Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

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Ant1
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Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by Ant1 »

Hey wonderful people! I'm writing this message to share with this community that there is a collection of the Buddha's relics at San Francisco happening in September! There's also a virtual tour going on, but I think you need to contact them for the Zoom link-I'm not too sure how that is going to be organised, but there was one last year, and most likely one this year.

Any who, if you're interested, the website is below for registration and more pictures from their gallery:)

http://www.mahastupa.org/showings.html

And here's a video of the Buddha's relics by the temple! There are 10 000+ Buddha's relics on exhibition, mostly from Vietnamese and Thailand temples.

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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

The DNA could be cloned to create an army of super-Buddhas.
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lelopa
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by lelopa »

PadmaVonSamba wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:30 am The DNA could be cloned to create an army of super-Buddhas.
:lol:
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SkyFox
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by SkyFox »

PadmaVonSamba wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:30 am The DNA could be cloned to create an army of super-Buddhas.
You know I chuckled, but then I realized the implications. If say it were possible to clone the DNA, would that existence still be considered a Buddha? If not, I wonder who or what would occupy the body :lol:
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

10,000 relics is a lot of relics. I don’t think there is anywhere in the buddhist texts about the body of the Buddha being divided up into 10,000 parts, although there is mention of his relics being divided. And even if it had been, the idea that 2,600 years later they would all be in one place is preposterous.
Last edited by PadmaVonSamba on Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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kirtu
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by kirtu »

SkyFox wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:31 pm
PadmaVonSamba wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:30 am The DNA could be cloned to create an army of super-Buddhas.
You know I chuckled, but then I realized the implications. If say it were possible to clone the DNA, would that existence still be considered a Buddha? If not, I wonder who or what would occupy the body :lol:
No, of course not. It would be Siddhartha Guatama's body (or very close to it - even cloned mammals are not necessarily like fraternal twins [even though cloning was glossed like this years ago]) but with some other sentient being's mindstream and karma.
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SkyFox
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by SkyFox »

Wow, apparently they have bones and stuff that belonged to the Buddha. I wonder how accurate are the history of these relics and are they actually his. If so, these artifacts should be classified as priceless. But 2000 years is a long time to be keeping anything, so I'm a bit doubtful.
Nicholas2727
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by Nicholas2727 »

I can't say much about this specific case although the "monk" in the video is actually not a monastic. Some discussion has occurred on reddit and Master Yonghua actually had sexual relations with a student at CTTB. He was kicked out of CTTB, yet has been posing as a full ordained monk and a student of Master Hua. Not saying the relics are fake or anything about them, but I would take it with some caution.
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by jmlee369 »

PadmaVonSamba wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:40 pm 10,000 relics is a lot of relics. I don’t think there is anywhere in the buddhist texts about the body of the Buddha being divided up into 10,000 parts, although there is mention of his relics being divided. And even if it had been, the idea that 2,600 years later they would all be in one place is preposterous.
There are some Chinese sutras that record the volume of Buddha's relics produced during the cremation to be 八斛四斗, which by one conversion rate comes to 1515 litres, or assuming the relics weigh roughly the equivalent of uncooked rice, 1184 kg. This large volume is what enabled Ashoka to build according to legend 84000 stupas each enshrining a portion of relics. Not to mention, it is taken for granted across traditions that relics multiply spontaneously.

In reality, there are plenty of "fake" relics floating around along with real relics, but at the end of the day if the relic inspires practice of virtue, it doesn't really matter. The dog's tooth story and all.
Nicholas2727 wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 2:58 am I can't say much about this specific case although the "monk" in the video is actually not a monastic. Some discussion has occurred on reddit and Master Yonghua actually had sexual relations with a student at CTTB. He was kicked out of CTTB, yet has been posing as a full ordained monk and a student of Master Hua. Not saying the relics are fake or anything about them, but I would take it with some caution.
I would be a bit careful with these claims. Even if the allegations are true, because he was only a novice while at CTTB, and it is public knowledge that he received Triple Platform ordination in Taiwan after leaving CTTB, he is technically speaking a validly ordained bhikshu. Violating the novice precepts does not disqualify a person from re-ordaining, unlike committing a parajika as a bhikshu (and even then, there is possibility of reinstatement according to all extant Vinayas except the Theravadan one).
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by Nicholas2727 »

jmlee369 wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:54 am
PadmaVonSamba wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:40 pm 10,000 relics is a lot of relics. I don’t think there is anywhere in the buddhist texts about the body of the Buddha being divided up into 10,000 parts, although there is mention of his relics being divided. And even if it had been, the idea that 2,600 years later they would all be in one place is preposterous.
There are some Chinese sutras that record the volume of Buddha's relics produced during the cremation to be 八斛四斗, which by one conversion rate comes to 1515 litres, or assuming the relics weigh roughly the equivalent of uncooked rice, 1184 kg. This large volume is what enabled Ashoka to build according to legend 84000 stupas each enshrining a portion of relics. Not to mention, it is taken for granted across traditions that relics multiply spontaneously.

In reality, there are plenty of "fake" relics floating around along with real relics, but at the end of the day if the relic inspires practice of virtue, it doesn't really matter. The dog's tooth story and all.
Nicholas2727 wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 2:58 am I can't say much about this specific case although the "monk" in the video is actually not a monastic. Some discussion has occurred on reddit and Master Yonghua actually had sexual relations with a student at CTTB. He was kicked out of CTTB, yet has been posing as a full ordained monk and a student of Master Hua. Not saying the relics are fake or anything about them, but I would take it with some caution.
I would be a bit careful with these claims. Even if the allegations are true, because he was only a novice while at CTTB, and it is public knowledge that he received Triple Platform ordination in Taiwan after leaving CTTB, he is technically speaking a validly ordained bhikshu. Violating the novice precepts does not disqualify a person from re-ordaining, unlike committing a parajika as a bhikshu (and even then, there is possibility of reinstatement according to all extant Vinayas except the Theravadan one).

Hmm thats interesting. I can't say much although I know it was discussed on reddit and the post from CTTB was not in English so I could not translate it perfectly myself. I do apologize if I have made claims that are untrue, but it seemed a bit weird that he claims Master Hsuan Hua as his master and talks as if the relationship is still in contact after these allegations. Here is the link that was included in the reddit discussion:

http://www.dharmasite.net/Announcement_9_1999.htm
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puggily
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by puggily »

PadmaVonSamba wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:30 am The DNA could be cloned to create an army of super-Buddhas.
Clone Buddhas + ? = Profit.
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

puggily wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:56 pm
PadmaVonSamba wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:30 am The DNA could be cloned to create an army of super-Buddhas.
Clone Buddhas + ? = Profit.
Yeah you could use it to genetically modify food.
Then grow watermelons and everybody who eats a slice becomes enlightened.
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SkyFox
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Re: Shakyamuni Buddha's Relics

Post by SkyFox »

PadmaVonSamba wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:05 pm
puggily wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:56 pm
PadmaVonSamba wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:30 am The DNA could be cloned to create an army of super-Buddhas.
Clone Buddhas + ? = Profit.
Yeah you could use it to genetically modify food.
Then grow watermelons and everybody who eats a slice becomes enlightened.
I wonder what would be the price per kg of those watermelons ; it would suck if low income people couldn't afford to be enlighten and miss out :rolling:
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