[DownloadMan]

that seems to be the case in other religions? where idols are used, they represent the idea or what ever, but not the real Deity its self and it is by most considered idol worship I think when you pray before a statue or rendition of what ever Deity you do worship.
I was mostly referring to catholic because they go completely out of it over certain statues or objects, down in Mexico when I was young and they bring the holy virgin[mother of Jesus???] out for a walk about once a year and the people were crawling on their bare knees on rough pavements and their knees bleeding from crawling along behind.
But it does seem strange to me that people will pray to an image of Buda when he specifically said that he was just a man and not a god. But I do know too that most people still have to believe in an imaginary god of some kind, so I guess looking at it [whatever] is necessary, and be thankful that they are not preforming live sacrifice.