A misconception..

when i was young, i thought Buddhist pray and burn papers to god(s) or in front of some godly statue will bring peace wealth, health & happiness to people.. now i know that's mainly Taoism,.. and Buddhist dont actually pray to Buddha as if he's god.. coz Buddha himself said that he's not god. Buddhists are actually chanting in front of Buddha's statue or image out of great respect to the great master. His image also acts to help us focus our practise and as a constant reminder of our chosen path. Therefore, praying to Buddha statue does not mean god exist and that they would help us with some magical powers! There's no magic in these! All things will still abide to the laws of nature or the universal laws.