Buddha image

Question: (Unedited)

Hi
I am a Wiccan and am very fond of the teachings of Buddha. I would like to know can I incorporate Buddhism with my Religion? I have an altar set up to Him and I do respect Him

My comment:

Hi I...,

Thank you for asking me.

The teachings of the Buddha are like air. They exist everywhere, if one cares to find them. Like air, the teachings are free for everyone irrespective of beliefs. Being Buddhists is just a label. It is the practice that is important. It is up to the person whether to accept the Buddha's teachings or not. If one understands and accepts his teachings, one would be committed fully to his teachings. There are many like you who subscribe to other beliefs and yet respect the teachings of the Buddha, simply because of their universal appeal. In this respect, it is indeed an honour to us Buddhists knowing that others respect our Teacher. The Buddha never introduced the practice of paying homage to his image. It is our human weekness for rites and rituals, and desire to satisfy human emotions, that we introduced such practices. If your altar is specially set up just for the Buddha image, then it is very respectful of you. The Buddha image should not be placed with other images or objects not related to Buddhism.

Discouraging Buddha images

Queston (Unedited):

It's been said that the Buddha discouraged his followers from making or worshipping images of himself. What is textual evidence for this?

My comment:

Hi D,

Thank you for asking me.

During the Buddha's time, there was not a problem as the Buddha was there in person.  Actually, Buddha images were started by the Greeks who were present in North-western India where they had conquered Persia and the surrounding areas.  

There are two suttas which we can deduce that the Buddha discouraged worshipping images of himself.  The first is the Vakkali (Wakkali) Sutta.  In this sutta one of the monks, Wakkali was so obssessed with the body of the Buddha that he spent all his time admiring the physical body of the Buddha.  The Buddha then admonished him with this famous comment: "O Vakkali, whoever sees the Dhamma, sees me [the Buddha]"  

Click here to refer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma_(Buddhism) 

"Yo kho Vakkali dhammam passati so mam passati"

O Vakkali, whoever sees the Dhamma, sees me [the Buddha


Another sutta is the Mahaparinibbana Sutta.  Here the Buddha during his final hour, comforted his closest disciple, Ananda, that when he (the Buddha) was gone let only the Dhamma be your guide.  

Click here:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html

The Blessed One's Final Exhortation

1. Now the Blessed One spoke to the Venerable Ananda, saying: "It may be, Ananda, that to some among you the thought will come: 'Ended is the word of the Master; we have a Master no longer.' But it should not, Ananda, be so considered. For that which I have proclaimed and made known as the Dhamma and the Discipline, that shall be your Master when I am gone.

Holy string

Question : (Unedited)

i visited cambodia.  in a buddhist temple, a buddhist priest surprised me and

put a red yarn around my wrist.  someone said it was for luck. what does it

symbolize?  i am not sure what it is for but i was going to take it off because it

looks like the string they use for kabbala but wondering if it means something

special for buddhism.  

My comment: 

Hi M,

Traditionally, after chanting and blessing, the monk will tie a string (usually yellow or orange colour) on the wrist of the devotee, as an assurance for protection.  There is no harm in taking off the string. 

However since it signifies something "spiritual" or "holy" you should treat it with respect and avoid throwing it in the rubbish bin (trash bin).  You could put it in a flower pot.

What is in an image?

Question : (Unedited)

Hi

I recently purchased a Buddha figurine.This one was the fertility/child protection model.

I am Christian not Buddhist,I just thought it looked cool.

The night after I got it,I looked at it before I went to bed and silently asked it to look after my two teenage children,who were both out.

That night,my son was involved in a car accident.He was unhurt,but are car was totaled.

Is this Gods way of saying 'put your faith in Jesus not Buddha? Or just a coincidence?

Either way,I gave the statue away.

Thoughts?

My comment:

Hi B...,

Thank you for asking me.

There are lots of "Buddha" figurines in the market.  There are also lots of names given to them; and also lots of claims of whatever you want to believe.  

A proper Buddha figurine will only represent the historical Buddha.  It is just a symbolic representation of the Buddha.  Being a holy representation, it evokes an aura of mysticism and power.  It is in the mind of the people to turn it into whatever they want to believe out of fear and ignorance.

Depending on which way you want to interpret.  You may thank the "Buddha" figurine that it had saved your children's lives!!  Or you may curse it for causing the accident!!  See, it's all in your mind. You have the freedom to use your intelligence and common sense to interpret.  That would be the advice of a Buddhist.

Where to place Buddha's image?

Question :(Unedited)

Hello my husband and I have just opened a restaurant and both of us observe the buddhism beliefs and we wanted to put a statue in the restaurant, however the only available place to put the statue is near the bathrooms, but not in them since I know this disrespectful..Is is disrespectful to place the statue near the bathroom?

My comment:
Hi C,

Thank you for asking me.

