What to do with tiny Buddhas?

[bayamo]

I was hoping for the "sitting Siddhartha, Indian type" or even the "sitting fat Buddha" (pardon my ignorance, at the local bar and too lazy to Google the names), but I'd settle for that. But again, thank you!!!

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[Jundo]

... those "insta-mold" plastic tchotchkes you could get on the Florida Turnpike

I did not know that "tchotchkes" was Portuguese!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchotchke

[bayamo]

Well, I live in Brazil, but I'm American. That word I picked up from Mr. Maisel, my grandparents' neighbor. He observed the Sabbath and I was their "house goy" when I stayed over. That's what he'd call the little things I'd buy from those red vending machines at the supermarket.

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[Ankai]

Well... As far as appropriation of imagery, it's the same old same old everywhere. Imagine, someone like Madonna wearing a Catholic rosary as a fashion accessory! It's kind of silly. I'm not saying that to be judgmental with her, but I'm thinking of her behavior and what it represents in juxtaposition to the meaning of the thing around her neck. And, of course, all the Lucky Charms and whatnot that people have in their cars and all... On the one hand, I agree that it's just annoying to see Buddhist iconography used in such silly ways as making lucky charms out of sacred images, or fashion accessories out of Malas. (All for profit, of course...) On the other hand, it also makes it obvious that people have become increasingly comfortable with Buddhism here in the West, and that such images and whatnot are so common and prevalent that they're being taken for granted. As for the statues, I think any Buddhist Would agree that a Statue is just a statue. You can meditate in front of a beautiful statue, you can meditate in front of a broken light bulb. It's YOUR activity and non activity, your practice... not the object in front of you. As such, the statue is just a statue. It's not going to protect you. Not going to do anything but sit on the dashboard of a car, no matter where YOU happen to drive. Isn't that how it is with all our sacred images? just a statue... Just inanimate objects.
It's where YOU take it that matters. You are the one driving.
Of course, it's possible that such a statue sitting on someone's dashboard might actually cause them to be a little more mindful in the car ... And anything that keeps people's minds engaged in the activity at hand when they're hurtling down the road at 80 miles an hour in a 2000 pound weapon can only be a good thing...

Gassho. Sat today.
Ankai

[bayamo]

Well... As far as appropriation of imagery, it's the same old same old everywhere. Imagine, someone like Madonna wearing a Catholic rosary as a fashion accessory! It's kind of silly. I'm not saying that to be judgmental with her, but I'm thinking of her behavior and what it represents in juxtaposition to the meaning of the thing around her neck. And, of course, all the Lucky Charms and whatnot that people have in their cars and all... On the one hand, I agree that it's just annoying to see Buddhist iconography used in such silly ways as making lucky charms out of sacred images, or fashion accessories out of Malas. (All for profit, of course...) On the other hand, it also makes it obvious that people have become increasingly comfortable with Buddhism here in the West, and that such images and whatnot are so common and prevalent that they're being taken for granted. As for the statues, I think any Buddhist Would agree that a Statue is just a statue. You can meditate in front of a beautiful statue, you can meditate in front of a broken light bulb. It's YOUR activity and non activity, your practice... not the object in front of you. As such, the statue is just a statue. It's not going to protect you. Not going to do anything but sit on the dashboard of a car, no matter where YOU happen to drive. Isn't that how it is with all our sacred images? just a statue... Just inanimate objects.
It's where YOU take it that matters. You are the one driving.
Of course, it's possible that such a statue sitting on someone's dashboard might actually cause them to be a little more mindful in the car ... And anything that keeps people's minds engaged in the activity at hand when they're hurtling down the road at 80 miles an hour in a 2000 pound weapon can only be a good thing...

Gassho. Sat today.
Ankai

Madonna wore that rosary to fame... (yeah, with that I'm dating myself)

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[Amelia]

I did not know that "tchotchkes" was Portuguese!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchotchke

My mom literally writes in on boxes for storage... and then I started doing it as I got older and moved around... and the way we always spelled it was very, very wrong...

"Chochkies."



sat today, lah

[bayamo]

I really love this thread. #sattoday

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[drew]

I wonder as a typical american consumer, who was not religious in any sense. Did all the commercialization of Zen and Buddhas lead me to find zazen and Treeleaf?

[Amelia]

I wonder as a typical american consumer, who was not religious in any sense. Did all the commercialization of Zen and Buddhas lead me to find zazen and Treeleaf?

It's a possibility, and in that sense, not really a bad thing. Just cause and effect.

Gassho
Sat today, lah

[Hensho]

This discussion really changed my mind about a lot of things. In particular, I realized that I personally was too uptight about the way the Buddha is used and portrayed in pop culture. Most people, it seems, are perfectly fine with tiny driving Buddha buddies. Then we got into giant Buddhas and it all became rather humorous to me.

Big. Little. Fat. Skinny. On a shopping bag or a t-shirt or smiling from my computer monitor next to a golden cat. Welcome, Buddha.

Gassho,

Kate
satlah