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"Sacrilege" of Images of the Buddha
TheEccentric
Hampshire, UK Veteran
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2009/12/05/sacrilege-of-buddha-statue-for-unholy-purposes/
I myself know some people who have dozens of Buddha statues in their house and garden in not particularly respectful places who are non Buddhists as decorative pieces, and paint images of the Buddha and I think they are just doing it to kind of show off and it is a bit disrespectful. If someone who wasn't a Christian or Hindu started decorating there houses for non religious purposes with Jesus, Virgin Mary or Krishna or Ganesh statues it would not be respectful.
I myself know some people who have dozens of Buddha statues in their house and garden in not particularly respectful places who are non Buddhists as decorative pieces, and paint images of the Buddha and I think they are just doing it to kind of show off and it is a bit disrespectful. If someone who wasn't a Christian or Hindu started decorating there houses for non religious purposes with Jesus, Virgin Mary or Krishna or Ganesh statues it would not be respectful.
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Comments
What it really comes down to is that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, and most people aren't trying to cause upset. So taking those two things into consideration, is it worth getting that worked up over?
In the UK at least, the image is synonymous with 'oriental' - we have the marketeers to thank for that and the people who make up the markets for that - I suppose it is a symbol that stereotypically captures all oriental people and on balance it is probably the least offensive of the options.
Humans are inclined towards symbolism - in part at least, symbols are our interface with the unfolding unknown - I dare say that Buddhism's surge of popularity in the west has some correlation with its market image - perhaps just a step in the journey ideas make through the fabric of our society.
I think also that the people who buy into the image are not purchasing a religious icon which would then lead them to sacrilege - they're making a lifestyle choice, not a religious statement.
I agree that it isn't respectful and I think it reflects, in some measure, the reality that the UK generally at least, does not respect (or strive to educate its population to understand) the image (or deeper symbolism) of any non-Abrahamic religion.
Or perhaps in an outwardly secular society, some symbols cause unrest (commercially undesirable) and therefore a 'just dont go there' policy applies and some don't (commercially desirable) so a 'make cash off it' policy applies.
I take the point that protest might bring the symbol into the commercially undesirable zone but overall in my mind at least we don't need more conflict - there's enough trouble with people kicking the s**t out of each other at every turn - seriously.
And then I came to, 'Well, who owns the image anyway?' - who am I to say where the image would be most appropriately placed? I asked my friend once why it was that he only had pictures of his grandparents with him and not any other members of his family - he said that his grandparents had passed away and he wished to remember them but his other family were still alive and he remembered them just fine! OK, so that's romanticising it but maybe there is a grain of something in there - perhaps inspiration is best placed where it is needed most!
Just some rambly thoughts really... overall, I advocate being respectful to others.
Am I being disrespectful?
Just imagine teaching 2500 years ago about "being a lamp onto youself" and the most direct path to the cessation of suffering and forbidding anyone from making a likeness of yourself and then being able to see into todays deification of your teachings
Amusing might be the response but I think it would more likely be, "Didn't anyone listen?"
Be a light unto yourself should be taken with the middle road. We all need help on the way even though our lamp of clarity might be ours alone.
Interesting...
Imposing our good intents, practices, respect, even decency, is not always possible. We offer free will and degrees of laxity in what really is not very important to some people, including some advanced Buddhists . . .
http://approachingaro.org/no-holiness-vastness
Sometime a person might see their statue in a certain light or from a new angle and their curiosity might be piqued.
Or perhaps they may have to answer a guests question about it and find themself researching its meaning. Who knows.
I'm not sure if there is a wrong message. Is there?
I have problems with the art of elevating the messenger to a godly state. It obscures the message.
...and one more thing. Who are "these people" anyway? And how do we know, and why should we care, why "these people" do the things they do?
I think when we start to judge if a Buddha image is disrespectful or sacrilegious, whether intended or not, and if we start to feel upset or affronted and it may lead to anger, it contradicts the very principles Buddha taught. And even if it was intended to be rude, it was from ignorance so we should be compassionate to the person involved.
