Creating representations of the Buddha = Wealth, Fame, Happiness?

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Nalanda
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Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:35 am

Creating representations of the Buddha = Wealth, Fame, Happiness?

Post by Nalanda »

Question about the sutra “Describing the Benefits of Producing Representations of the Thus-Gone One”

Āryatathāgata­pratibimba­pratiṣṭhānuśaṃsa­saṃvarṇananāmadharmaparyāya

https://read.84000.co/translation/toh320.html

It says that you will get this as benefits:
  • excellent life circumstances such as happiness and fame
  • physical beauty
  • wealth they will accrue
  • the donor will become a universal emperor enjoying all the advantages of that position
  • that the donor will be reborn among the gods and enjoy all divine distinctions.
and this is over "benefits accrued by creating representations of the Buddha."

What is this "representation" being talked about here? Statues of the Buddha?

And, really? Those benefits are to be expected for creating statues of the Buddha?
IF YOU PRACTICE WITH A STRONG BELIEF IN WHAT
YOU ARE DOING, THEN THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT
YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH WITH YOUR PRACTICE.

CHAKUNG JIGME WANGDRAK RINPOCHE

Malcolm
Posts: 42974
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Creating representations of the Buddha = Wealth, Fame, Happiness?

Post by Malcolm »

Nalanda wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:48 pm Question about the sutra “Describing the Benefits of Producing Representations of the Thus-Gone One”

Āryatathāgata­pratibimba­pratiṣṭhānuśaṃsa­saṃvarṇananāmadharmaparyāya

https://read.84000.co/translation/toh320.html

It says that you will get this as benefits:
  • excellent life circumstances such as happiness and fame
  • physical beauty
  • wealth they will accrue
  • the donor will become a universal emperor enjoying all the advantages of that position
  • that the donor will be reborn among the gods and enjoy all divine distinctions.
and this is over "benefits accrued by creating representations of the Buddha."

What is this "representation" being talked about here? Statues of the Buddha?

And, really? Those benefits are to be expected for creating statues of the Buddha?
Statues and paintings. But this does not mean just coming up with some drawing. Images of the Buddha have to made according to very strict rules composition and need to be studied under a qualified teacher.
Nalanda
Posts: 646
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:35 am

Re: Creating representations of the Buddha = Wealth, Fame, Happiness?

Post by Nalanda »

Wow.

This is a good project.
IF YOU PRACTICE WITH A STRONG BELIEF IN WHAT
YOU ARE DOING, THEN THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT
YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH WITH YOUR PRACTICE.

CHAKUNG JIGME WANGDRAK RINPOCHE

pemachophel
Posts: 2228
Joined: Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:19 pm
Location: Lafayette, CO

Re: Creating representations of the Buddha = Wealth, Fame, Happiness?

Post by pemachophel »

This is why practitioners and devout laypersons make sa-tsas and commission statues and thangkas. It's a wonderful project. If you read the biographies (namthar) of past great saints and sages, you will see how often they used the offerings they received in order to commission representations of the Buddhas.
Pema Chophel པདྨ་ཆོས་འཕེལ
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