Care and Placement of Buddha Statues

 

The image of Buddha seems to be literally popping up all over the place! Due to increased popularity in Feng Shui and yoga, more homes and businesses are now displaying the Enlighted One. 

Do you desire to develop inner qualities of peace, beauty, and harmony? If so, welcoming Buddha in your living space can help you attain them. Even just displaying a simple likeness of him will do wonders to help circulate beneficial chi. 

It’s not a requirement to be a Buddhist in order to own a statue of him. However, as with all spiritual icons and statues from any faith, there are some general guidelines to follow out of respect for what his image represents. 

Any Buddhist monk will tell you, just plopping Buddha somewhere and rubbing his tummy will do nothing to change your luck. Many Feng Shui web sites selling “supernatural” Buddha’s might lead you to believe the opposite. However if glancing at his image evokes a sense of mindfulness and compassion for all sentient beings, you have tapped into the true magic of Buddha. 

Sitting beneath the Bodhi Tree, Buddha meditated upon the rising Sun and reached enlightenment. Therefore his statue should always face east. Each morning the first solar rays of the new day will cast their warmth upon his likeness, awakening a rebirth in consciousness for all in the dwelling. Besides being totally disrespectful, it’s bad luck to place Buddha in a bathroom. Also the statue should never face one. A toilet should not be in a room directly behind nor above either. Doing so will flush down the drain your good luck each time it is used. 

Buddha should never be placed on the bare floor or ground. He must always be on some platform or pedestal. Many years ago I had a Buddhist Master come to my home to bless a new statue outside. He was quite distraught when he saw that it was on the bare ground. The monk with him took some nearby braches, lovingly broke them, and placed them under the statue. So it can be some humble twigs or stones even, but there must be something between his statue and the dirt. 

Nothing should be hanging above Buddha. If you keep his statue on a shelf, make sure that it is on the top and not surrounded by a lot of unrelated clutter. 

Please keep Buddha clean! Dust accumulating on or around the statue is disrespectful. It will bring filth into your own life. 

Since one of the functions of the bedroom is for lovemaking, it is not considered proper to keep his likeness there. However if it is the only place in the home where you can, his image should reside in a cabinet with doors. When going to sleep, you must close the doors to it. Also the cabinet should not hang over the bed or be directly across from the foot of it. 

A Buddha facing the front door from inside the home can protect you from harmful visitors and intruders. His image will evoke a sense of mindfulness and blessings to all as they enter. 

There are countless representations of Buddha. Picking the right one can boggle the mind when shopping. However each one denotes attainment achieved thru the mastering of a specific spiritual quality. Therefore before purchasing one you might want to do some research on the meaning of the different poses. Then procure the statue best representing the desired attribute you need to master. Doing so will honor your personal Buddha Nature. 

You can also just ask Buddha to decide for you. Put forth a pure and clear intention to acquire the correct Buddha and you will be drawn to the one right for you or get it as a gift. Countless times I have heard non-Buddhist clients say they feel the statue speaks to them. 

Please, no haggling over the price! Buying a discounted Buddha is great, maybe even a sign that he’s already bringing you prosperity via the savings. However do not bargain over the purchase price to get the salesperson down. It is considered disrespectful, bad form, and bad luck. The same law applies to statues of Kuan Yin. 

If your statue breaks or is damaged it should be disposed of in a reverent manner. Never throw Buddha in the trash. Instead it should be buried outside or contact a Buddhist monastery. The monks may want to keep it or bury it themselves. This applies to all Buddha statues, even those not blessed or purchased from a temple.