kuyo-shobutsu
Serving Offerings to Buddhas
Ku-yo means “to serve offerings” and shobutsu means “buddhas” so Kuyo-shobutsu means “Serving Offerings to Buddhas.” There is a tradition in Buddhism that Buddhist believers serve offerings to buddhas. Buddhas are people who have attained the truth, so it is very natural for Buddhist believers to serve offerings to buddhas. But people who have a spiritual viewpoint might say that it is not necessary to serve material offerings, purely spiritual reverence being sufficient. Buddhism, however, is not a spiritual religion but a religion of reality. Buddhism reveres conduct. So Buddhism values the service of real offerings, and recognizes the sincere attitude of belief in that service. Of course, the offerings need not be expensive. The service of offerings is valuable because it is just Buddhist conduct.