Junghyeon: The reason for prayer

“The purpose of Buddhism is to follow the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and help all sentient beings attain enlightenment. It is not simply about easing today's worries. Buddhism, the Buddha's teachings, and spiritual practice exist to fundamentally change our lives and completely uproot the afflictions that govern them.” —From the book. The author, Venerable Joonghyun, has emphasized “Buddhism practiced in each person's own life,” saying, “What I should do as someone wearing Buddhist robes is create the conditions that allow people far away to care for their own mental well-being, and do my best to help them.” As he considers the role religion should play in a changing world, he wrote The Reason for Prayer with the hope that people would understand the various prayers and offerings performed at temples not merely as a way to seek blessings, but as spiritual practices for calming the mind. The book therefore covers the fundamental reasons people pray, the key elements of Buddhist prayer, and an explanation of the Thousand Hands Sutra, which is regularly recited during prayers and offerings, as well as various forms of prayer such as prayers to Avalokiteshvara, Amitabha, and the guardian deities. There is also the traditional image that comes to mind when people think of prayer: “a country woman setting out pure water on a crock platform and praying.” The book traces how folk beliefs such as devotion to the Seven Stars and mountain spirits merged with Buddhism, and shows how they have now naturally taken root in temples and become part of spiritual practice, like devotion to other Buddhas and bodhisattvas. The aim of this book is to help Buddhists “make their everyday religious practice their own based on Buddhism's core ideas, rather than doing it habitually.”

Korean title: 기도의 이유

Korean author: 중현

Korean publisher: 불광출판사

ISBN-13: 9791193454916