HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR STATUE FOR YOUR BUDDHIST PRACTISE? ADVISES TO CHOOSE YOUR STATUE. CHOOSE WELL YOUR STATUE.

Buy a Buddhist statue, Buddha statue for my practice? Tips for choosing your Buddha statue

Motivation - Why buy?

Practice - Which deity to choose?

The store - Where to buy?

Quality - What to buy?

Consecration - Blessing of the statue by filling it with specific substances.

Material - What is the statue made of?

Budget - How much to spend?

Location - Where to place your Buddhist statue?

The end of your relationship - what to do?

Conclusions

1.2 Motivation - Why buy?

Your motivation is the best guide to help you find the Buddhist statue that suits you best.

The reasons behind the choice of a Buddhist statue are many and are related to our state of mind and emotions. The most common reason to have your own Buddhist statue is to use it as:

An instrument of devotion: a Buddhist statue can help you to better understand and remember the qualities of divinity and to integrate them into your practice using the teachings of Buddhism. A support for meditation practices: through the statue and the visualization of the deity, you can practice various exercises to find inner peace.

A blessing to your personal or professional environment: Buddhist statues can be consecrated and blessed by your lama / teacher / spiritual friend. Your daily routine as you walk past the statue will be to remind you of the qualities of the deity and/or make offerings to it (incense, flowers, saffron water, etc.).

An appreciation of the work of art: you recognize the artistic quality of this work and thus contribute to perpetuating this artisanal tradition. You can of course use it to create a specific atmosphere in your living space. Try to really internalize this question: what is your *REAL* motivation behind the act of buying a Buddhist statue? The answer will guide you in your search for a Buddha statue that suits you.

1.3 Practice - Which deity to choose?

If you have been practicing for a few years, you have probably already met a spiritual friend who is helping you along the way. Depending on your personality, on your daily practice, this spiritual friend can advise you on the divinity that possesses the qualities to be developed in yourself.

Here is a sample of the main deities of Buddhism:

Shakyamuni Buddha: commonly called "the Buddha". He is a historical figure who lived in the 6th century BC. He was born in historical India under the Sakya clan and was called Siddhartha. He is the symbol of enlightenment. Avalokiteshvara / Chenrezi: Incarnation of the compassion of all the Buddhas.

Vairochana: is one of the primordial Buddhas. Vairochana represents the purity of enlightenment.

Arya Tara / Green Tara: named the Great Liberator, she embodies the protection of all beings.

Each deity has its own set of qualities.

1.4 The Store - Where to Buy

Before you decide to buy, you should identify a store that guarantees the quality of its craftsmanship. Here is some mandatory information you need to get from a professional seller:

Origin: The origin of the product provides an indication of the quality of the manufacturer of the statues. For example, for the canons of Tibetan Buddhism, the best craftsmen come from Nepal. From Nepal, the art of making Buddhist statues has been exported to Tibet, where it has become increasingly popular.

Warranty: Are the duration and conditions of the warranty clearly stated?

Description: is the description sufficiently detailed (dimensions, weight, high-resolution image, material, manufacturing process, etc.)? By being able to check these details, you have the possibility to detect inconsistencies (e.g. size vs. weight for a given type of material, etc.).

Illustrations: Are the i mages of the Buddhist statue sufficiently numerous and detailed for you to verify the respect of the Buddhist canons? Ethical values: does the store respect certain ethical rules (fair price to the craftsman, ecological packaging and transport, carbon compensation for transport, etc.)?

Precautions for use: does the site provide instructions for the maintenance of a statue? How to clean it? How to store the statue? How to respect Buddhist etiquette? Etc.

The quality of the information provided by the store is a good indicator of the seriousness and professionalism of the store.

1.5 Quality - What to buy?

As an instrument of practice, a Buddhist statue must evoke from the practitioner a sense of devotion or refuge towards the deity represented. To this end, the quality of the statue must be high.

In order to assess the quality of a Buddhist statue, it is important to check aspects such as facial expression, accuracy of gestures and postures, etc.

1.5.1 The face

The face is the most important factor to look for when buying a Buddhist statue.

For example, if you decide to buy a golden statue, you should check that the face is painted with a 24k gold amalgam. After this painting, a master painter (usually a thangka painter) will finely draw the eyes, nose and lips. For some deities, the facial expression should represent compassion, considering that it should invoke devotion and respect within us.

