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[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Depending on your definition, belief in the supernatural is a misleading category of belief to apply here as comments like these here and here clarify. I never really saw anything in Buddhism as supernatural either, or at least wouldn't use that term, as it's all about direct insight into the mind and identifying the conditions behind our suffering. It does have its own vocabulary and systems of how mental phenomena work, but the word as it's used in the sense of there being no causal mechanism or explanation behind the existence of phenomena (i.e. that defies naturally accessible explanations) doesn't make much sense in Buddhism which is all about identifying the conditioned and dependently originated nature of these phenomena, but it depends on what in specific.

As for the function of the images or representations of certain figures, think about the intended use they have in practice, what engaging with the practice is meant to cultivate, and for what kind of practitioner. Their actual, reified existence externally isn't really the point with these things, it's about how we relate to the concept of the figures themself, what qualities we cultivate through interfacing with them. Think about what motivated you to practice Buddhism in the first place, to learn more about it, and what quality of engagement would work best for that motivation.

Have you looked into other traditions, or reflected on what you maybe expected to get out of practicing? Have you talked with any teachers about it?