The Buddha Image: A Foundation for Attachment

Madeline Brisbane Buddhism Course Assignment 11/16/11 The Buddha Image A female genital organ for Attachment According to Freedburg, the power of The Power of Images, a figure resembling human form enables the reconstitution of life and makes the heedless present and the dead alive (p. 11)1. An stove preserves the aura of the person it resembles, and therefore exclusivelyows for an eternal warmheartedness to remain later on death. Within the realm of Buddhism, tropes of the Buddha serve a wide variety of spiritual and interoperable purposes. For some, cargon a Buddha meet in their home is a sign of respect.Others find it comforting and placid to look at a Buddha image. In some parts of the world, specifically Southeast Asia, the Buddha image is a symbol of supernatural power and protection, and is essential to the efficacy of rituals. If a ritual fails to succeed in the absence seizure of a Buddha image, so there must be an interdependency in the midst of images and ri tualistic success. And if an interdependency exists, then the entire concept contradicts the Buddhas pedagogy of non-attachment because the ritual becomes attached to the bearing of a Buddha image.Through an analysis of he origins and growth of the use of Buddha images and relics in Southeast Asia, it would appear that an obsession with the social movement of a Buddha image has emerged, conflicting with Buddhas teaching about non-attachment. As the second Noble Truth states, attachment is the origin of suffering. Therefore, to foster an interdependency between images and ritualistic success would go against the most fundamental value of Buddhism.In post to maintain the most underlying ideals of Buddhism, the Buddha image must only serve as a reminder of the Buddhas presence rather than s a necessity component of practicing rituals effectively. To image the Buddha is not a modern concept the Buddha must bedevil always been imagined through stories, myths, and symbols. However, there are many legends surrounding the origins or the first Buddha image. The most relevant theory regarding the original Buddha image to Southeast Asia is the story of the sandalwood statue.The story appears in many Buddhist texts that emerged everywhere time throughout Asia. Most relevant to Southeast Asia is the Pali text from Sri Lanka recounted in the Kosala-Bimba-Vannana. In ummary, the story claims that after King Pasanedi of Kosala arrived to the Jetavana monastery to visit the Buddha only to find the Buddha away on a Journey, he leaves in disappointment. He returns later and tells the Buddha that to he would like to have an image made in the likeness of the Tathagata for the benefit of the whole world. 2 The Buddha then adds that those who build an image of the Buddha will accrue a great, immeasurable, incalculable benefit. 3 Upon visual perception the gilded, yellow- robed statue, with the Buddhas teaching inscribed into the statue, the Buddha xpands on the praiseworthy benefits ot making Buddha images . These benefits include avoiding rebirth into Buddhist hells cosmos reborn into wealthy families and tied(p)tually attaining enlightenment. Within the statue, the dharma and the Buddha image are cohesively conjoined. 4From this ancient tale, it is clear that the first Buddha image was built based on the kings desire to feel the presence of the Buddha even when he was not physically present. The need to feel the Buddhas presence has survived thousands of years, as many Buddhists still cherish the Buddha image as a reminder of his prevailing presence. Despite the non-theistic nature of early Buddhism, the dedication that followers of the path have to keeping Buddha images around illustrates that they worshipped and continue to worship the Buddha greatly.They cherish the notion of feeling the Buddhas presence at all times. The Theravada branch of Buddhism exemplifies the extent to which the Buddhas presence is valued by followers of the path. As The ravada ascended into Southeast Asia from Sri Lanka after the ordinal century B. C. E. , vernacular traditions ecame increasingly popular. In nature, Theravada Buddhism worships the historical model of the Buddha as a superhuman fit of miraculous deeds.Relics were therefore treasured as objects of magical power that allowed an actual physical connection to the Buddha because they were all part of the Buddhas body or came into physical contact with it. 5 Because it became impossible to exist in the presence of the Buddha in his physical form after his death, inserting a relic into an image became a way to retrieve the physical presence of the Buddha. In doing so, he image would supposedly provide protection against evil forces. However, when the Buddha image is revered for its supernatural protective strength, the Buddha image becomes a controversial concept.It seems that the more recent traditions of magical candidate and anticipation associated with Buddha images and relics has caused a shift away from the historical emphasis on the original monastic estimate of high moral responsibility and spiritual practice. Instead of following ones own karmic duties of doing good in order to receive good or trusting ones own ability to practice ituals successfully the old-fashioned way, the presence of the Buddha image during ritual has turned into a necessity for many Buddhists.If the presence of a Buddha image is necessary for rituals to work properly, then there has to an interdependency between the Buddha image and ritualistic success. Western scholar Donald Swearer, author of Becoming the Buddha, argues that the Buddha must be present for the ritual to be efficacious for the dhamma to flourish, and for the sangha to prosper. Moreover, scholar David Eckel makes the point that pot experience mental nguish when they cannot see the Buddha. 6 Wouldnt the creation of images therefore foster an attachment between military personnel and objects?This correlation betw een the Buddha image and the strong point of rituals, the dharma, and the sangha makes the Buddha image a very powerful entity. There is even an association between kings and material symbols of the Buddha, particularly relics and images. There is a Thai custom of swearing loyalty to the king in front of the Emerald Buddha image the Buddha image can therefore be seen as a symbol of power and not Just a representation of the Buddha. Furthermore, the Buddha image is presently interpreted as a sign of respect and a way for devotees to make merit the Buddhas field of merit is in effect(predicate) hrough his continued post-Nibbana presence in his relics and images. 7 It Buddha images currently tunction as a means to validate the effectiveness of rituals and to make merit, then there is an undeniable interdependency between the Buddha image and the success of rituals as an sort of religious devotion, and therefore an attachment between the two. Due to the fact that non-attachment is o ne of the most fundamental values established ithin Buddhism, to classify the Buddha image as a necessity would be to diverge from Buddhism altogether.In simpler terms, to be leechlike on the Buddha image is to form an attachment with it, and to form an attachment is to defy the basic ideals of Buddhism. Thus, the evolution of the Buddha image as a means of preserving the Buddhas presence into an entity that is necessary for the proper execution of rituals and spiritual success, then we can no longer categorize this concept as an appropriate element of Buddhism. The Four Noble truths are the essence of the Buddhist path, and to defy them is to defy Buddhism altogether.