otherwise what would you call this?
And here who they call this 'worshipping their Buddha"
otherwise what would you call this?
And here who they call this 'worshipping their Buddha"
Actually, no.
Again, the Buddhists don’t think the STATUE is a god - they are worshipping Buddha, and the statue gives them a focal point for someone they cannot see anymore - Buddha is dead (or ascended, or whatever they think).
In the case of Catholics (and others!), oftentimes the statue is specifically a location of where the Virgin appeared. So the fact she may have appeared there gives extra reason for them to concentrate on prayer there.