Congratulations on your new venture! May you prosper!

If you have a free mind, then you actually can place the image anywhere you like. However, with due respect to the holy image, we use our discretion to place it in a more respectable location. It also depends on where you are, I mean, which country you are in. In Buddhist countries, there are always certain allotted location for the image. This is purely tradition and complying to social norm. If you are not in those countries, then it is quite "safe" to place it in any respectable location without causing any offence to anyone. I don't think it is disrespectful to place it near the bathroom. If you are not in a Buddhist country, then you may want to place it in a discreet and yet commanding location, say around the cashier's corner.

But please be cautious if others have different views and opinions. There are a lot of ignorant and superstitious people around. Just ignore them.

Blessed string

(Picture from Daily Buddhism)

Question (Unedited)

can you give me the address of a Buddhist monk to receive a good health blessed string? thanks s.

My comment:
Hi S,

Thank you for asking me, but you have not given your location. However www.buddhanet.net may lead you to the nearest temple.

I wonder why you want the blessed string. Actually the most blessed gift is to practise the Buddha's teachings. By practising his teachings, you will be protected. This is because his teachings stress on the reducing of all negative and hateful feelings, thoughts, and actions. When we reduce negative and hateful activities, we allow positive energies to rejuvenate our systems, thereby improving our health and happiness.

Broke a Buddha image.

Question: (Unedited)

i have a buddha statue and one day i broke the hand off by accedent but i glued it back on, will me breaking the hand off make my karma bad or be negitive?

My comment:
Hi,
Buddha images are actually crafted by humans out of clay, metal, wood, or what have you. Being creative people, we create Buddha images so that we can pay reverence or respect to our great Teacher. As Buddhists, we never pray to Buddha images, for they are nothing but artful representation of the Teacher. It is his teachings that bring benefit to us when we follow and practise them.

As Buddha images embody the purity and omniscience of the Buddha, they carry with them the aura of the Dhamma (the teachings of the Buddha). We feel a sense of confidence and protection in the presence of Buddha images. Evil and negative spirits will stay clear from these Buddha images.

You will not be creating any bad or negative kamma, please be assured.

Buddha Images

http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinnity/470968238/

Question: (unedited)
who/what is the buddah statue resembled after?

My comment:
You have unwittingly correctly phrased the question, by adding the "what". The image of the Buddha is the embodiment of all his supreme and compassionate qualities of a super human who had successfully cultivated the mind to its purest possible state. There is no other image in the world that has been so widely and diversely moulded, literally. The image of the Buddha comes in all shapes and sizes, we can humanly imagined. Its material base ranges from the humblest worthless clay to the priceless and exquisite gemstones. Its form, ranges from crude primitive shape to skilfully crafted piece of art. Its size ranges from the minutest to huge giant struture carved out of steep cliff and high mountain.

The traditional Buddha images are the physical embodiments of the historical Buddha--Gotama Buddha. The Buddha images always show the serene and compassionate facial expression of the Buddha. The different hand gestures convey different messages of protection, preaching, fearlessness, blessing, and meditation.

Buddhists revered the Buddha images as a form of respect for their teacher. The Buddha image provides a medium for contemplation of the Buddha's supreme qualities. It is a reminder to the Buddhists to follow his teachings with confidence. The Buddha assured us that when we practise his teachings and advice, the teachings will protect us. What are actually his teachings? They are universal truths which transcend cultures, nationalities, beliefs, space and time. Also, when we see and practise his teachings, we see the Buddha.

The Budhha image symbolizes peace, compassion and perfect wisdom in the understanding of the true nature of life and the universe. Buddhists do not pray to the Buddha images for favour and protection. Buddhists pay respect to the Buddha images, as others would, their teachers and leaders who are worthy of respect.

There are, however, available in the market, so to say, "mystical and ancient 'Buddha' images" which are supposed to possess "supernatural powers". These are generally called "magical amulets" which are definitely NOT Buddha images.

Sacred Book

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunarmusings/1731415119/

Question: (unedited)
What is the Buddhist book? (like the bible in christianity)

My Comment:
We are used to regard religion as a form of revelation by a supreme being, or his prophet; his message and commandments being inscribed into some text which must be obeyed without any questioning. We have been indoctrinated to believe that a religion must possess this attribute of a supreme being and a sacred text to command us to obey. To study Buddhism, we have to discard this preconceived stereotype mentality. In other words, we have to approach our study with an open mind.

The Buddha was not a god or a prophet. He was a human being with extraordinary powers. He had cultivated his mind to the ultimate purity that gained him the power of omniscient knowledge. In common language, we call this supreme psychic power. He had the ability to know what had to be known. He knew everything under the whole universe, and more importantly, he realized the real nature of this universe and this self. His mission was to inform us the truth about the whole universe and the reality of this life, so that we could live in peace with ourselves. In short the Buddha's message was how to find truth and peace. The Buddha spent 45 years preaching and spreading the message of truth and peace. The monks would then commit his teachings into memory.

