Where Should I Put My Buddha Statues In My House?
Sunday, December 27th, 2009 at
12:49 am
I know that buddhas can bring luck, peace, and so forth to a household, but is there a place I should put them to get the ‘best results’? i.e. by a door, in a certain room, under a window, ect? Any help would be great, I have 2 statues (one meditating, one standing).
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Tagged with: BUDDHA • House • Should • Statues • Where
Filed under: Buddha Questions and Answers
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This sounds like something from Feng Shui, which is all about placement of mirrors, good luck charms, and such, to bring good fortune to your house.
I’d recommend checking out a Feng Shui site. It really has nothing to do with Buddhist beliefs. In fact, the only thing I can think of relating to statues in Buddhism is that you shouldn’t point your feet directly at a Buddha statue, out of a sign of respect. That’s a Theravada tradition. There may be others, but that’s the only thing that springs to mind.
My Buddha statues are in places where they can bring me serenity and give me a reminder of mindfulness during the day. So I’d say just do whatever works for you … whatever brings you peace and happiness.
Sounds like some of the other respondents here could use some of that peace and happiness. Why do you have to go off insulting someone like that? What did the Buddha ever do to you?
You’re never supposed to put on on a wall that faces a toilet or one that shares a wall with the bathroom wall. Never directly facing a door or window. That kind of stuff.
In the trash or fireplace in the winter
Yeah, it’s good to have one by the door. Windows, also. Also, a place near your meditation spot. I also keep one by my bedside.
Buddha should be looking at you while you sleep
Put the statue in a high place, so as to venerate it. You can add to the good karma by placing offerings bowls filled with water, of food in packets etc, in front of or just below the statue. According to Tibbetan tradition the bowls should be 7 in number, and the width of a grain of rice apart from each other. You can use small metal sweet dishes, and the water placed in each is imagined to be different (a ‘mental’ offering , see link for types of water).
After a few days you can throw the water away and cook the food, and replace with new offerings if you like.
If you are feeling partucularly religious you can prostrate in front of the statue. To do a 1000 at once is often a goal amongst monks and nuns. Otherwise you can multiply the good karma by 10,000 by saying the mantra :”Om namo manjushriyae, namo sushriyae, namo utama shriha soha” while placing “praying hands” first on the tip of your head (pointing backwards), then upright at your throat, and then heart/chest – before you bend to your knees and than place your head prostrate on the floor (remember to use hands to help you bow). The three points (crown, throat and heart) represent 3 chakras – one (crown) for body, the next for speech, and the next for mind.
A Buddhas body is perfect and can travel anywhere in bliss, his speech gives guidance to sentient beings, and his mind is full of wisdom and compassion. You aim to become like that yourself as you bow down.
If you want to you can lay your whole body out, as tradition says you get a reward for every atom of your body which touches the ground during prostration.
Remember not to use foul speech etc in front of a statue. It is meant to be a real living Buddha, and is the “emanation body” of the actual living Buddha. He has also a supreme emanation body and a wisdom body (which is the emptiness or nirvana of his mind).
Some people believe that statues can actually begin to speak and expound the dharma, as it is related in certain traditions.
You might be called an idolator by Abrahamists, or a fantasist by atheists (or the irreligious) , but hell it’s your life and you probably won’t be doing anyone any harm will you. Ahisma and all that, IYKWIM.
Btw, I learned Tibbetan Buddhism, one of many types, and what I relate is therefore not what some others will regard as true Buddhism. However the Dalai Lama is a Tibettan Buddhist, I think.
Oh another 2 points. The mention of not letting the feet face the statue is right, and if you set up a shrine it ideally should be in the East corner of the room.
I added the comments about prostration and offering because, although off topic, I thought you might be possibly interested, or just curious.
DB- Why would she want to put up a fabric swatch (Satin, after all, is a fabric)?
You may put them wherever you would like. The best places are where you will see them the most so that you are reminded of loving-kindness and where you meditate.
Nice “Christian” responses by the way- especially with the Buddhist monks being killed in Myanmar. Your God must be so proud of you.
Under the neighbors driveway is my suggestion. Why not just put up a statue of Satin instead
Sorry to have to bring sad news to you, but it’s just a rock or a piece of wood and cannot bring any luck at all. Why not worship the God that made the rock and wood instead of trying this foolishness? I think these verses make a lot of sense:
Isaiah 44:9 Everyone who makes an engraved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.
Isaiah 44:16-19 He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself, and says, “Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.” (17) The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me; for you are my god!” (18) They don’t know, neither do they consider: for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see; and their hearts, that they can’t understand. (19) No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?”
Over the toliet, sol it’ll never get clogged.
By your bed, so he’s always watching you even when your sleeping.
Give them 2 places at the dinner table. Make sure to provide them ample portions at every meal so that they can maintain their figures! Oops, they can’t swallow?