When You See An Image/Statue Of The Buddha .....
Shoshin
No one in particularNowhere Special Veteran
Many moons ago part of my work use to involve inspecting premises and I use to visit offices of mental health professionals and in many of the psychiatrist/psychologist offices I inspected there were statues/busts of Buddhas on the desks...And even now when I visit somebody's home, there's a good chance of there being at lease one Buddha statue/bust in one of the rooms....
What subtle psychological experience is had when the eye consciousness contacts an image/statue/bust of the Buddha ?
What does a Buddha image/statue represent ?
I guess it can be liken to a subliminal persuasive conscience prompter ( and a lot more no doubt, depending on how involved one is with the Dharma) 
What do you reckon ? Does a Buddha statue/image/bust, rock your boat in a subliminal way ?
Comments
Some people may think it verges on idolatry to have a statue of Buddha. I think it's probably a good reminder for some people to be mindful.
I don't have any statues hanging around, but there is a Bodhi tree likeness in a corner of our bedroom.
I have a small Buddha statue in my shrine shelf.
Someone nearby, on the estate I live, has fashioned a pseudo-Japanese front garden, with a faux shallow pond (no water) and stepping-stones across it... square, on plinths....there are strategically-placed plants, which are all trimmed, the lines matching their enclosures, which are geometric and level with the ground... and there is one crane, in cast iron, and there, in the corner, a large resin (crafted to look like dark bronze) Buddha's head.
Having had previous opportunity to both meet and speak to the house-owner, I am in absolutely no doubt whatsoever that she knows nothing about the Buddha, what he represents or anything else of relevance about him.
People associate a meditating Buddha with peace, and incorporate images, statues and heads in an effort to give the impression of calm and serenity.
They might know diddly-squat about him or Buddhism.
But they've somehow got the right idea....
@Shoshin asks, "What do you reckon ? Does a Buddha statue/image/bust, rock your boat in a subliminal way ?"
When I see a picture of one or a real one, first I think 'foreign', then I think 'art', then I think of what it stands for in my life - how discovering Buddhism has meant so much to me.
I like when I see an image in some TV show or movie I am watching, it makes me wonder if the art director is a Buddhist. I've seen an image of the Buddha in a few Doctor Who episodes and there was one with 5 colored Daleks that matched the five colors of the Buddhist flag.
Being a snob I normally think "Pfff, what would this person know about Buddhism? They just have this statue to try and show their friends they're cool. Wankers......"
My wife, a Christian - albeit by her own declaration a Pelagian heretic - has quite a collection of Buddha statues. I, the Buddhist of the family, have never acquired a single one except those the wife has given me. These latter are hand made items, not reproductions, and I often find them very useful as a focus when my mind has fallen into turmoil and I am trying to meditate - they are almost instantly calming, for what reason I do not know. Is it by association with the Dharma, or something else ?
The wife says that she likes them in the same way that she likes statues of the Virgin Mary, because of their spiritual associations. This despite the fact that she knows very little about Buddhism and isn't really at all interested in it.
Something about the very simple, monolithic form is inherently attractive, and this is greatly magnified if there is a spiritual association of some kind?
An image of one of those ancient and primitive fertility figures pops into my mind at this point, the ones with the big breasts and all that, making me think perhaps that humans have been fascinated by this sort of simple imagery for a very long time.
For me personally, when I see an image/statue/bust of the Buddha with that serene look upon his face and relaxed body posture ...in the conventional sense, you could say it just reminds me to chill out and go with the flow of the moment ...
However, no doubt there's a whole lot more things rapidly and subtly taking place amongst the firing neurons, recalling all the steps( and the teachings heard) which lead him to this place of serenity ie, the end result which came from the experiential understanding of the 4NTs and when following the 8FP...
So in a 'nutshell' .... (for me) The image/statue/bust of the Buddha represents the wholesome qualities we can all develop/aspire to and the inner peace that is here for the taking, should one choose to practice the Dharma....
Well said @Shoshin
What you describe is reinforcement as a skilful means; external symbolic representations of interior experiences. Great use can be made of images. Internal imaging/visualisation and mudra as for example used by ninja/shinobi are all relevant.
Even more esoteric practices exist ...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachikawa-ryu
If our meditation is a time of peaceful tranquility, perhaps involving incense, just taking out a small piece of incense and sniffing it will induce a calm state almost miraculously. The same thing is done by some tantrists with images of the Buddha worn in a bag around the neck, pictures of their teacher etc.