In order to understand the development of the Buddhist sacred text, a little bit of Buddhist history will help. Three months after the passing away of the Buddha, the senior monks congregated and recited all his teachings to confirm the authenticity. After another 100 years, another group of senior monks again reconfirmed all the teachings. A 3rd council meeting was held after another 100 years, and the elder monks once again confirmed the authenticity. This time they referred it as the Theravada council. Theravada means the teachings of the elders, i.e., the teachings as confirmed by the elder monks.

Then, around 80 b.c., a 4th council was convened in Sri Lanka. The teachings were confirmed as authentic having passed through the authoritative confirmation down the passage of time. After that, it was decided that all the teachings be transcribed into writing and accordingly done. The text was called Tipitaka, meaning, 3 baskets, because all the teachings were grouped together into 3 baskets or sections.

The sacred text of the Buddhists is called Tipitaka. It has 3 sections. The 1st section contains all the general discourses of the Buddha; the 2nd section refers to the code of conduct for the monks; and the 3rd section embodies the higher teachings regarding detailed analyses of matter and mind.

It is very difficult to fully understand by reading the Tipitaka. That is why most people learn Buddhism from books and from the learned monks and lay preachers. I am sorry to confuse you a little bit more. There are a number of different schools (traditions) of Buddhism, and some discourses are not found in the Tipitaka. To explain this will entail another question if you care to ask.

Prayer alters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vhayward/11665588/

Question:(unedited)
can you tell me about your altars and what they are used for?

Comment:
This is too general a question, and quite unusual too.

Buddhism, being a very tolerant, adaptive, and accommodating religion, has been practised by the various races and nationalities according to their different traditions and customs. This means that you will find altars of various shapes and sizes, according to which country you go to.

The Chinese use very elaborate and finely crafted altars, usually with inlaid mother-of-pearls design. They are of the standard heights, but some higher. The Thais use altars of lower heights; also very elaborately crafted with gold coloured paint or covered with gold wafers. They are of course very Thai in design. The Burmese and the Sri Lankans also have their differing unique designs. And so are the Tibetans and the Japanese. All are very beautifully and elaborately crafted. Who knows, the Westerners may come up with their different versions!

The purpose of an altar is the same as with all altars, that is, to provide space for putting or displaying all the paraphernalia of a person's religion, and to worship in front of it. In a Buddhist altar you will find the Buddha images, urns for incense/joss-sticks, water bowls, candle holders, oil bowls for lights, vases for flowers, and other related things. These paraphernalia vary in shapes and sizes, even the Buddha image.

I have a very simple altar in a small recess in my home. The Buddha image occupies the centre stage, with 2 smaller Buddha images below it. In front of the Buddha image, I place a small bowl of water, to reflect the purity of the Buddha and his teachings. That's all. Very tidy and simple.

The main rituals will of course be conducted in front of the altar. The religious objects and symbols are just "objects and symbols" which we reflect on their qualities of purity and their meanings and messages. Because they are holy or wholesome objects, we treat them with respect and reverence.

If you really want to know the different types of altars, you will have to visit the various temples of the different traditions, and see for yourself. No amount of description and explanation can do justice to this exercise.

Please bear in mind that these Buddhist altars are for devotees to perform their "Buddhist" rites and rituals according to their respective traditions and customs. The universal message of the Buddha transcends race, nationality, space, and time.

His message:

1)Avoid committing evil

2)Perform good and wholesome actions

3)Train the mind so that one can commit oneself to lead a noble and dignified life

The Buddhist Flag

The Buddhist flag was designed in 1880 by a group of Buddhist personalities known as the Colombo Committee, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Wikipedia noted that Colonel Henry Steele Olcott, later made suggestions for modifying it, which were adopted. It was first hoisted in 1885 in Sri Lanka and is a symbol of faith and peace.

Colonel Olcott, a former soldier and lawyer, was the founder of the Theosophical Society of New York. He arrived in Sri Lanka on 17 February 1880 - a day which was subsequently celebrated as Olcott Day in independent Sri Lanka. He was a very colourful, fascinating and forceful evangelist respected for bringing back the rightful status of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and for the demand he made to the British colonialists that Vesak Day be declared a holiday in Sri Lanka.

There are six colours in the flag, but the human eye can see only five. They are described in the Scriptures as emanating from the aura around the Buddha's head. There are 5 vertical stripes of blue, yellow, red, white and orange. The sixth colour is a compound of the first 5, but for design purposes its five ingredients are all shown in small horizontal stripes on the fly.

This design was accepted as the Standard International Buddhist Flag by the World Buddhist Congress in 1952, and has been flying high eversince, signifying universal peace and compassion.