Ever since Abraham, we Jews aren’t supposed to keep false idols. But I don’t think the patriarch would mind my budding Buddha collection. I worship them the way we designers adore beautiful images that bring us peace and serenity.
According to Jeff Greenwald, who wrote the forward for the marvelous little photography book, If You Find the Buddha (Chronicle Books), Buddha himself forbade any likeness of him and for half a millennium his wishes were honored. Instead, symbols like the lotus, the eight spoke wheel and the Bodhi tree evoked the directive to stay present with our entire being. But Buddha is ubiquitous in these difficult times, from a pendant around the neck of a golfer to patterns on a red cotton baby kimono to the dashboard of a vehicle. Buddha is especially needed on the dashboard of a vehicle!
I put my miniature Buddha figurines on a coral motif Limoges tray in my bedroom. I enjoy hunting for him while shopping for my clients, and my daughters also enjoy the pursuit. In fact, we used small glass ones from the wonderful Alaya boutique in San Francisco as party favors for Sydney’s 10th birthday party, which had a spiritual theme. Sadly, younger sister Lauren placed hers in her fish tank and it may have been the culprit in the untimely death of the otherwise healthy goldfish, Timothy. Then, again, it could have been the water. Either way, the green glass Shakyamuni now has a spot on a ledge in the kitchen as a reminder of how precarious life can be, especially for the goldfish.
I’ve also located treasures Big Happy Buddha, including a sweet lavender Kuan Yin on a lotus (about $17) and a larger statue for a meditative spot in the garden. I suppose there is no wrong place for Buddha, except perhaps the bathroom. Recently, a Buddhist henna artist was at my house to do some custom art and saw a Warhol-esque silkscreen of Shakyamumi above the tub in the master bath. She pointed out that it was akin to her hanging a Star of David in her bathroom. I got the hint and relocated the art to perhaps thee most sacred spot in my home: my dressing room.
One girl’s closet is another girl’s temple.
Image: Zevotron