The finer and more precise the painting of the statue, the better the quality of the statue.

An inspiring face is a good indicator of the preciousness of your Buddhist statue!

1.5.2 The body, gestures and postures

The deities are represented in different postures symbolizing the multiple qualities and aspects of the divinity. Here are a few examples:

Green Tara has her right foot on a small lotus that symbolizes her readiness to help those in need. Shakyamuni Buddha's hand gesture touching the earth symbolizes his willingness to use the earth as a testimony to his enlightenment.

Buddhas and deities are represented making gestures (mudras) with their hands and their legs are in certain postures.

When you buy a Buddhist statue, you must check the exact respect of the canons of your Buddhist tradition.

1.5.3 Attributes

The deities possess various attributes symbolising their multiple qualities. For example, for example..:

Clothes: the deities sometimes wear the traditional monk's robe or more elaborate clothes, such as a shawl, a silk skirt, a tunic with gold patterns, etc. The deities may also wear a traditional monk's robe or more elaborate clothes, such as a shawl, a silk skirt, a tunic with gold patterns, etc. The deities may also wear the traditional monk's robe. Clothes often represent total liberation from the torments caused by internal disturbances; Jewellery: ear, necklace, wrist, belt, etc. represent the fact that sensory pleasures are not suppressed but transformed into ornaments of wisdom.

Be careful, the attributes may vary from text to text, from practice to practice.

1.5.4 Engravings

The engravings on the body of the Buddhist statue are another essential aspect of the craftsman's mastery and the quality of the statue. The more numerous, fine and detailed the engravings, the greater the certainty that this Buddhist statue was made by a master craftsman. For example, for statues of Tibetan Buddhism, the best masters of craftsmanship are located in Patan, Nepal.

1.6 Consecration - Blessing of the statue by filling it with specific substances

It is not necessary to consecrate a Buddhist statue, but if you do, consider that the statue must be hollow in order to be filled and sealed.

For example, in the context of Tibetan Buddhism, a statue is filled according to a specific ritual with a long-life stick, mantras, sacred pills, precious materials such as saffron, symbolic engravings, etc. The statue is then filled with a long-lasting stick, mantras, sacred pills, etc., and the body is then filled with a special ritual. At the end of the filling, the Buddhist statue is sealed and blessed by a lama. The consecrated statue then becomes the embodiment of the qualities of the deity and blesses the practice of its owner.

1.7 Material - What is the statue made of?

The material of the statue does not, at first sight, matter so much. It is more a question of your personal taste and the budget you wish to invest.

You can find very good Buddhist statues for practice in different materials: gold plated (total / partial), oxidized copper, wood, semi-precious stone, resin, bronze, etc..

1.8 The Budget - How much to spend?

It is not necessary to spend a fortune on a Buddha statue for your daily practices.

Well-designed Buddhist resin statues that match the Buddhist canons start from a budget of about 40 € for a statue of +-15 cm.

Of course, there is no upper limit! You will find gold-plated statues made by the greatest masters at more than a thousand euros for a 15 cm statue and even tens of thousands of euros for a marble statue a few meters high for a temple.

Our advice is this: start spending a small budget on your first Buddhist statue, then as you practice and develop an affinity with the deity, you can invest a larger budget in a beautifully crafted statue.

1.9.2 In an apartment

It is advisable that your Buddhist statue be placed in an elevated, clean place and be separated from more "mundane" products. Other objects should not be placed above Dharma statues.

Feng Shui is another valuable method to know where to place your Buddhist statue.

1.9.3 In a garden

The Buddhist statue will always have to face your house to transmit a positive influence. You should also avoid placing a Buddhist statue on the floor. This is considered disrespectful. A solid piece of rock or marble is preferable to place your Buddhist statue on it.

1.10 The end of your relationship - What to do?

If you don't want to keep your Buddha statue, don't throw it away!

Contact the nearest Buddhist center and make a donation. By doing so, the statue will bring you merit until the end of your relationship.

1.11 Conclusions

A Buddhist statue can bring many benefits, but you must first find the one that suits you!

Remember: on the Internet, you can find many types of Buddhist statues (deities, quality, price, etc.).

Do not hesitate to also ask the seller to have the Buddhist statue blessed by a monk from the nearest Buddhist centre.

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