Hi Byrd,

The way I see it, as a Buddhist you have several rhetorical options here. Just through random brain storming:

1. "God Bless You" could refer to Brahma who I suppose can bless people (several are present in chapter 1 of the Lotus Sutra), is supposedly a bodhisattva incognito anyway (see chapters 24-25 of the Lotus Sutra), and don't forget he was the one who asked the Buddha to teach in the first place (see chapter 2 of the Lotus Sutra). This would also apply to Indra (more of a Thunder God/God Almighty type) or Mahesvara (a more aloof Deistic kind of deity).

2. "God Bless You" could refer to Regarder of teh Cries of the World Bodhisattva who in chapter 25 is very much shown as blessing or at least protecting people and can appear as whatever god(s) required by circumstances. The same goes for Wonderful Voice Bodhisattva of chapter 24 or really any of the exalted celestial bodhisattvas.

3. The word "God" means something like the "good one" I think from Old High German. The name Samantabhadra can be translated as "Universal Goodness" therefore Samantabhadra Bodhisattva could be the one doing the blessing of "God Bless You" - this might be a stretch but if you read the Flower Garland Sutra Universal Goodness Bodhisattva certainly seems to have godlike proportions and powers.

4. You could just say "Bless You" and leave the identity of the "Blesser" out of it.

So that's just a few things - if you really wanted to be Buddhist about it though - you should stop directly in front of the person - puts your hands in gassho - and bow deeply to them while chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

I have to confess I also like the idea of walking down the street randomly sprinkling passer-by with water and loudly shouting "God Bless You! Thank you Jesus!" That image just brings a smile to my face. Actually doing it would probably precipitate a fistfight or a shootout. Probably safer and more Buddhist to stick with one of the other options.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

"You're sooo good looking."

Hi Byrd!

It's the same thing for buddhists living in hispanamerican countries, with strong catholic traditions. As I understand it, it is not a religious custom at all, but sociocultural. It is almost an automatism. With one difference: The blessing is sought by the other, then one gives it. Well, for a SGI buddhist is (or was?) a problem if a japanese member listen you god-blessing, so you'd have to hear him giving you a sermon for a long time about slander The Law and things like that...

For me it is not a problem because I delete the word god... so I say "bless you" although some people look at me with strangeness. Sometimes I can say to my daughters "Buddha Bless You" but for me it is not usual to bless that way to other people.

There is another aspect of the case, and happens when it's me that must seek the blessing, because it is familiar and socially unacceptable if I do not ask blessings from my elders, which now includes my mother and my uncles. "Hi uncle, (give me) your blessings" "god bless you, my nephew"
That is the socially accepted manner, even among adults.

By the Buddhist side, I agree with Rev. Ryuei, in the sutras, almost all most important hinduistic gods were converted to Buddhism, some Shinto deities too; (It is a work still remains to be done, the conversion of Christians beings as archangels and similars to Buddhism) and Samanthabhadra, as Adi Buddha, would be seen like a god by popular views.

The problem arises when uneducated buddhists in catholic countries seem not discriminate between judeochistian God and the Buddhists teachings, and the two concepts exists in equal conditions. That I have witnessed in many members, despite the admonitions of leaders. Apparently, for them the force of customs and cultural patterns are more powerful than any Buddhist argument.

Personally, I assume the word god as empty of content in that context, and just say or not to say it, for me is the same. Unless I mentally substitute the word god with the word Dharma.

Greetings,

If they question your motives you can just say "Oh...I thought you sneezed."

Gesundheit! :)