Couple agrees to remove Buddha images from fence at their Chiang Mai house

[Cory1848]

11 minutes ago, Adeeos said:

 

I can understand that,,, But if this is so,,, Who/what company supplied them knowing this? Did this couple go someplace and specifically order only heads? If so, why would the supplier not mention this fact, and refuse to supply them?.. Honestly curious..

These are good questions, and I'm curious too. The article says that the heads were part of the farang owner's collection, which he obtained from "sculptors," but from the pictures they all look identical, as though purchased from a single supplier or contractor. You can buy Buddha heads (and hands, and feet) at antique shops around the country -- the shops at River City in Bangkok have some very nice ones (and expensive!), but it's difficult to export them. And I suppose for enough money a Thai laborer would install them on the wall, or the article seems to imply that the farang did that himself, or maybe a local Karen did it (most Karens are evangelical Christians). Who knows!

[Artisi]

14 hours ago, Moonmoon said:

They are being more concerned with the statue head of a dead man than his teachings that we should be tolerant of others cultures and beliefs...

 

If the american use the heads for good and nice purpose, i dont see why not. 

 

Better than those we see everyday that don the cloth and scam others for money and sex, these are those that spat on Buddha and Buddhism. Not the American and his nice chiang mai garden.

One word describes the Buddha heads lined up along the fence - "crass". 

[chrissables]

9 minutes ago, bbradsby said:

Exactly right - for the dense westerner who can't put himself for a second in another culture's shoes, imagine me hanging bleeding Jeezus decapitated heads all along my property line in a 100% fundamentalist christian small town in the US or UK. I imagine there'd be quite the uproar. Could be fun, actually..

 

What about his dense wife, if you want to look at it that way? I have seen many shops selling statues of Buddhas head.

 

I have small Buddha statues in my house, if a Thai person see's them they like them.

[ogb]

2 minutes ago, bbradsby said:

Well true, but beside the point of this thread. Besides, no one does genocide better than the Western, Christian countries in recent history..

Just thought that genocide might be a better topic for a facebook uproar by Buddhists than a few shaped stones on a fence on private property.

[4MyEgo]

50 minutes ago, chrissables said:

But Buddha come from India.

Actually from Nepal.

 

India being its neighbour.

 

The origin of Buddhism points to one man, Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, who was born in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal) during the 5th century BCE.

[Artisi]

13 hours ago, cmsally said:

It was surprising to see that this made front page of a national newspaper (Thai language) today.

Actually almost half in the picture are Ganesh, how would that be disallowed seeing as its a Hindu deity.

Don't overlook the fact that many many Thai's pay a lot of respect to Ganesh and would view the display in the same light as the Buddha. 

[bbradsby]

1 minute ago, chrissables said:

What about his dense wife, if you want to look at it that way? I have seen many shops selling statues of Buddhas head.

 

I have small Buddha statues in my house, if a Thai person see's them they like them.

Dont assume that because she is Thai, that his wife is Buddhist. That displays a bit of ignorance of Thailand. She may be muslim, from the south. And some small number of Thai are christian... 

 

Re your personal collection, don't presume to read others minds. Thai are non confrontational to a fault in polite society. They usually give more slack to farangs, knowing our ignorance of their customs.

[chrissables]

1 minute ago, 4MyEgo said:

Actually from Nepal.

 

India being its neighbour.

 

The origin of Buddhism points to one man, Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, who was born in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal) during the 5th century BCE.

Just googled it, at the time it was India, so he came from India it seems. :)

[zzidenn]

12 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Their country, their Buddha, you would expect Thai's to respect your country, your religion, your ways if they were in your country.

 

Sure, I have a view on this, but pointless really, their country, their Buddha, simple really.

i dont think its just that simple. buddha belongs to nobody. did buddha set these rules? and wait a minute, was he even thai? 

[4MyEgo]

19 minutes ago, bbradsby said:

Exactly right - for the dense westerner who can't put himself for a second in another culture's shoes, imagine me hanging bleeding Jeezus decapitated heads all along my property line in a 100% fundamentalist christian small town in the US or UK. I imagine there'd be quite the uproar. Could be fun, actually..

 

Some are thicker than others, as the saying goes.

 

I remember when I was back in Oz, each time I would inspect a property, which was part of my job, and came across a Buddha statue, I would ask the client, why they had the Buddha on the ground, oh its a decoration was usually the reply, with me saying, the Buddha must always be up, not down, with them looking at me to say, but its mine and I can put it where I want, which is correct, your country, your choice, but not in Thailand, apparently.

