Deities in Buddhism, Pt. 1: Devas and Devis
Hey, Mod Fire here! For those who have not grown up with Buddhism, are just beginning to research it, or have only seen depictions of it in pop culture, Buddhism can be very confusing. Many mix ups arise such as who and what buddhas are, whether Buddhism is a religion or a philosophy or something else, conflating Hinduism with Buddhism in many ways… it’s a lot to wade through if you haven’t studied it in depth, grown up with it, or actually converted to it. I can’t tackle every issue in one post (see my masterpost for more Buddhism topics), and so today I’m going to discuss a particularly big source of confusion: atheism vs. gods and goddesses in Buddhism.
But I thought Buddhists were atheists…
You could potentially call Buddhism panentheistic, polytheistic, monotheistic, OR atheistic and make a valid point. This is because the way that gods and goddesses are traditionally defined does not perfectly match up with how Buddhism views deities. There are also many different branches and sects of Buddhism, which have all changed over time, and so it’s difficult to classify all of Buddhism one way. In this post, I’ll be coming mainly from a Vajrayana Buddhist perspective as that is the branch of Buddhism that I practice.
Two Types of Buddhist Deities
In Buddhism, there are two types of spirits that I call “deities.” These are devas/devis and yidams. They are very different from each other and some do not classify yidams as deities, but I consider both yidams and devas to fall under the umbrella category of gods/goddesses/deities. In this post, I’m going to discuss devas and devis in both Hinduism and Buddhism, explain their roles in each religion, and discuss why this is significant to understand the prevalence of atheism in Buddhism.
The Sanskrit term deva/devi comes from Hinduism, and essentially means god (deva) and goddess (devi). For convenience, I will use the term devas to refer to both male and female in the same way gods is often used to mean gods and goddesses. Some of the big theological differences between Hinduism and Buddhism lie in how each religion views devas. This can vary between different branches of Hinduism, but generally, the many devas in Hinduism are manifestations or emanations of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality of the universe. Humans are believed to have souls or Atman, the eternal Self, which is really one with Brahman. By worshipping and working with devas, one is able to progress towards uniting their individual sense of Atman with the universal divine Brahman and become spiritually one with the universe.
Traditionally, Buddhism recognizes the existence of the Hindu devas and even features them prominently in art, literature, and the story of Siddartha Gautama, Shakyamuni Buddha, commonly known as “The Buddha.” When Shakyamuni Buddha reached enlightenment under the bodhi tree, the story goes that the demon Mara challenged his enlightened status. Shakyamuni reached down to the ground beneath him and called on the earth itself which was synonymous at that time with the earth goddess Prithvi, also known as Bhumi Devi. She is said to have protected Shakyamuni and bore witness to his enlightenment, attesting to his worthiness to be a buddha. Though many modern Buddhists do not often think of the earth goddess as having a role in Buddhism, this story is referenced frequently in Buddhist iconography through the bumispharsha or “earth-touching” mudra. Prithvi is just one example of many devas who not only get mentioned in important Buddhist stories but are described in a positive light as supporting or protecting Buddhism.
Where Hinduism and Buddhism Split
One might wonder if devas have been a part of Buddhism literally since its inception at the moment of Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, then why are many Buddhists self-proclaimed atheists? Why does Buddhism have a well-known reputation for being atheistic? That’s because although traditional Buddhism has portrayed some devas like Privthi or Indra as being positive and influential figures, there is a very key difference between how Buddhism views devas and how Hinduism does.
Shakyamuni Buddha disagreed with the concept of Atman and Brahman, saying that neither actually exists. Instead of striving to become one with the universe, Buddhists strive to let go of attachments in order to become free from suffering and the cycle of rebirth called samsara. Within samsara, there are multiple planes of existence from being a human to an animal to a “hungry ghost” to a deva. Rather than emanations of the Brahman, in Buddhism devas are viewed as beings who are living much longer lives on higher planes of existence, naked to the ordinary human eye. However, unlike the Hindu concept of devas as eternal, in Buddhism devas may live eons but will eventually die and be reborn like any other being in samsara. Instead of being worshipped themselves, even devas can learn to practice Buddhism and hope to one day reach enlightenment just like any human being.
Hopefully, by now it’s clear why Buddhism has a very different idea of what gods and goddesses are than Hinduism and other polytheistic and pagan religions. Since the main principles of Buddhism discourage worshipping devas and don’t rely on any kind of belief in them, it’s not necessary for modern Buddhists to believe in them and so many do not, leading to a large majority of Buddhists today becoming atheists or functionally being atheists in the sense that they do not worship or interact with devas even if they believe in them.
It’s important to note that how the concept of devas relates to Buddhism and polytheism and paganism at large. Some people might argue that devas and devis are not the same as gods and goddesses in general. When comparing any religion its important to understand how deities have different properties and definitions, but deva and devi is so frequently used interchangeably with god and goddess that I think it is as acceptable to equate the terms as it is to call anything from vastly different cultures “deities.” One simply has to understand that the implications are different depending on whether you look at the same goddess Privthi from a Hindu, Buddhist, or another religious perspective.
My Personal Views on Devas
I think of deities as spirits that are at a certain threshold of power and influence - so the label deity to me is more a flexible perspective or classification of certain spirits. Personally, as a Buddhist, I regard the vast majority of gods and goddesses in polytheistic and pagan religions as deities and within that category of deities as devas. Not every Buddhist may feel this way, but to me, all the gods and goddesses of every major pantheon are devas and devis. I choose to think of them as devas because I also consider yidams, which I’ll explain later, to be deities as well but completely different from devas. I see them as being very super powerful spirits with a limited lifespan - they may live for eons and eons, but each one’s life will eventually come to an end.
I think of this like the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, the planets - all are personified as deities and from a human perspective they’re super powerful and seem almost limitless, but eventually in millions or billions of years the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, etc. will all be gone away. I appreciate their influence, their presence, their power, and the roles they play in the lives of those who worship them.
I will often interact with devas and perhaps sometimes give offerings as a way of connecting with nature and practicing spirit work. But I do not worship or work with them in a very religious way. I work with devas much in the same way I would work with spirits, but I just see them as way more powerful and longer living.
Ultimately, the biggest take away from this post I hope is understanding that it does make a lot of sense when Buddhists describe themselves as atheists, and that is a totally valid classification for any Buddhist. It would also be valid potentially (depending on the person) to describe the way someone practices Buddhism as polytheistic or pagan. Although Buddhism states that worshipping devas is not going to help you become enlightened, it does not make someone less Buddhist to do so anyway. Not all Buddhists are vegetarians or adhere to every rule mentioned in the sutras just as not every Christian follows all the laws of the Old Testament. In fact, just as many Buddhists are atheist, many Buddhists do worship gods/deities/devas such as many Japanese Buddhists who may pray both to buddhas and to kami, Shinto deities.
So if you’re a Buddhist, know the dharma and do what works best for you and your path. If you’re not a Buddhist, remember that Buddhists have a wide variety of beliefs ranging from atheism to polytheism (and more).
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