If Siddhartha didnt believe in worship of deities, why do Mahayanas worship the buddhas as Divinity?

[Rick O'Shez]

It requires mastery of the four rupa jhanas.

What have the rupa jhanas got to do with experiencing deities?

Please describe your personal experience of this.

 

[crossfire]

What have the rupa jhanas got to do with experiencing deities?

Please describe your personal experience of this.

Have you ever noticed how the jhana-related factors of rapture, joy, and happiness are similar to what others might call "experiences of god?"

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Have you ever noticed how the jhana-related factors of rapture, joy, and happiness are similar to what others might call "experiences of god?"

Yes, two people could have a very similar experience and come to completely different conclusions, based on preconceptions. Personally I don't see any good reason to assume that subjective meditative experiences correlate to anything "out there", it looks like wishful thinking and something else to cling to.

 

[Kartari]

Hey Rick,

Yes, two people could have a very similar experience and come to completely different conclusions, based on preconceptions. Personally I don't see any good reason to assume that subjective meditative experiences correlate to anything "out there", it looks like wishful thinking and something else to cling to.

I am forced to agree. While theoretically anything is possible, and speaking as someone who has had a very profound spiritual experience, it unfortunately seems like there is no objectively discernible difference between personal experiences of a deity or deities and the human imagination at work.

 

[Osal]

I did some visualisation practice in a Vajrayana school, and in that context the deities were mostly regarded as archetypes, representing particular qualities that you wanted to connect with and develop.
I did come across a few people who believed they were in some sense real beings "out there."

That's the same in my experience.