The great sage
Siddhartha Gautama, better known to the world simply as the Buddha, lived
nearly 2,500 years ago. It is incredible to think that even after all these
millennia the name Buddha still evokes the ideas of peace, serenity, universal
love and simplicity. One of the main reasons for this is probably the various
forms of Buddhist art that have survived into our times. They flourished and
evolved across the ages as the teachings of Buddhism spread from India to the
rest of the world, especially parts of Asia. Buddhist sculpture is perhaps its most
prominent branch, one that is universally recognized across the world.
We have all seen
Buddha statues somewhere or the other. In different media, at religious
centers, historic landmarks and most significantly in people’s homes. There is
a phenomenal demand for Buddhist statues. People buy statues of Buddha for
different reasons. Some buy them for the obvious religious significance. Others
might buy them more from spiritual perspective, for meditation and all. Then
there are the vast majority of people who are on the lookout for that perfect
Buddha statue for their home or garden just for aesthetic reasons. With the
rise in popularity of the eastern philosophy of Feng Shui, there are still more
people looking for a suitable Buddha statue to usher in the right kind of
positive energy in their homes and lives.
Beginners looking to buy Buddha statues online can find a wide variety of choices. In fact,
the diversity of choices when it comes to Buddha statues in terms of size,
region of origin and art style can actually confuse and confound the novice
buyer. There are different postures and hand gestures of Buddha commonly
depicted in statues and each of these has unique meanings and symbolism. Other
than statues of the Buddha himself, once can also find other Buddhism related
statues online. There is also wide variety of choice of materials, ranging from
tone, ceramic, brass, mosaic, copper, porcelain and many more.
A very common and broad
distinction that can be made on Buddha statues available for sale is based on
whether they are intended for placement indoors or outdoors. Placing Buddha
statues in gardens outside homes is an age old tradition. For this purpose, the
more serene, meditating Buddha statues are chosen. It is always advisable to
learn a bit more about Buddhist practices and customs before one decides to buy Buddha statues online (http://www.w3.org/) with
the intention of placing them in the garden. It is always nice to avoid causing
offence to other people’s religious beliefs. Faux pas like placing Buddha
statue on bare ground can be considered offensive.
People commonly buy Buddha statues online (http://www.exoticindiaart.com/sculptures/Buddhist/) to
place in the indoors in a specific corner of the house or a separate room. The
placement of the statue is often based on Feng Shui principles as well. There
are rules governing placement of Buddha statues. They should always be placed
on a pedestal or table and never on the ground. Ideally, no other object or furniture
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should
tower above your Buddha statue or cast a shadow on it. Also never ever place
your Buddha near a kitchen or toilet. That is a deeply offensive thing to do!
Buddha statues can be found in different poses like the reclining Buddha, Earth
touching Buddha, medicine Buddha, protection Buddha etc. Read up a bit about
each of these poses and styles before making a final decision on your purchase
for best results.
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