OK, Francis. Now you get your own mini-article :)

To answer, we first need to discuss what a deity is. From the Buddhist perspective, a deity is a method of realising the mind of a Buddha. Since the Buddha mind that exists outside of space-time cannot be comprehended by conceptual mind (subject to space-time), a deity is used as a stepping stone or mid-point to understanding.

How can a person develop realisation towards something that has never been experienced? And, since devotion is a quick method of accomplishing Buddha mind, a deity is used as an object for devotion. It puts the awakened mind into a form (arms, legs, eyes) that a practitioner can relate to.

In Buddhism, a deity is not considered a living entity but only a practice method.

A priest is supposedly a ‘bridge’ to God from the Christian perspective. But is a priest considered to be God? I don’t think so, and that is the difference. In Buddhism, there is no God. There are only beings that are awake and beings that aren’t.

A genuine Buddhist teacher is awake and assists others in waking up. That’s all.

People who practice spirituality can become confused and think that there are normal beings and supernatural beings, but in Buddhism, this isn’t true. Again, there are just beings trapped in space-time and beings living freely outside of space-time. The only difference between the two is the existence or lack of a central reference point, aka a central character in the story that things are happening to.

When you watch a movie, you can enjoy grief, pain, horror, grief etc., because it’s not real — there is no genuinely existing central character. It’s just a game.

But if you mistakenly believe the story is happening to ‘you’, all emotions become painful.

Who told you that you are in this story that you are living, Francis?

Ya know what I mean?