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Home altar question
Is there a reason for the different looking (or maybe types) of Buddha statues? I’m in the process of designing and building a small home altar and can not find any information on this.
Advice on style would also be appreciated. (I did read the thread “Building you own altar” and didn’t find my answer)
Thank you all, peace.
Advice on style would also be appreciated. (I did read the thread “Building you own altar” and didn’t find my answer)
Thank you all, peace.
0
Comments
Palzang
The "fat/laughing Buddha" is not the historical Buddha, but Hotei (Milefo in Chinese). Telling statues of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni apart from Amitabha and Medicine Master Buddha is really tricky.
Apparently, the big 'tell' is to look at the hands. Usually, Shakyamuni Buddha isn't portrayed holding anything, if the statue is seated in lotus but holding a lidded bowl or a bowl and a plant, it's probably Medicine Master Buddha. Sometimes Amitabha Buddha is shown in a meditative posture, but holding an alms bowl. Also, Amitabha is often shown with his hands in a distinctive mudra - both hands in loose fists, pressed together in his lap. So if the statue has the 'classic' meditation mudra with no ornamentation, it's probably Shakyamuni (or Kannon/Guan Yin, but she's a girl so hard to mix up with the Buddha!).
Only Shakyamuni is shown in the earth-touching mudra (left hand on lap, right hand touching the ground).
Some images of Maitreya look a lot like Shakyamuni as well, but seated images of Maitreya almost always have him in a throne with both feet flat on the ground (not in lotus posture).
When it comes to standing images, or ones using the fearless mudra (right hand palm out at shoulder height), anyone's guess is as good as mine, I can't tell them apart!
Palzang
Once you detach from what you think the Buddha SHOULD look like - then they're all the right Buddhas!!
Yeah I know about hotei, I actually wiki'd him not so long ago. I still dig him anyway, everyone loves a jolly fat guy, look at santa, everyone loves santa. Maybe I can think of hotei as a buddhist santa, who really doesnt bring you anything and has funny earlobes. (why do they always make him with weird long earlobes)
Anyways, I might be mistaken but didnt the buddha expressly ask his disciples not to make statues or images of him? I know in some Zen temples Ive read about they just have a large rock in the prayer room that symbolizes the buddha so that he doesnt become an object of worship........Of course then your praying to a big rock, which Im not sure is much better. Maybe Im off base on this though, Ill have to check some books of mine and see where I got that from.......
I'm sure there's no actual prohibition on Buddha statues in the Triptika, but I have heard that statues weren't common in the earliest Buddhist archaeological sites. I don't remember where I heard that or when/why it was supposed to have changed.
Thank you very much for that information, Palzang. As you could probably tell from my earlier post, I'm much more familiar with Chinese and Japanese iconography. My own painting of Shakyamuni Buddha is from Malaysia (a gift from a friend), he's in the meditative posture, but easily identified since 南無本師釋迦牟尼佛 is written across the top of the painting! I've never noticed the stupa in Maitreya Buddha's hair, but I recently saw a Chinese statue of Amitabha holding a stupa, which seemed a bit unusual - it was part of a set along with Shakyamuni Buddha (in meditation mudra) and Medicine Buddha (holding a lidded pot).
Oh, I forgot in my last post - the historical Buddha is also the only buddha shown lying down (on his side with his head propped in one hand). That represents him entering paranirvana.
PS - Knitwitch, I don't think that's incorrect at all. Just that, if you're setting up a home altar, the statue of the historical Buddha should be in the centre, other buddhas and bodhisattvas to the side.
Well you know my home-cooking - no one can resist.
And unfortunately my two Buddhas have to share the altar with a Goddess and a Green Man - see what I mean about being in two minds ..... and that is not counting when I am in Scotland when I am an honorary Quaker.
I can cope, really I can.:cool:
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Kidneys House the Chi of the Body, and it is termed Original Chi. It is made up of Inherited (parental) Chi, and newly generated Chi, belonging to you.
The fundamental objective is to nourish, channel and take care of this latter Chi.
This Chi fills the abdomen, an area known in TCM as the Dan Tien or in Japanese, as the Hara.
The Buddha has an enormous belly because of his abundant and wonderful Chi, not because he is well-fed - ! His Chi is so wonderful, so magnificently generated that its plentiful quality is visible to all.
The size of his ears reflect the quality and state of his Kidneys, as the ears are not only associated by their shape and size to the person's kidneys, but they also reflect the state of the Energy of the Human Body as a whole (There are many points on the ears which, in acupuncture are used to treat Energetic imbalances all over the body.) The ears also have some very important points for treating addictions and dependancies... Something we could do with stimulating when we develop an attachment to material transitory things....
When people suffer from tinnitus, an alteration to the quantity of salt in the diet, and the amount of water drunk, can make a difference to the affliction. These two foodstuffs are filtered out of the system predominantly - by the kidnesy....
The Chinese made a connection nearly 4000 years before Western medicine caught up....!
That concludes todays TCM lesson. Questions will be asked and papers passed round....!!
jacx no worries dude, you know alot about buddha statues......do you collect them?
federica........so if adjust the salt in my diet....the ringing in my ears will go away, and my kideys will be healthier...resulting in long earlobes?.......sweet who knew...
I found this little snippet just doing some quick research....kinda interesting, no author listed for it though, so I dont know how correct it is..
because of the religion's early reaction against Hinduism's abundant idolatry, idols of the Buddha were originally discouraged. Additionally, the Buddha's teachings stressed internal worship, rather than external, ecclesiastical rituals.
Today, though, Buddha statues are ubiquitous. The trend, Sluyter says, began with people's natural wish for a tangible place to practice, combined with a bit of cleverness.
"People wanted a focus of their devotion, a place to lay their flowers and burn their incense. So they had representations of the Buddha's footprint." Indeed, some of the earliest examples of Buddhist art show these negative reliefs, acting as ghostly records of the Buddha's time on earth.
As Buddhism migrated to new lands, diverse religious art spread with it. Tibetan Buddhist art, in particular, stressed devotional awareness, Sluyter said.
"Every detail has spiritual significance: the number of jewels on a deity's crown, or the position of the legs of a seated Buddha—they all represent very specific aspects of the unfoldment of awareness into enlightenment
The cauldron in the garden and pentacle on the door tend to make the JW keep their distance. So do three enormous dogs (mwuh mwuh)
There are Buddha statues, thangkas, a bronze of Kwan Yin with my old rosary round her upraised hand, a Green Man, dragon-head bookends, a goddess statue, a Celtic cross, and three polished ammonites. They all have personal connections and they can all be focus. They are also dust-traps!
.... yes, I forgot the rosary....
There is quite a difference between decorating the house with Buddha/Buddhist images, and actually setting up an altar. In the first case, I don't think there are many strict guidelines. Except that it's considered disrespectful to put Buddha statues on/near the floor (where people would step on or over them), or in the bathroom. An altar is quite a more formal affair, and (with some variation between traditions) there are definite expectations about what should/should not be included and how arranged. So don't invite a monk friend over to see your altar unless you don't mind him re-arranging it for you!