Where to Look When Buying Buddha Statues

When shopping for a Buddha statue, one of the first things you should consider is the reason behind the purchase. Before thinking to buy a statue, know exactly why you want or need one, how you intend to use it, and what the object truly means to you. Many practitioners of Buddhist teachings advice against buying, owning, or keeping a Buddha statue just because it is tradition or because it is something you should do as a follower of Buddhism. Because you can't always go to Buddhist countries to source Dharma/doctrine-accurate Buddha statues, it pays knowing how to identify them so you won't be confused with similar-looking images (many Hindu deities closely resemble Buddhist statues), especially when buying them online.

Online stores that specialize in these kinds of religious images, crafts, and artifacts are excellent places to look if you want authentic and accurately designed Buddhist statues. The hand gestures or mudras depicted in these statues can help you identify their authenticity and accuracy. Tibetan traditions dictate that statues, prayer wheels, and stupas should be filled with holy substances and mantras. However, it is not uncommon that some statues are not made for filling, depending on where they were made. For instance, Thai, Japanese and Chinese statues are not usually made to be filled and are often crafted from solid stone or porcelain. To be sure that the statue you are buying can be filled, look for images that were made in Nepal or India.

If you follow traditional Tibetan Buddhism practices and would like a statue that is filled and sealed, ask your vendor if the statue is empty or if it already has mantras inside. Some statues may be sealed but are actually empty inside. You should also check for the same when purchasing prayer wheels. Good vendors will always tell you whether or not the images they sell are filled. The size of the statue you buy doesn't matter, although the material from which it was crafted does have special benefit when bought with the proper intent—which is to be used as a ritual object. By buying a statue made out of precious metal, you are offering the best of the best.

According to Buddhist texts, keeping an empty Buddhist statue in the home for an extended period affects the state of your energy, life, material possessions, health, friendships, relationships, etc. filling a statue, therefore, offers great benefits for your body, mind, and speech. Invite a monk to fill and bless your statue, as tradition dictates.

About the Author:

This article was written by Krishna Kumar Bansal, owner of CraftVatika. CraftVatika is an online store for authentic Indian handicraft and other Indian products like clothing and jewelry. All of our products are handmade by the expert artisans from across India. We sell jewelry made up of silver and stone, marble decoration item, Indian gifts, brass statues, sculptures and other Indian handicraft.