Is it bad etiquette to use a non mediation pose Buddha statue for your home shrine?

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Heimdall
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Is it bad etiquette to use a non mediation pose Buddha statue for your home shrine?

Post by Heimdall »

So I'm currently trying to buy a Buddha statue, in the process of creating a home shrine / meditation corner.

I found one that fits for what I'm going for (size, color, style, etc.), however, the Buddha's pose is standing, eyes looking down, holding a lotus flower to his chest, and his palm pointing to the floor.

I don't think I've ever seen any altar / shrine where the Buddha is standing, and I was wondering if it would be disrespectful / unfitting / distracting from the goals of meditation if I had a standing statue instead of a meditation statue.

Thoughts?
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Is it bad etiquette to use a non mediation pose Buddha statue for your home shrine?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

Does it look sort of like this?
This is standing Amitabha Buddha. It is perfectly fine for a Buddhist shrine, but would most likely be chosen by one who practices Pure Land Buddhism.
By the way, in Thailand they have seven buddhas, one for each day of the week, standing, sitting, lying down…
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Standing Amitabha
Standing Amitabha
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EMPTIFUL.
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Heimdall
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Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2021 8:28 am

Re: Is it bad etiquette to use a non mediation pose Buddha statue for your home shrine?

Post by Heimdall »

Image

This is it.

It looks to be the same.

I didn't know that different Buddhas = different positions.

It looks identical to depictions of Buddha Shakyamuni, except standing.

I know some traditions say that Buddha Amitabha is Buddha Shakyamuni's Sambhogakaya...but other traditions seem to make him a completely different Buddha from a completely different world system.
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Is it bad etiquette to use a non mediation pose Buddha statue for your home shrine?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

All representations of buddhas have the same basic canonical features, the snaily curl hair, the big ear lobes, etc.
If you look up “five Buddha families” you will notice that only in the details (color, hand positions, holding a bowl or not, etc) can you really tell which is which.
In Tibetan (Vajrayana) iconography, Amitabha is always (as far as I know) shown in a sitting position. Standing Amitabha is usually found in the iconography used in Sutrayana (Mahayana) Buddhism.
But, if you like this statue, if it brings your mind to where you want it, then give it a good home on your shrine.
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
Heimdall
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Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2021 8:28 am

Re: Is it bad etiquette to use a non mediation pose Buddha statue for your home shrine?

Post by Heimdall »

Thank you.

Amitabha.
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