Infant Buddha Statues

[camerata]

Anyone ever seen a statue of the Buddha as an infant in Thailand? In Japan they are called tanjo butsu. I haven't seen any in temples there but there are quite a few like the one below in Nara National Museum.

The right arm is always pointing to the sky and the left arm points down to the earth.

[sabaijai]

Anyone ever seen a statue of the Buddha as an infant in Thailand? In Japan they are called tanjo butsu. I haven't seen any in temples there but there are quite a few like the one below in Nara National Museum.

The right arm is always pointing to the sky and the left arm points down to the earth.

New one to me, never seen it in Thailand.

[camerata]

Of all places, I saw a tanjo butsu on the Buddha altar at Rutnin Hospital last night. My guess is it was a Thai copy rather than a Japanese original. It appeared to be wood with black lacquer.

[Nordlys]

They celebrate the birth of the Buddha (April 8th in Japan) by pouring sweet tea on the infant Buddha statue, hence the bowl.

[siamesekitty]

pardon my ignorance, but why is it called "infant" Buddha statue if Buddha looks pretty grown up and is standing?

[sabaijai]

pardon my ignorance, but why is it called "infant" Buddha statue if Buddha looks pretty grown up and is standing?

I was wondering the same thing.

[siamesekitty]

Ok come to think about it, the standing part I can understand because Buddha was to have been able to walk immediately after birth. However, the statue still doesn't look like an infant or even a young child.

[Nordlys]

How is it translated in English what the baby Buddha has supposedly said (accordingly to the myth) pointing one hand to the sky and another to the mother earth (posture of the baby Buddha), after taking 7 steps immediately after his birth from Maya, which in Chinese and Japanese reads "天上天下唯我独尊", a phrase that seems to me out of synch with the teaching of Anatta?

Edited January 8, 2008 by Nordlys

[camerata]

a phrase that seems to me out of synch with the teaching of Anatta?

Right. Something about being "the foremost among men" - makes the infant Buddha sound like a raving egotist. It seems a lot of words were put into the Buddha's mouth by the compilers of the Pali Canon.

[camerata]

Ok come to think about it, the standing part I can understand because Buddha was to have been able to walk immediately after birth. However, the statue still doesn't look like an infant or even a young child.

Come to think of it, the image I saw at Rutnin did look more like a real infant. The main characteristic of the ones I've seen in Japan - other than the arm positions - is that the Buddha is bare-chested and wearing a phakhaoma-like garment.