What to do with tiny Buddhas?

[Hensho]

Since joining Treeleaf, I have become more aware of what it's like to live in a world in which the dominant expressions of faith are not sensitive to people of other faiths. To be less oblique: I see the Buddha referenced by people and in contexts that feel like a total misuse. For example, my company offers a mindfulness class over lunch. You can already guess that their idea of mindfulness is different from what we might say--but that doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that the leader gave out tiny jade Buddhas and told people to put him on their windshields so that the Buddha could keep them safe while they drove.

I thought, "why is that okay?" If the leader gave out tiny jade Jesus statues, people would complain to HR. But somehow tiny mystical driving Buddhas for everyone is fine?

I made a fuss and my friend put her tiny jade Buddha away. But I did not go to HR. Partly because I'm still not sure what I think. Buddha is everywhere. He sits in he corner of my local yoga studio even though there is nothing overtly Buddhist about hot power workout yoga. Buddha is on jewelry at the mall. Buddha is on notebooks and t-shirts and garden stores.

I've very glad to see Buddha wherever I go, and I don't mind that many of the people who've placed him there are not Buddhist. Maybe it's just that little green safe driving Buddha that irks me.

Please let me know what you think.

Gassho,

Kate
Sat today / lah

[Jundo]

Well, I see no problem with it. I would think that one of the Christian folks would be more likely to object. I personally don't have a tiny Buddha in my car, but my wife and mother-in-law do put protective Shinto amulets on our kids' school bags. They look like this, and are found all over Japan ... some are even cute ...

Personally, I don't think that they do much, nor the little Buddha in the windscreen, but they do make people feel better.

In some places in Asia, such as Thailand and Taiwan, this is very common ...

Also, some temples do this in Japan ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbc57gh8dMo

Not my cup of tea ... but the wife totaled our car last month, and I had a fender bender ... so maybe I should consider it!

Gassho, J

STLah

[Jundo]

In Thailand, however, it is illegal to misuse images of Buddha. Such as these.

Of course, for Zen people, "Buddha" is found everywhere, head to toe and in the clean and dirty ... so not so much a problem. Still, I can see how some folks would object ...

https://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/how-not-to-treat-the-buddha/

Here in Japan, there was a minor uproar because they were selling a candy called "Buddha Snot" ...

The package says ":Boogers from the nose of the Lord Buddha", and it was apparently sold at the gift shops near one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Japan.

The Telegraph reports that priests at one of Japan's most famous temples have taken steps to block the sale of a sweet marketed as the "Snot from the nose of the Great Buddha". They have prevented the name being registered as a trade mark office, but have been unable to stop vendors selling the sweets to hordes of tourists who flock to see the giant Buddha in the ancient capital, Nara, in western Japan. Yamamoto Bussan, the company that launched the sweet three years ago, has said that in a recession a product name needs to make a strong impact. A spokesman said some employees had doubts about the name, so it was decided to attach the ultra-polite suffix sama to Buddha's name. But the sweet's packaging shows an irreverent picture of Buddha picking his nose.

You may enjoy the rest of the below old thread, which also featured the God-Jesus Robot windup toy ...

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?6703-Selling-Buddha&p=28365&viewfull=1#post28365

Gassho, J

[Kyousui]

What bothers me is that the leader gave out tiny jade Buddhas and told people to put him on their windshields so that the Buddha could keep them safe while they drove.

I thought, "why is that okay?" If the leader gave out tiny jade Jesus statues, people would complain to HR. But somehow tiny mystical driving Buddhas for everyone is fine?
Please let me know what you think.

Gassho,

Kate
Sat today / lah

Sounds like the leader was a convert buddhist, because that's just like the christian St. Christoper medals everybody in my catholic area used to have in their car.
That is until St Christopher got demoted officially to just a mythological figure.

sat/lah

[Kyoshin]

In some places in Asia, such as Thailand and Taiwan, this is very common ...

...

70% of taxi dashboards in Ho Chi Minh City look just like that, except with indigenous and Chinese deities alongside Buddha. The other 30% have crucifixes and Virgins Mary instead.

Gassho,
Kyōshin
Satlah

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[Heiso]

That's an interesting question that I hadn't considered. I'm not sure I'm personally that bothered about statues of the Buddha, I think I get more puzzled by the constant out of context use of the word 'Zen'.

