A Buddha is one who has worked out how to acheive enlightenment, and a Bodhisattva is one who is about to achieve enlightenment.
We don't have the concept of Saints in Buddhism. We believe people can be Bodhisattvas, which are beings that try to awaken others, or Buddhas, a fully enlightened being.
Theravada and Mahayana. Thereaveda is called the "teachings of the Elders" and is the most closest to the original teachings of the Buddha. Mahayana incorporates teachings from later Buddhas and Bodhisattvas into the Buddhas teachings.
Buddhist homes, centers, and temples often have statues and pictures of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. They are not holy objects to be venerated or worshipped. Instead, they are merely reminders to pay attention and keep the mind focused.A statue of Buddha is not necessarily a requirement of meditation, but its use does have history. Traditionally, when Buddhism was founded, many of its adherents were illiterate and thus depended on statues of Buddha in different poses in order to understand the various messages of the Buddha. A particular Buddha statue, such as the laughing Buddha or lotus Buddha, may be used to enhance meditation for a particular purpose. There are several types of statues with distinguished symbolism attached to each, but the most commonly used statue is the lotus Buddha, which enhances tranquility and relaxation.
We Buddhists do not worship any person or deity. We honor The Buddha and other Bodhisattvas, and Buddhist masters by bowing to their images and doing our meditation in front of them. We use thier images as an inspiration to the goals that we want to achieve not as worship.
Although Buddhists do not believe in the existence of an omnipotent creator God, veneration of the ideal and noble ones is also seen as important. While Theravada Buddhists consider the Buddha to be a human being that attained nirvana or arahanthood, through his own efforts, Mahayana Buddhists consider him to be an embodiment of the Dharmakaya and not merely a human being. In addition to venerating the Buddha, Mahayana Buddhists venerate Bodhisattvas as an ideal. Nevertheless, all traditions of Buddhism venerate the Buddha, and other spiritually advanced beings with varying degrees of devotion. This however is not the same as devotion to an omnipotent, creator God as known in other religions[citation needed]. The Buddha, the Arahants and the Bodhisattvas do not have the power to control humans, but play a significant role in helping beings attain nirvana, by teaching the Dhamma.
I am assuming that what you are asking is how does Buddhism today compare to what the Buddha taught. Buddhism over the years has been enriched by each culture that has been exposed to; changing the nature of practice just slightly each time. So Chan Buddhism (China) is slightly different in practice then is Zen Buddhism (Japan, Korea). But the teachings have always remained the same. Now when I speak of practice, it is the methods used to teach the Dharma (the teachings). The biggest change in Buddhism since the Buddha is the development of Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism, to which is the tradition I practice, added teachings from later Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to The Buddha's original teachings in regards to living a compassionate life to help all other beings. So Buddhism adapts the methods but never the message or teachings.
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is usually an image of great compassion. Kwan Yin is a good example. She is the Goddess of compassion. In Buddhism, you are taught that if you learn compassion in this life, you have done well. There are many bodhisattvas or statues of beautiful characters in Buddhism. Buddha himself is the greatest bodhisattva of all.
The most common subject of Buddhist sculpture is the Buddha himself, depicted in various poses and mudras (hand gestures) that carry specific meanings. Other common subjects include bodhisattvas, deities, and spiritual figures important to Buddhist teachings.
Buddha saw the world as it is. Mohammed saw the world as he wished it to be. Jesus saw mankind as he would wish it to be. I can't believe that any of them really had a clue about the afterlife.
the Most popular Buddha Statues are as follows, Shakyamuni buddha statues Medicine Buddha Statues Meditation Buddha Statues Laughing Buddha Statues Amitabha Buddha statues Blessing Buddha Statues Nirvana Buddha Statues Samantabadhra Buddha Statues Thai Buddha Statues Maitreya Buddha Statues Dhyani Buddha Statues Feng shui Buddha Statues Vairochana Buddha Statues Akshobhya Buddha Statues Standing Buddha Statues
Buddha Is As Buddha Does has 288 pages.
The Buddhist holy book, the Tripitaka (also known as the Pali Canon), was originally written in Pali, an ancient Indian language. The Tripitaka contains the teachings of Buddha and is considered one of the earliest and most authoritative sources for Buddhist teachings.