You Can't Buy a Buddha

 Beyond the Buddha basics found everywhere (not killing, not lying, and not getting too distracted), every Buddhist sect and region has a list of preferred behaviors. They're not laws, and certainly not commandments. You might find out about these flexible precepts when you break them. Never, for example, put a Buddha image on the floor, turn your back on it, or wash it in anything but freshly collected rainwater. More important, never buy or sell a Buddha, or wear one as an ornament. This second one is universally broken by Bangkok Tuk Tuk drivers, but it's still on the books, and it is almost certain that they bought their medallions at the Buddha Market. Never mind. I asked one if he had bought his Buddha, and he explained, with help from an interpreter, that that arrangement was actually a permanent rental, not an outright purchase, since you can't buy and sell the images. I didn't press him to justify wearing the buddha, though there was likely an explanation allowing that too.

I am really starting to get it. Buddhist ethics are not about rules but about lifestyle. Yes, our friend Ole violated a core precept when he went after that cockroach with a huge can of bug spray and a mild curse on his lips, but he and his friends are univerally gentle to each other and think nothing of loading clothes and toys into an old pickup to haul up north for the poor hill tribe kids. And quick,  how many Buddhist wars can you name?

In Bangkok near the river there's a big expensive antique center that, umm, permanently rents Buddha images. This one, about six feet high, was in the window of one of the shops. A security guard was all over me when I pulled out my camera, explaining the big rule against photos. I smiled and humbly asked permission, emphasizing my respect for the Buddha and for the guard's authority, and immediately received permission.

(The perpetual rental fee for this Buddha image was about $25,000.)


I first published this post December 30, 2008, in a different format