Buddha image in the eyes of intellectuals

Tandit Nehru, the Ex-Prime Minister of India has talked about the Buddha image: “Though Buddha’s eyes are closing, they contain a spiritual power exceeding out and an energy source covering his body. Time just passes but the Buddha still is in our minds. His voice whispers inside and advices us not to be hidden from confliction of life but close your eyes for calming down and facing to them, looking everything with a loving eyes in a great chance for improving and sublimating.” Nehru said: “When I was in the jail I usually think of the Buddha and it is the infinite inspiration to me.”

In the Second World War, General Ian Hamilton had seen a Buddha statue that was destroyed in a Burmese temple. He sent this statue to Winston Churchill, the one who became the British Prime Minister later, enclosed with a letter:

“When you are in worried and anxious state, just contemplate this quiet posture and smile to your worry and anxiety.”

Count Keyserling, a German philosopher, expressed: “There is nothing in the world that more beautiful and should be reverent than the Buddha image. It is the indefectible personification of spiritual side in this troublesome world.”

A scholar said:

“For most of Buddha images that we see is the symbol of quality. That we worship and pay homage to him is respecting in the characteristic of symbol in which it symbolizes for the Great of Buddha and our joy via seeing and understanding his teaching. The peaceful and quiet image of Buddha is a general concept for ideal of beauty. The Buddha image is the most public precious property of Asian culture. Without being of Buddha image, the present of Asia will be meaningless and it is just the existing of geographical aspect even if how these countries develop.”

The Buddhist followers revere Buddha image as the vestige of the Greatest Teacher, the most erudite, perfect and compassionate that had been in the world. The Buddha image is very important for us to recall himself as well as his great and noble characters. It is also inspiration for millions of people from general to general in every civilization on the world. Buddha image helps concentrating mind in the Buddha. The feeling of existing Buddha inside their mind that makes the reverence to be meaningful.

Being Buddhist we should have a Buddha image with any material: by wood, plaster, picture… at home for worshipping. Worshipping Buddha image is not a way of decoration or display but the object of contemplating and respecting. The peaceful and quiet posture of Buddha is symbol of compassion, tranquility and indefectibility. It plays the role of bringing about consolation, encouragement and inspiration to help people get over any difficulties, obstacles and worries of life. When we revere the Buddha, we get back the great mercy and if we meditate for long time on the concentrating and observing the great characters of Buddha we get more and more perfect and clear mind.

Therefore, it is not an incident that this reverence is found in some great art and sculpture which people have seen.

Another famous writer expressed about the true meaning of worshipping Buddha in his philosophical language:

“We need to worship Buddha even though our reverence is orientated before. Therefore, may we all have fresh strength to build a holy place for ourselves, and when our mind are clear, it is worth to keep the Buddha image in the deepest place of compassion. For that holy place, whatever we offer, not for impermanent and unreal desires but nursing the seed of compassion, devoting and tolerance to everyone.”

Anatole France, in his diary, wrote:

“In the first of May, 1990, accidentally, I had visited Paris Museum. At there, among imposing deity statues I concentrated in a Buddha statue, the one who extended hand for saving people and enlarged compassion to welcome all living beings. If there was any God came to this world I felt that here is He. And with high respect I really want to knee before him and pray just like what I did to my God before.”

Ouspenky, a European philosopher had expressed his feeling of contemplating Buddha image in Sri-Lanka. He said:“This statue is an unusual art work. I don’t know any art work can be comparative with this sparkling sapphire-eyes statue. I mean that there is no any image that the idea of religion can be indefectibly showedas this one in which the Buddhist idea has been expressed via the Buddha’s face. To get the idea of this face, we must understand Buddhism.”He continued: “It’s unnecessary to learn the Buddhist canon or walk along with Buddhist mater and Eastern religious researchers for discussing, one can understand Buddhism. Everyone should come here, put your hands together before him and just contemplate the sparkling eyes-sapphire deeply inside then you will realize what Buddhism is.”

Buddhist art in creating images and mural paintings of demonstrating of stories has suggested source of inspiration and diversified both art and culture of Asian countries for over 2500 years.

What from Buddha’s message made attracting to human-being in exchanging their knowledge? The answer may be found in the nobleness and peace of the Buddha image. There is not only color and figure but also faith in the Buddha himself and compassion through his teaching manifested. There are many works of art from different materials as metal, wood, rocks…had been created by human hands and among them Buddha image is one of the genius-human’s greatest creation.

If the Buddhist followers wish to see the Buddha image with all the beauty and glory they must apply his teaching to the daily life and practice. By following his teaching, they, step by step, come to the Buddha and receive the great endless wisdom and infinite compassion from him. However, the reverence without practice can’t lead to the end of suffering.

A beautiful life, a pretty heart, a pure and awaken mind is worth for respect, worship and offer. And the Buddha is a perfect being, a fragrant and beautiful flower for our contemplating.