Looking for a new/gently used Buddha statue in the Thai forest tradition

Theswingisyellow

hello everyone
I am looking for a Buddha statue for my shrine. I would like to get one in the Thai style. Anyone know of a good site where I could find one? All help is appreciated.
All the best and thank you,
Todd

Cloud

That's funny, b/c I don't associate the Thai Forest tradition with having shrines or statues, after reading the teachings of Ajahn Chah. Keep the Buddha in your heart; make that your shrine!

Now-Is-reality

I thought the shrine thing was more Tibetan...?

Mr_Serenity

You could search ebay for Thai Buddha or related subjects. They will have a few on there.

formermonkJohn

several years ago the thai buddhist temple was selling new brass statues for a $50 donation, youre not really supposed to pay money for buddha statues, and no, buddha shrines are not just a tibetan thing, try the temples in youre area, they might just give you one. also a good picture is a good substitute if you dont have a statue, some vases with flowers, maybe water and rice and an incense burner. each tradition tends to have slightly different ways about how to set up an alter though. sincerely john

Theswingisyellow

From abhayagiri monastery:
http://www.abhayagiri.org/gallery/presentation/1329/
I do try to keep the Buddha, his teachings, mindfulness and compassion always with me. I am visual and somewhat reverential. I don't "worship" my Buddha statues; I find images of the Buddha both inspiring and beautiful. I have a shrine that I light incense and candles on while I meditate. I practice vipassana and metta meditation. I don't require a shrine and can meditate just about anywhere (I often do in my day) but it's a bit of a sacred place for me. Mr Serenity I will check out ebay.

All the best,
Todd

Theswingisyellow

John,
Thank you for the clarification and suggestions.
All the best,
Todd

federica

several years ago the thai buddhist temple was selling new brass statues for a $50 donation, youre not really supposed to pay money for buddha statues,

Oh really?

That's odd. Not to say slightly ludicrous.

Where on earth did you hear this?
How are you supposed to obtain a statue of the Buddha, if you want one, without buying one?

Incidentally, my local temple bought one with donations made by supporters of the temple. Although the Monks didn't enter into any financial communications at all, themselves, funds from the temple coffers were used to purchase a statue for the main temple.

so really, your comment is completely groundless....

formermonkJohn

because i made a 50 donation and got a statue, but they made it very clear it was a donation i wasnt actually paying for the statue, all the statues i have now were given to me by the temple, when i tried to open a temple in my home, and because"THE MONKS TOLD ME IT IS FORBIDDEN TO BUY OR SELL BUDDHA STATUES' im going to start calling you doubting federica, because you dont believe anything i say, when all my friends know me for being too honest to a fault, im not a liar, none of this stuff is made up, im sure if you went and asked an asian monk at your temple thed tell you the same thing, with perhaps some rejoinder, but here in the west we cant do it that way we have to pay for them.

federica

I never called you a liar, I said that the assertion that not being able to buy Buddha statues is odd, ludicrous and groundless.

Ok let's break this down a bit:
if you consider your comment, you will see it's completely illogical.

There are millions of temples all over the planet, which contain Buddha statues. They weren't all donated. Money exchanged hands.
There are further commercial ventures (some merely on the bandwagon to make money, others firmly entrenched in Buddhist values) who all sell Buddha statues. Some of these places are Buddhist temples.

Monks are not permitted to handle money or use money for personal financial gain, which is why they probably took pains to emphasise that your money was a donation.
Like it or not, you bought a statue from them. It's just that the payment was called something else. Contribution, donation, whatever - you paid for it.

It is forbidden according to their precepts to buy or sell anything.
So they called it a donation, and underpinned it by hammering the point home. This was to make damned sure that you would never drop them in the crud by telling other people - "Isn't my Buddha statue lovely? I bought this from my local temple."

They did it for their own protection, not because you can't buy statues.

mugzy

I would like to get one in the Thai style.

What makes a statue specifically Thai style? I didn't realize there was a big difference. I purchased the Shakyamuni Buddha from FPMT and I love it!