[Artisi]

27 minutes ago, Adeeos said:

 

I can understand that,,, But if this is so,,, Who/what company supplied them knowing this? Did this couple go someplace and specifically order only heads? If so, why would the supplier not mention this fact, and refuse to supply them?.. Honestly curious..

The only thought going thru the suppliers head was -  the controlling God of Thailand - "money". 

[ThaiWai]

12 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Isn't religion supposed to be all powerful and all knowing?

Says who?  I always thought it was all bullshit and all delusional.

[Artisi]

4 minutes ago, zzidenn said:

i dont think its just that simple. buddha belongs to nobody. did buddha set these rules? and wait a minute, was he even thai? 

Of course he was Thai, there do you think the "hub" of Buddhism is? 

[chrissables]

10 minutes ago, bbradsby said:

Dont assume that because she is Thai, that his wife is Buddhist. That displays a bit of ignorance of Thailand. She may be muslim, from the south. And some small number of Thai are christian... 

 

Re your personal collection, don't presume to read others minds. Thai are non confrontational to a fault in polite society. They usually give more slack to farangs, knowing our ignorance of their customs.

It in no way shows my ignorance of Thailand, maybe her religion. I am fully aware of other religions that are practiced here in Thailand.

 

In fact a few years ago a Japanese sponsored Christian church was opened for me on Christmas day to view and chat with the sponsor.

Also while in the Muslim areas of the South i have enjoyed talking with the people there.

 

Some Thai's are non confrontational, not all. They were interested as to the history of them and where bought etc.

 

It is you showing your ignorance as you know nothing about me at all.

Edited September 27, 2017 by chrissables

[bbradsby]

1 minute ago, zzidenn said:

i dont think its just that simple. buddha belongs to nobody. did buddha set these rules? and wait a minute, was he even thai? 

it IS that simple. Their country - their culture. All belief systems are subjective and relative. Mexico's version of Christianity is different than the US' except right along the border, where its exactly the same culture since the US confiscated that region from Mexico as a result of a war. The people didn't move. Culture overlays religion, and vice-versa, in each place. 

 

Simple rule, really: be respectful of your host while you're a guest in their house.

[LannaGuy]

To be fair... it turns their house into some sort of 'copy' Wat and it's not a grave sin but it is insensitive and the 'wife' should have know better.

[nycjoe]

There were no images of Buddha until Alexander the great started putting statues of himself in the countries that he conquered, it was 500 years after the death of the Buddha that the first images appeared, the faces were fashioned after greek statues. Buddha said that he did not want images and that Buddha is within us all.

Still it is tasteless to use these Buddha heads as decorative ornaments. 

[NextStationBangkok]

It is a sensitive issue. Buddha cannot be left in a open area first of all, until and unless it is on top of mountain.

 

Secondly just head of Buddha is not a Thai type. Only in Kaosan we can just Buddha head, to make tourists easy to carry home. Some even selling hand of Buddha. I never liked buying such things.

 

It has to be full Buddha either sitting position or sleeping position.

 

Just to please Farang husband she make a mistake, should have consulted a local Monk before doing this.

[NextStationBangkok]

12 hours ago, johng said:

I wonder if all Americans are very offended by my wifes new undies sold by a Thai company
Disgusted of not Tunbridge Wells

 

It is not offensive until and unless wearing this and pose for your pictures......

[NextStationBangkok]

2 minutes ago, nycjoe said:

There were no images of Buddha until Alexander the great started putting statues of himself in the countries that he conquered, it was 500 years after the death of the Buddha that the first images appeared, the faces were fashioned after greek statues. Buddha said that he did not want images and that Buddha is within us all.

Still it is tasteless to use these Buddha heads as decorative ornaments. 

That is Greek style found in Bhamiyan of Afghanistan, and in part of Himalayas in the Indian side. It will have multiple folding on the dress.

 

It is similar to how Jesus portrayed in the different part of the world. In Korea, Jesus looks like Chinese.

[LannaGuy]

11 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Don't overlook the fact that many many Thai's pay a lot of respect to Ganesh and would view the display in the same light as the Buddha. 

Hang on a second. Ganesh is a Hindu 'God' and Thais have it for 'luck'. Thais have a mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism and Animism and it's best not to rattle them about any of those three although the VAST majority of Thais are completely ignorant of all three and their meanings. 