Gassho,

Neil

STLaH

[Kyoshin]

That's an interesting question that I hadn't considered. I'm not sure I'm personally that bothered about statues of the Buddha, I think I get more puzzled by the constant out of context use of the word 'Zen'.

Gassho,

Neil

STLaH

Same here. I'm a much more irritated by indiscriminate use of the word 'Zen' than I am by little Buddha figurines. People see a Buddha statue on my shelf and say "how nice." People hear the word Zen and suddenly I'm explaining for the millionth time, no my religion does not involve taking bong rips in front of said Buddha statue and being blissed out all the time, and yes I am actually allowed to have the full range of human emotions even the cranky ones. [emoji16]

Gassho,
Kyōshin
Satlah

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[Shinshi]

Since joining Treeleaf, I have become more aware of what it's like to live in a world in which the dominant expressions of faith are not sensitive to people of other faiths. To be less oblique: I see the Buddha referenced by people and in contexts that feel like a total misuse. For example, my company offers a mindfulness class over lunch. You can already guess that their idea of mindfulness is different from what we might say--but that doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that the leader gave out tiny jade Buddhas and told people to put him on their windshields so that the Buddha could keep them safe while they drove.

I thought, "why is that okay?" If the leader gave out tiny jade Jesus statues, people would complain to HR. But somehow tiny mystical driving Buddhas for everyone is fine?

I made a fuss and my friend put her tiny jade Buddha away. But I did not go to HR. Partly because I'm still not sure what I think. Buddha is everywhere. He sits in he corner of my local yoga studio even though there is nothing overtly Buddhist about hot power workout yoga. Buddha is on jewelry at the mall. Buddha is on notebooks and t-shirts and garden stores.

I've very glad to see Buddha wherever I go, and I don't mind that many of the people who've placed him there are not Buddhist. Maybe it's just that little green safe driving Buddha that irks me.

Please let me know what you think.

Gassho,

Kate
Sat today / lah

My take on this is that object is not sacred in and of itself - it is our interaction with the object that makes it sacred or secular. So the whole world can be (is) sacred if we view it that way and it can be secular at the same time - depending on how we engage with it.

So, for me, I don't get upset by people who do things like put Buddha statues in their car or house as long as they aren't malicious in their intent. If someone is using a religious symbol as a way of expressing hate or intolerance that is something completely different.

It can be an opportunity for a little education, or to open a dialogue with that person about what Buddhism meas to you.

And maybe having the Buddha around will make them feel a little better. Or maybe even spark in interest in learning more about Buddhism.


This reminded me of when I was in my 20s and just learning about Buddhism. There was a Japanese Restaurant in Minneapolis that served drinks in mugs like this:



I always wondered what people would do if a restaurant started to serve drinks with a straw coming out of the Pope's belly.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Timchenko_Oleg]

[хлопки]

[Shoki]

That's an interesting question that I hadn't considered. I'm not sure I'm personally that bothered about statues of the Buddha, I think I get more puzzled by the constant out of context use of the word 'Zen'.

Gassho,

Neil

STLaH

Neil,
I'm the same. I go to the grocery store and see zen shampoo, zen soft drinks, etc. If you asked these marketing execs who came up with this for a definition of zen I doubt they could do it. Even some of the people closest to me don't even know I practice. Some have some vague idea that it is some kind of relaxation technique or something. I just cant be bothered explaining.
A few weeks ago I went to pick up some Chinese take out food and at the cash register they have some little buddha statues. I bought one and the Chinese woman behind the counter said, Oh yes, for good luck! Sigh.

Gassho, STlah
James

[Victor]

I must say that that would bother me just a bit too. Just like it slightly bothers me lately to find that mala have become a fashion accessory and devoid of meaning. For example, this one which is made as apparel for fans of University of Virginia sports. That said, seeing the comments by Jundo and others, this helps me to have a better view of it and I think in time, I'll be able to let it stop bothering me

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[Ryushi]

Commercialization of religion has always bothered me, both when I was a Baptist and now that I'm a Buddhist. "Jesus and the money changers" was and is one of my favorite stories, naturally!

Lion's Roar used to have a column called "Dharma Burgers" that pointed out, with some amusement, the mainstream adoption of Buddhist terms.

