Everybody loves buddhists, but buddhist don't love underwear. http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/living/religion/12490807.htm Buying into Buddhism As more Americans turn to the Eastern religion, Buddha gear both sacred and kitschy is everywhere KATE TAYLOR Religion News Service A lotus grows in the mud, the Eastern spiritual saying goes. But if the proliferation of Buddhist images, icons and language means anything, then it's also thriving in boardrooms, shopping malls and cyberspace. As unprecedented numbers of Americans turn to Buddhism -- there are now some 6 million Buddhists nationwide -- more Buddhist ideas and symbols are popping up in bookstores, gift shops and business retreats. A shopper can find Buddha T-shirts, Buddha key chains, Buddha photo holders, books that coach readers to become a bodhisattva, music for Buddhist meditation and a Buddha Ball that shoots beams of light. And that's just at Washington Square Mall in Tigard, Ore. "This is a really popular item. I think they like this because it's more unique," Sandy Berney of Spencer Gifts said of the Electrostorm Buddha Ball. Shoppers will not, however, find in the mall's Victoria's Secret store the notorious Buddha tankini swimsuit with its strategically placed Buddhas. Victoria's Secret and the tankini's manufacturer, the Ondademar swimwear company, yanked it from the market after outraged Buddhists launched protests. "It was crass. It was like having the Quran on toilet paper," said Robert Beatty, leader of the Portland (Ore.) Insight Meditation Community. Yet Buddhists like Beatty see a logic in the way Buddhist images and icons are appearing across the United States. "Every time Buddhism enters a culture, it transforms the culture," he said. "What's happening now is there's this deep flowing into our culture of rather significant Buddhist practices, and along with that come the accouterments." Some of those accoutrements are sleazy and cheap, said Charles S. Prebish, Pennsylvania State University professor of religion studies and author of books and articles about Buddhism. "But some are making (and writing) good stuff, and are doing it to support Buddhist causes," Prebish said. As the oft-cited source of the 6 million U.S. Buddhists figure, Prebish said he doesn't see any harm in people dabbling in Buddhism, or becoming what some call "nightstand Buddhists" or "free-lance Buddhists." Some devour books like "Your Buddha Nature" or "If the Buddha Dated" -- not because they want to don crimson robes and take on the life of a monk, but because they want to learn how to apply compassion, detachment and inner peace to their lives. Beth Bingham, national spokeswoman for the Borders Group Inc., said that after Sept. 11, the sale of Buddhist or Buddhist-inspired material dropped. Now, she said, it's steadily rising. Assisting the climb are Hollywood stars Richard Gere and Goldie Hawn, who have appeared with the Dalai Lama and raised large amounts of money for Tibetans living in exile. And those who've read Oprah's interview with the Dalai Lama or listened to Gere read "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" can chat about it with just a few keystrokes -- Internet chat rooms are full of talk about that, of sangha (Buddhist community) and The Noble Eightfold Path (right speech, right intention, right action, etc.). Other forms of technology also offer to help players enhance their spirituality. The video game "The Journey to Wild Divine" promises players the chance to deepen their meditation skills to the accompaniment of dreamy graphics and New Age music. Business people who've never thought of Buddhism are finding themselves booked for Zen retreats with colleagues. Seminars with titles like Zen at Work and Zen and Business offer businesses a way to handle stress. "When we take a moment out of an overfilled day and incorporate a very basic Zen practice, for instance, the practice of mindfulness, it's amazing how your day can turn around," said Monique Muhlenkamp of California's New World Library. "For many people, it's no longer just about a job; they want and need more." Buddhism in the Charlotte Area Precise faith numbers are hard to come by, but estimates are that the Charlotte area is home to some 10,000 Buddhists and a half-dozen or so Buddhist temples. Some believers are Americans drawn to the faith; others bring their Buddhism from Cambodia, China and elsewhere. One temple, Phat Hue at 11502 Idlewild Road in Matthews, will observe the 2,549th Ullambana Festival Sunday, honoring parents and ancestors and celebrating the end of the rainy season retreat. The public is invited to a 10 a.m. service, followed by a free vegetarian luncheon. Call (704) 321-9098. Vajradhara Buddhist Center in Charlotte will host a free program and open house on "Meditations to Transform Your Life" from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Monday at Van Landingham Estate, 2010 The Plaza, Charlotte. Details: (704) 224-6356 or www.meditationcharlotte.org.
aside from having similar philosophies, both hinduism and buddhism also share a hatred for having their respective religious icons being plastered over underwear
I think its crass and ridiculous but at the sametime I think in a way its good to get beyond the sacredness of images. Buddhism teaches to let go of attachment and attachment to images of the Buddha is still attachment.
Absolutely, but it should start with the cross - the major religious symbol of the U.S. If that's not acceptable, then why should it be for other's religion?
The difference is that there is specific attachment to the image of the cross in Christianity. The image of the Buddha isn't a sacred symbol in and of itself. Technically the Dharma wheel / circle is the symbol of Buddhism but it would be foolish to go around saying we can't display circles in funny or risque ways. I think its up to each religion and its followers to decide how they want their sacred images represented.
The cross has SIGNIFICANT meaning in Christianity, while the crescent has no religious significance whatsoever in Islam. There is a big difference between what the Cross means to each party.