 

Thai Wat's are mostly Hindu, not Buddhist, and I have mentioned this to Thai friends for 10 years and they are in ignorant bliss about it all. 

[zaZa9]

Im more offended by the paint job than any Buddha statues !

 

Can somebody please teach them how to "cut in " ??

[Thaijack2014]

16 hours ago, tracker1 said:

Disrespectful hmmm so monks drug dealing, scaming and shaging is acceptable ?

So ALL monks are drug dealers? What a crap. Of course this too is not acceptable. The buddha heads on the wall really don't look nice and not from a religious point of view. Just without taste. But that's my opinion.

[Tonto21]

5 minutes ago, chrissables said:

What about his dense wife, if you want to look at it that way? I have seen many shops selling statues of Buddhas head.

 

I have small Buddha statues in my house, if a Thai person see's them they like them.

Hey 'chrissables'  seriously mate...... You think Thais like you having  small Buddha  statues around  your house,  I take it they are ornaments ? I can tell you now, no matter  what they may say, if pressed, they do not like it one bit. 

For Thais it shows lack of respect. Do you really think a Thai will tell you to your face, (as a guest in your house) that what you're doing is against Buddhist teachings? He will cause embarrassment  to you and him and he will want to avoid that at all costs. I'm really not trying to start a fight with you mate, but you  are wrong to think Thais like them displayed like this.

 

You can display imagines of Buddha in you're house, but there are ways to do it. Some Thais have 'Buddha rooms' where they pray and have many Buddha items in there.

 

Personal I like some of the Buddha statues, and I know the attraction to them, as a westerner I would have a big one in my garden and some in the house...... But the wife would not have it.

 

If you don't give a fig about what anyone thinks then just carry on as you are, I have no issue with it. But if you do have a lot of Thais visiting you're home, and you care, even a little, ask one of you're Thai friends, who is willing to talk to you about it openly, ask his or her advice on how and where to place them........... I'm just saying!  

[Boatfreak]

Can't Thais stop producing Buddha heads or is that a too easy solution? 

[Maggusoil]

16 hours ago, tracker1 said:

Disrespectful hmmm so monks drug dealing, scaming and shaging is acceptable ?

How about replacing them with little heads of Jesus? What would people think of that?

[Boatfreak]

5 minutes ago, Maggusoil said:

How about replacing them with little heads of Jesus? What would people think of that?

 

you are welcome. 

[toddsaed]

nothing to do with religion or philosophy, just state dominance for rich people, the opposite that is

[cmsally]

Basically it has little to do with religion and more to do with the structure of society (peoples' education, world outlook etc). Thailand is a society based on symbolism, to put it simply. One would have thought with the advent of "modern society" and communications etc etc this would have got diluted, unfortunately if anything it has swung in the other direction.

When you see statues and reliefs as symbols, they will have connotations. Connotations and the suggestion of connotations start to be like a snowball rolling down a hill when placed in a society where symbolism is everything.

[chrissables]

11 minutes ago, Tonto21 said:

Hey 'chrissables'  seriously mate...... You think Thais like you having  small Buddha  statues around  your house,  I take it they are ornaments ? I can tell you now, no matter  what they may say, if pressed, they do not like it one bit. 

For Thais it shows lack of respect. Do you really think a Thai will tell you to your face, (as a guest in your house) that what you're doing is against Buddhist teachings? He will cause embarrassment  to you and him and he will want to avoid that at all costs. I'm really not trying to start a fight with you mate, but you  are wrong to think Thais like them displayed like this.

 

You can display imagines of Buddha in you're house, but there are ways to do it. Some Thais have 'Buddha rooms' where they pray and have many Buddha items in there.

 

Personal I like some of the Buddha statues, and I know the attraction to them, as a westerner I would have a big one in my garden and some in the house...... But the wife would not have it.

 

If you don't give a fig about what anyone thinks then just carry on as you are, I have no issue with it. But if you do have a lot of Thais visiting you're home, and you care, even a little, ask one of you're Thai friends, who is willing to talk to you about it openly, ask his or her advice on how and where to place them........... I'm just saying!  

They are placed high as a sign of respect.

 

I will ask next time i have a visitor. As already stated when they have been seen i was asked about their heritage etc. The not valuable, but have definitely raised interest. I have never asked what people think, and if a Thai person did show dislike i would let them, but then i would knowing me ask them about the precepts of Buddhism which many in this country do not follow.