What to do? Smile and move on. If the moment is suitable, as Shinshi suggests take the opportunity to teach.

EDIT: I was recently on vacation in Sedona, AZ. The whole place is a "New Age" spiritual tourism Mecca and I've never seen so many Buddhas in an American town. I had very mixed feelings about it, but it generated multiple conversations about my Buddhism with my in-laws. Which was a good thing!

Sat today. Gassho.

[Victor]

Commercialization of religion has always bothered me, both when I was a Baptist and now that I'm a Buddhist. "Jesus and the money changers" was and is one of my favorite stories, naturally!

Lion's Roar used to have a column called "Dharma Burgers" that pointed out, with some amusement, the mainstream adoption of Buddhist terms.

What to do? Smile and move on. If the moment is suitable, as Shinshi suggests take the opportunity to teach.

EDIT: I was recently on vacation in Sedona, AZ. The whole place is a "New Age" spiritual tourism Mecca and I've never seen so many Buddhas in an American town. I had very mixed feelings about it, but it generated multiple conversations about my Buddhism with my in-laws. Which was a good thing!

Sat today. Gassho.

You'd definitely have some mixed feelings about Asheville, NC then! Particularly downtown.

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[Science Abbot]

That is an interesting question. Personally, I would rather be pleased that Buddha is so well accepted, rather than upset that Buddha is not being shown religious reverence. I think Buddha meant to be a teacher more than a founder of a religion. People may be more inclined to look into his teachings when Buddhist traditions and art are an ingrained part of mainstream culture. Baby steps.

Buddhism lends itself to the secular world more so than Christianity and most other religions. Maybe because today it is less fantastical and uniquely practical. Maybe because its history is not so controversial.

Everybody likes a little Buddha. I put a Buddha next to my outdoor bonsai tree and a bird took it. Even the birds like a little Buddha.

Gassho,
Wuyi
Sat/LAH

[Jundo]

This reminded me of when I was in my 20s and just learning about Buddhism. There was a Japanese Restaurant in Minneapolis that served drinks in mugs like this:

Since Buddha wishes to quench our thirsts in life, I have no problem with this. (Maybe only if there were booze inside).

Here, by the way, is a little information on "Hotei", the "pudgy Buddha" sometimes said to be Maitreya that is probably best known from Chinese restaurants and such ...

The image of Hotei is almost always seen carrying a cloth or linen sack. It is usually filled with many precious items, including candy for children, food, or the woes of the world. Sometimes it can be filled with children, as they are seen as some of those precious items of this world. In some scenes he may be found sitting on a cart drawn by boys.

The large, fat belly is a symbol of happiness, luck, and generosity.

The name Hotei actually means "cloth bag" or "glutton." A legend has it that if a person is to rub his belly, it brings forth wealth, good luck, and prosperity.

The Laughing Buddha, also known as Hotei in Japan, Pu-Tai in China, embodies the ideals of the good life: health, happiness, prosperity and longevity.

Monks and commercial travelers spread the Buddhist message throughout the East, northward into Afganistan and Tibet, eastward to China and Japan, as well as south into Ceylon and Indonesia. As with any religious message, changes in the nature of Buddhist practice and understanding were inevitable as the religion was absorbed within different cultures.

Scholars have long commented on the contrast between India’s penchant for lofty idealisms as against the Chinese focus on the practicalities of the here-and-now. Over the centuries within China, Buddhist notions of happiness based on self-mastery and enlightened insight were fused with popular Chinese life-ideals of happiness through material prosperity.

Iconographers in the 10th century summed up these various elements of happiness in a representation of the fat Laughing Buddha, clutching his prayer beads in one hand and with a bag of gold in the other. The large number of children usually surrounding him illustrates another Chinese virtue - a large family consisting of many children.

Moreover, there is belief, that the Laughing Buddha is in fact modeled on an historical figure, a fat wandering Zen monk named Pu Tai, who possibly claimed to be an incarnation of the future Buddha Maitreya (Chinese Mi-lo-fo; Japanese Miroku). One poem attributed to him reads:

Mi-lo, true Mi-lo
Reborn innumerable times
From time to time manifested to men
The men of the age do not recognize you

More here ...

http://www.newsfinder.org/site/more/hotei_pu_tai_maitreya_all_known_as_the_laughing_buddha/