Hi, I would like to ask if prayers and dedications are the same thing or are they different?
They are different. Prayers are for yourself. Buddhists dedicate merits from chanting sutra, repentance or recitation of Buddhas' names to whoever in need. We are encouraged to first dedicate merits to all sentiment beings and then to people we know who are in need of merits.
I know that dedications are said after chanting or meditation, but when are prayers said?
Originally posted by saggigirl:I know that dedications are said after chanting or meditation, but when are prayers said?
I understand that prayers are supposed to be said after dedications.
prayers are both forms of various practices, and dedication is crucial to develop its practices towards the selfless nature. it neutralizes inequalities and potential conflicts not only to one past lives karmic debtors, the merits dedicated does reaches to the decease and the family of the living, because it assists to broaden one selfless nature to that of Buddha in all beings. in this manner, it will achieve everlasting harmony and peace.
明æœ�时候的戚继光，这是一ä½�å��将，他是一个虔诚的佛教徒，一生å�—æŒ�《金刚ç»�》，他å�—æŒ�这个《金刚ç»�》很有效果。有一次他的部下有一个士兵过世，他在夜晚梦到这个士兵，士兵求他念ç»�超度。他醒了之å�Žï¼ŒçœŸçš„给他诵了一部《金刚ç»�》回å�‘。到晚上这个士兵å�ˆæ�¥æ‰˜æ¢¦ã€�å�ˆæ‰¾ä»–，他说：“å°†å†›ï¼Œä½ ç»™æˆ‘å¿µçš„ã€Šé‡‘åˆšç»�》，我å�ªå¾—到一å�Šï¼Œå�Žå�Šéƒ¨æ²¡æœ‰äº†ã€‚”他说：“为什么？”“ä½ å½“ä¸åŠ 了一个‘ä¸�用’。”戚继光醒过æ�¥ä¹‹å�Žå°±æƒ³ï¼š“没有，没有这个事情。”çª�然想到，他诵ç»�的时候，他的佣人给他端æ�¥ä¸€æ�¯èŒ¶ï¼Œä»–摇摇手没有说è¯�。摇摇手，就是这个å��了，夹æ�‚了，所以这个《金刚ç»�》没有效了。于是å�ˆæ£ç»�其事å†�ç»™ä»–è¯µä¸€éƒ¨ã€‚ä½ è¦�是懂得这个公案，打电è¯�å°±å®Œäº†ï¼Œä½ è¿™éƒ¨ç»�就完了。必须从头到尾é‡�æ–°å†�念，æ‰�有效。å�¤äººè¿™äº›å…¬æ¡ˆï¼Œå®žåœ¨è®²éƒ½æ˜¯äº‹å®žï¼Œæˆ‘们应当è¦�è®°ä½�。所以诵ç»�给人回å�‘，能ä¸�能有效果全在真诚心，所谓诚则ç�µï¼Œè¿™æ˜¯æˆ‘们必须è¦�è®°ä½�的。（出处å�Œä¸Š 21-90-12）
问：这是å�°æ¹¾å�Œä¿®é—®çš„，他在诵《地è—�ç»�》的时候，常常会感到害怕，总是感觉到身æ—�四周有许多看ä¸�è§�的众生，这ç§�情形也常常å�‘生在朋å�‹èº«ä¸Šï¼Œè¯·é—®è¿™æ˜¯ä»€ä¹ˆåŽŸå› ？
　　ç”：这个事情ä¸�è¦�å®³æ€•ï¼Œè¿™äº›å››å‘¨å›´ç¡®ç¡®å®žå®žæ˜¯æœ‰è®¸å¤šä½ çœ‹ä¸�è§�的众生，他们æ�¥æ±‚è¶…åº¦ï¼Œä½ å¿µç»�，他们在那边å�¬ç»�ï¼Œæ˜¯ä¸€æ¡©å¥½äº‹æƒ…ã€‚ä½ ä¸�害怕，他护æŒ�ä½ ï¼Œå°†æ�¥ä»–ä»¬éƒ½æ˜¯ä½ çš„æŠ¤æ³•ç¥žï¼Œä½ æ€•ä»–å¹²ä»€ä¹ˆï¼�确实有。我们诵ç»�的时候更真诚ã€�更专心，所有这些众生都得利益。（净空法师《å¦ä½›é—®ç”》21-90-04）
问：这ä½�å�Œä¿®é—®çš„问题，第一个，我从《地è—�ç»�》ä¸ï¼Œå�¬å¸ˆçˆ¶è®²å¦‚梦ä¸æ¢¦åˆ°è¿‡ä¸–的众生，给他们念《地è—�ç»�》，但是我看到有些é�“场诵《阿弥陀ç»�》，我到底应该如何？
　　ç”：都å�¯ä»¥ï¼Œè¯µã€Šåœ°è—�ç»�》ã€�诵《阿弥陀ç»�》都å�¯ä»¥ã€‚但是一般å�¯ä»¥è¯´æ˜¯å¤šå�Šçš„众生，特别是没有å¦ä½›ï¼Œæ²¡æœ‰ä¿®å‡€åœŸæ³•é—¨çš„，念《地è—�ç»�ã€‹æ¯”è¾ƒå¥½ã€‚å› ä¸ºè¿™äº›ä¼—ç”Ÿä½ èƒ½å¤Ÿæ¢¦åˆ°çš„ï¼Œå¤šå�Šéƒ½åœ¨é¬¼é�“，所以念《地è—�ç»�》超度他，对他们有好处。当然念《弥陀ç»�》也å�¯ä»¥ï¼Œä¸�必执ç�€ã€‚（出处å�Œä¸Š 21-90-05）
Originally posted by saggigirl:Hi, I would like to ask if prayers and dedications are the same thing or are they different?
they are different. Dedication has to have a basis for dedicating, ie, you must have some kind of virtue or merit to dedicate. As for prayer, it is a request to the Enlightened Beings without the need for any basis (ie merit).
Dedication is done at the conclusion of any practices and virtuous deeds eg charity etc.
Prayer can be done anytime.
praying is like wishful thinking. I pray for world peace, pray for good economic times, I pray for good health. mostly likely the prayers are unanswered cos there are all your wishful thinking on your part. fact is you will never get world peace if you know history well. wars are very common in the past and will continue to be in future.
Originally posted by Jacky Woo:praying is like wishful thinking. I pray for world peace, pray for good economic times, I pray for good health. mostly likely the prayers are unanswered cos there are all your wishful thinking on your part. fact is you will never get world peace if you know history well. wars are very common in the past and will continue to be in future.
Some people said that natural disasters are signs of end of the world. In fact, natural disasters happen throughout humans' history.