I know some people who have the statues of the jolly, fat Buddha because they think it'll bring riches. I don't believe in that kind of stuff so those statues don't do much for me. But just a random Buddha is nice to see. It makes me smile, no matter what the intent is of the person who placed it, or what beliefs they might have. If it is appropriate, I will take a grateful bow, not because I'm supposed to but because I just sometimes feel the desire to humble myself at Buddha's random appearance and reminder
It's amazing the places you will find them, even in very non-Buddhist areas.
I agree that religious representations of all sorts are just serene to look at, but I often find the Christian ones to be rather depressing and upsetting. I rarely see just a nice statue of Jesus or Mary. Mary always looks sad and forlorn, Jesus is almost always in the process of dying. It's just kind of disturbing to me that that is so often the take away from the vast system that is Christianity is one of sadness and despondency. But that might just be how they tend to do it here. I hope other areas are better. Christians always talk about being so joyous over Jesus and his resurrection but yet they focus SO much on his death more than anything else.
Not I @karasti ...he just makes me feel hungry...especially the chocolate ones
Seeing Buddha statues makes me feel good too, if they are not overly stylised. If the artist has endowed the statue with some life I connect to them more than the very sleek bronzes they put in some public or corporate spaces.
I often wonder if people purchasing them are aware of the different historical attributes of Gautama the Buddha as opposed to say Hotei, who is a fat jolly man frequently depicted outside restaurants. The makers often leave a few clues about which Buddha this is supposed to be, and it can be fun to try and untangle from the attribute which Buddha and in what tradition he was carved.
I don't think many are aware...Even some Buddhist practitioners no doubt are somewhat confused and mistakenly think Budai/Hotei ( which means "Cloth Sack") is the same as Shakyamuni Buddha (Gautama Siddhartha),,(For quite some time I too was in that confusion camp, thinking he was just the same) ...
However from what I have since gathered, he was just a plump happy go lucky, contented Chinese Chan (Zen) monk with a kind and caring heart, and whom by all accounts acted in an enlightened manner ...
I guess whatever helps to float ones raft in the oceans of Samsara
Coming back to the original question and image, this has been occupying a tiny corner of my mind for the last day, which has been slowly chipping away at the concept until some truth reveals itself. There is more to it than just "it makes me feel good", although that is important too.
Looking at the image of the Buddha above, it makes me think it symbolises a faith in serenity and meditative practice. It reaffirms a calmness, away from the turmoil of emotions and desires. It's the example of someone who is taking the time to sit down and just be and at the heart of that find a calm, smiling compassion for everyone.
I think it's more basic than a connection to the good parts of Buddhist lore or the path, although for a Buddhist of course those connotations are there. But it's become something quite universal, its appeal is wider than just Buddhists in the west given the number of gardens where you see a Buddha rather than a garden gnome.
@Shoshin. Hotei or Pu-tai is a beloved figure For both monks/layman. The laughing Buddha is so very kind. Legend tells us at the time of his death he reveals himself as an incarnation of Maitreya.
Maitreya. truly Maitreya
Countless times reborn
From time to time appearing among men
But by the men of the time unrecognized.
OM MAITREYA MAM SOHA
I recognise chocolate when I see it ... or rather taste it!
The laughing buddha became chocolate,
... now that is compassion!
OM MAITREYA MAM SOHA
“Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact.”
― George Eliot, Impressions of Theophrastus Such
I collect images and statues of Buddha. I found an antique drawing that is very special to me. It is not a look at me I am a hip Buddha guy. It is not a plastic dash board Jesus thing either. It is similar to the coin an AA member carries. When I get lost or go a stray (living in the material reference intentional) seeing his image grounds me.
Last week when I was shopping with my youngest, we stopped at a antiques/thrift store. there was a lovely, well made, heavy green Buddha statue that I couldn't help but touch. I see the little resin statues all over, and rarely feel a need to touch them. But I couldn't help it, in fact, i turned around and went back and touched it again and bowed to it. My son bowed too and said hi to Buddha
If I had the $200 for it, I would have bought it because it invoked such feeling in me. It is still on my mind, and if it is still there when I go back in 3 months, I will probably pick it up. I figure at that point if it's still there, then I've had long enough to think about it and make sure I have the money for it on hand. I have the perfect place for it, too.
Our sangha leader has an amazing statue of Kuan Yin/Avolokiteshvara that I just adore. he brought it home from Nepal and it's a site to behold. Authentic, hand made, hand painted. Truly lovely. It's a blessing just to see such a work of art.
I have a Buddha on my desk at work and I look at him for some time when I am feeling overwhelmed.