“If Buddhists don’t believe in God, why do they worship the Buddha?” This is a question I hear quite often, and it’s an understandable one. Speaking only from my perspective as a Theravāda Buddhist monk, I don’t worship anyone or anything. I don’t worship the Buddha, bodhisattvas, monks, spirits, or deities. The confusion often comes from seeing Buddhists bow or make full prostrations. Many people naturally assume that bowing means worship, but they are not the same thing. Worship is directed toward a being believed to have divine power, from whom one seeks blessings, protection, forgiveness, or salvation. A Buddhist prostration, at least in the Theravāda tradition, is an expression of humility, gratitude, and profound respect. It is not about asking someone else to save us, but about reminding ourselves to cultivate the qualities that lead to awakening. When I prostrate before the Buddha, I am expressing gratitude to the one who discovered and taught the path to the end of suffering. The Buddha never claimed to be a god. He showed that liberation is possible through our own practice, and every bow renews my commitment to cultivate wisdom, compassion, generosity, ethical conduct, mindfulness, and equanimity. There are also occasions when I make full prostrations to senior monks. This is a traditional expression of respect for those who have devoted their lives to preserving the Vinaya and practicing the Dhamma. My respect is for their virtue, discipline, and example. In my own Theravāda practice, however, I do not prostrate to bodhisattvas, spirits, or deities. Ultimately, the highest object of reverence in Buddhism is not even the Buddha as a person, but the Dhamma, the truth he discovered and taught. As the Buddha said: “One who sees the Dhamma sees me.” So when you see me prostrating, you are not seeing an act of worship. You are seeing gratitude for the Buddha, respect for the monastic tradition, and a daily reminder to cultivate those same qualities within my own heart. The Buddha pointed out the path. Each of us must walk it for ourselves. #buddhism #TakeABow #postration