MellowViper

Yah, I don't think there's anything within Buddhism that claims that the physical form of the statue is so intrinsically sacred that you have to follow really specific restrictions on how they're economically acquired. The image is more about the concepts tied to it than anything else, and its there as a visual reminder for Buddhists to keep on the path of the Buddha.

Thai Buddhas are some of the most beautiful ones. I'd like to get one myself.

http://cgi.ebay.com/40cm-Wooden-Thai-Buddha-Statue-wood-Doubel-Hand-Bali-/300524226325?pt=UK_Collectables_ReligionSpirituality_EH&hash=item45f8a3c715

Here's an ebay link for starters. I saw some other one's on there, but this is my fav. It is rather pricey though, and its from England.

I love the detail work on it. I think this or something like it would look nice next to some shrubery or under a Bonzai tree shaped to look like Bodhi tree or something.

I hope that's what thai forest is. I don't know the specifics. I just know its thai, and it looks really awesome.

I'll try to find one with that pointy crown if that's what you mean.

dorje

@mugzy The Thai style has the ushnisha(protrusion above the head) ending in a pointed flame. The rest usually doesn't.

formermonkJohn

as to buying or not buying buddha statues i did a hour long google search, nothing but buddhas for sale, one place said in thailand you cant buy buddhas from the temple but only rent them, sometimes for generations, its nice to make assertions about things that dont make sense to you but ultimately its what the monks say that matters, not your own logic, ill make a point of asking about it again next time at temple and report back, maybe they were just saying its bad luck to buy buddhas instead of having them given to you, but they certainly said something about, i hope youll believe me when i check it, im not saying my memory is perfect, but its pretty good....

MellowViper

http://picclick.com/11-5-Thai-Sitting-Buddha-Statue-350353263229.html

Check this one out. Its quite a bit cheaper than the other link too.

MellowViper

http://stores.ebay.de/buddhastyle-2008/Buddha-Figuren-/_i.html?rt=nc&_fsub=12030583&_sid=82645369&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=5

Check this guys store out. Its the same seller as the first link. You're bound to find one you like. Some of them are really expensive though. BTW, its out of Germany. I thought it was England because the GBP was listed as the currency in that first link for some odd reason.

tbunton

I bought mine at the local Wal-mart, but wierdly enough, they pulled them from the shelves and stopped carrying them. Dont know why?

federica

stock change. Wal-mart rotates some items and keeps them for a finite period of time. Natural selection. Happens everywhere. Especially if something isn't a big seller.

Cinorjer

Several avenues to explore. If you have some sort of big indoor market, of the type where people can rent booths, there will usually be a Asian booth with gobs of imported Buddhas for sale. I troll through the local thrift stores and rescue any Buddhas I find, and have a collection with some beautiful and rare statues now. And for some reason, garden supply places have cement Buddhas to put in an outside garden that might need some painting. That's always puzzled me. You don't see them sell statues of Christ to put in gardens.

federica

They do....In Italy....
You should see them.

Cinorjer

Huh. I bet people here just want to copy those fabulous Japanese gardens they see on TV and such.

federica

Yes, I have a six-acre one, complete with mossy billowing hillocks, bridges, ponds full of koi fish, and a small temple under clipped pines.
it's right here, all in my head.... see it?

Theswingisyellow

Guys thanks for all the input and mello thanks for the links I actually have three buddha statues, one is a 12" bronze in more of a Japanese style, the other two are Tibetan style, both are gilded, 6" and 8". I just wanted one, more in the lineage that I practice in, to have on my shine.
All the best,
Todd

MellowViper

Huh. I bet people here just want to copy those fabulous Japanese gardens they see on TV and such.

Yah, maybe subconsciously. Those are tight.

Mountains

THE MONKS TOLD ME IT IS FORBIDDEN TO BUY OR SELL BUDDHA STATUES

Maybe for them, but for the rest of the world? Do you get arrested by the Buddhist police if you do? The notion is kind of silly. I've purchased several Buddha statues, and I didn't see any men in trench coats lurking about the establishments where I bought them.

dorje

The only thing the Buddhist police ever told me to do is to pick fresher fruit to offer at the temple. Your Buddhist police are so ghetto Mtns.