinks that he is Great Brahma, the Creator, because when he felt lonely and wished for companions other beings appeared. And the other beings accept this view. And at last one of Brahma’s retinue falls from that state and is born in the human world and, if he can remember his previous birth, he reflects that he is transitory but that Brahma still remains and from this he draws the erroneous conclusion that Brahma is eternal. [32]
Other common gods referred to in the Canon[ edit]Many of the other gods in the Pali Canon find a common mythological role in Hindu literature. Some common gods and goddesses are Indra, Aapo ( Varuna), Vayo ( Vayu), Tejo ( Agni), Surya, Pajapati ( Prajapati), Soma, Yasa, Venhu ( Vi??u), Mahadeva ( Siva), Vijja ( Saraswati), Usha, Pathavi ( Prithvi), Sri ( Lakshmi), Kuvera ( Kubera), several yakkhas ( Yakshas), gandhabbas ( Gandharvas), Nagas, garula ( Garuda), sons of Bali, Veroca, etc. [33] While in Hindu texts some of these gods and goddesses are considered embodiments of the Supreme Being, the Buddhist view is that all gods and goddesses were bound to samsara. The world of gods according to the Buddha presents a being with too many pleasures and distractions.
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en.wikipedia.org
In the religion, he founded Buddha himself is the central Christlike figure, regardless of how or whether they use the term God.
.... In fact, the Buddhists believe in the existence of an Enlightened being, who vows to save all sentient beings from their sufferings. The concept of enlightenment is principally concerned with developing a method to escape from the illusions of the materialistic world. According to the Buddhist ideology, anyone can enlighten himself by undertaking a method of mental discipline and a code of conduct.
The importance of Buddha as God
Almost all the sects of Buddhism do not believe in the myth of God. Indeed some of the early Indian Mahayana philosophers denounced God-worship in terms which are even stronger than those expressed in the Theravada literature. Some later Mahayana schools, which flourished outside India, ascribed some degree of divinity to a transcendent Buddha, considering living Buddhas to be a manifestation of the Adi-Buddha. But even then it cannot be said that the Buddha was converted into a Divinity comparable to the God of the monotheistic religions. In the Brahmajâla Sutta and the Aggaa Sutta texts, the Buddha refutes the claims of Maha Brahmâ(the main God) and shows Him to be subject to karmic law (i.e. cosmic law). Even though long-lived Mahâ Brahmâ will be eliminated in each cycle of inevitable world dissolution and re-evolution. In the Khevadda Sutta Mahâ Brahmâ is forced to admit to an inquiring monk that he is unable to answer a question that is posed to him, and advises the monk to consult the Buddha. This clearly shows the Brahmâ acknowledges the superiority of the Buddha. This is view that the Buddha is some kind of God figure. In the Theravada tradition the Buddha is regarded as a supremely enlightened human teacher who has come to his last birth in samsára (the Buddhist cycle of existence). But, Mahayana traditions, which tend to think in terms of transcendental Buddhas, do not directly make a claim for Buddha as God. Thus the Buddha cannot be considered as playing a God-like role in Buddhism. Rather the Buddha is considered as an enlightened father of humanity.
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buddhist-tourism.com
Although the Buddha once proclaimed him as the god above all gods, it was never discounted that every sentient being does not have the chance to become god. But God as we speak is the highest form and nothing can be higher than that as Buddha said. This aspect of Buddha who speaks about himself as the Eternal One is the closest Buddhism has to Christianity’s concept of God the Father – the Dharmakaya. The Dharmakaya is also very similar with the Christian concept of Trinity as He is part of the doctrine of Trikaya. It is the aspect of Buddha that asserts His presence in all phenomena and that He transcends all time and space, and thus, is eternal. It is also the benevolent aspect of the Buddha, being the Buddha who returns back to earth to grant salvation to those who are worthy of it.
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himalayacrafts.com
The doctrine says that a Buddha has three kayas or bodies:
- The Dharmakaya or Truth body which embodies the very principle of enlightenment and knows no limits or boundaries;
- The Sambhogakaya or body of mutual enjoyment which is a body of bliss or clear light manifestation;
- The Nirma?akaya or created body which manifests in time and space. [1]
en.wikipedia.org
A triune Buddha, whata you know. |