But bringing the point back to art, I think people underestimate the effect of art. You might hang something on your wall and ignore it most days, but every now and then, you take a moment to look and it can really touch you. Why not have an image of the Buddha? It's certainly better than a lot of other things I could think of. This is also the same reason that the crucifix has always seemed weirdly morbid to me. What a thing to focus on...
@zombiegirl i like what you said about why not have an image of the Buddha... why not indeed
While some uses of Buddhist images may be more out there than others, for the most part you don't know what the mindset is of the people that bought them. Are you so sure they are all a bunch of arrogant show offs, or could it be that they thought that particular piece of art was attractive? Helped create a positive feeling in that space? You get the idea.
And if it is a commercial interest that you feel is being disrespectful -- vote with your wallet and don't go there/buy those products. Write them a letter to let them know of your concerns. That's about all you can do. At some point you have to let it go, or be angry everytime you see one of these images. There are many things that are (or should be) a lot more upsetting than the use of a particular image -- being angry about this seems like a misuse of energy.
It’s a cultural thing in countries like Thailand or Burma; and so I think it is polite to show respect to a Buddha statue when you are in such a country.
In our culture however a Buddha statue is the modern version of a garden gnome. No big deal.
Teams, companies, products, countries & religions all have their identification symbols. Perhaps Buddhism would have faded into obscurity long ago had it not found it's own product identity.
I believe my path in training over the years did involve coalescing various levels of worldly identification into one Buddhist identification. A spiritual version of debt consolidation.
Compared to my earlier experiences of worldly chaos, it provided a consistency and understandability that felt very much like equanimity.
This is the compounded delusion that IMHO caused the Buddha's admonishment to not create images of himself. The great comfort that it provides turns the path to the cessation of suffering into religious dead end.
It makes my wonder if the Buddha's predictions of the 500 year decline of his teaching was predicated on his belief that his disciples would follow his instructions to not externalize it.
Although I think that folks will continue to make there ways along the path, todays Buddhism pushes a wall ahead of itself that few seem willing to scale for the emptiness that beckons before it..
I do not think that the externalized tendencies of todays Buddhism prepares us for that step the way that the Buddha's original teaching intended.
I am not saying that there is a right way and a wrong way, just that todays Buddhism bulldozes a path that more can follow but ill prepares those pathwalkers for moving beyond the dozer debris piles. A 21 century spiritual traffic jam.
Just a thought.
Drop ashes on my Buddha, I would not be offended, but others might and it is out of this respect for others feelings and opinions that we are mindful of our actions.
All the best,
Todd
First, I thought that there were NO Buddha statues until a couple of hundred years after the Buddha's death. I thought the first depictions in Buddhist iconography were things like the wheel of law.
Second, I think you miss the point of respect, which is key here, because Buddhism teaches respect for others...or doesn't it. Something of value to others ought to be respected, as in turn others should respect the things that you honor. So, in no society should a Buddha statue be looked on as equal value of a garden gnome.
As for the charges of being shallow, showoffy, and trying to appear cultured, there may be some truth to that. I wouldn't say that my interest or participation in Buddhism was shallow, but I would not describe it as deep or terribly serious either.
I suppose that in some circles a few Buddhist artifacts displayed in the house may make the householder appear somewhat "cultured," but I would seriously question whether those circles are "cultured." Technically, none of us can escape being cultured, but I suspect you're referring to "higher" culture. There can be many subcultures within a culture. It's not clear which culture, subculture, or social strata would strongly value Buddhism. Can you or anyone else enlighten us?
Oh no I'm not saying you are shallow just most non buddhists who have buddha images, if you have it because you are interested in it and are one yourself I see nothing wrong.
But at the other hand it is not very nice to impose one’s religious sensitivities upon others. No one can expect me to revere the Quran like they do. It simply doesn’t have the meaning to me it has to them.
Similarly I’m perfectly happy with my Buddha / garden gnome and I’m not after offending anyone’s feelings with it. I think I have the right to put a statue of a peaceful guy in my garden. If other people feel offended by that, it’s really their problem.
The way I feel about it I’m the product of my culture and I’m entitled to it. I can pick and choose from other cultures what I want. That’s not stealing. Culture is open and changing and divers. Religious fanatics can have problems with that, but it is their problem.