Choosing The Right Buddha Statues

When most people think of Buddha statues, they picture the laughing Buddha. After all, anyone who has ever been into a New Age store or a Chinese restaurant has probably seen one of these Buddha statues. You know the ones I’m talking about –The ones with big bellies, huge grins, and dimples everywhere. Although these are some of the most adorable Buddha statues, they are by no means the only ones, nor are they used by all Buddhists. Nonetheless, they make great good luck charms, souvenirs, and gifts for friends and family. They are widely to believed to bring good luck, prosperity, and happiness – who doesn’t want those things?

When you are picking out your own statue of Buddha, you should trust your heart more than any particular set of beliefs. Within Buddhism, there are hundreds of different currents. Is one better than the rest? Who is to say. Basically, the point of Buddha statues is to aid in meditation. To that end, a statue that inspires the appropriate feelings is the right Buddha statue for you. Do you want a happy, smiling Buddha to help you get in touch with the joy of inner peace? Do you want a sober, meditative Buddha statue to help you develop a meditative mind state? Do you want a wrathful Buddhist deity to help you drive away distractions and speed your way along the path to enlightenment? By answering these questions, you can pick out the right statue for you.

You can even for sake Buddha statues altogether in favor of Thangka paintings or other types of mandalas. Some Buddhists I know even like to meditate without any visual aids at all. They simply concentrate on their breath or chants mantras silently to themselves. It is all up to you.

Of course, you don’t have to be a Buddhist to like Buddha statues. You don’t even have to meditate. I know quite a few collectors who simply enjoy the way Buddhist artwork looks. Much like the famous sculpture “The Thinker” by Rodin, the image of the Buddha in his silent contemplation draws us to think about timeless issues of identity, consciousness, and meaning. These statues can also be used to create a feeling of calm and peace in a room. You would be amazed how much the decoration you put up affect the mood of you and your guests. Buddhism statues can be used to great effect to create the proper ambiance.