> you don't need to burn insence sticks and bow k times before a statue to be a Buddhist. That's what would be called "devotional practices". I didn't care for

> you don't need to burn insence sticks and bow k times before a statue to be a Buddhist. That's what would be called "devotional practices". I didn't care for all that - pujas, foundation practices, 100,000 prostrations and so on. I wanted to do the insight practices, and gain insight. What I later learned is that you have to do devotional practices as well as insight practices. A bird can't fly with just one wing. Devotional practices supposedly give you the confidence to deal with awakening insight. /me no longer a practitioner or a Buddhist.