Fat Boy Club

Every designer knows that when a client asks for a room which is calm and tranquil, there is just one route to choose the interior decoration, and that’s East. Consider fountains, bonzai, elegant plants, beautiful screens and exotic sculptures. It is possible to create a feel of the orient in many ways, however among the simplest would be to add a statue of the Buddha. There are over one hundred known positions and three distinct orientations for these statues, so there is likely to be one which will be perfect for just about any living space, even when it is an unusual shape or dimensions.

Buffets and desks all seem to cry out for a sitting Buddha, gardens and balconies may be perfect for the standing Buddha, but some areas need an item a lot broader than high. Here the optimal decor item is a reclining Buddha.

All Buddha statues share 32 features believed to have been bodily features from the original Gautama Buddha who was born in approximately 563 BC. They are also referred to as the ‘Thirty Two Signs of a Great Man’, and include:

•    flat feet

•    a pointed head

•    beautiful gold skin

•    long fingers all the same length

•    long toes all the same length

•    a robe draped over one shoulder

•    long ear lobes

The Buddha wasn’t in favor of representations of his own body, and therefore the real question is actually, why are there so many Buddha statues?

It appears this may be yet another matter which can be blamed on  the Greeks, and on one Greek in particular, Alexander the Great. When Alexander  occupied Northern India and Afghanistan, the leader placed lots of soldiers and artists in the regions, hence the artwork of this area had been greatly affected by classical sculpture, as well as through Greek ideas of Gods and mortals. Alexander was famous for taking pleasure in the imitation of his own visage, having understood the value of paintings and sculpture as items of propaganda.

This may be why Alexandrian India, with a partly Greek populace and ties to Greek tradition, was the first region to produce Buddha statues. These proved immensely popular and the idea spread with Buddhism itself, even so as Islam restricted the representation of the human form and considered such statues as idolatry,  many of the historic and beautiful statues of the Buddha in that area have since been destroyed.

Generally there are a few well defined poses for these sculptures which refer to distinct ideas or times in the life of the Buddha.

But the most fascinating is the reclining pose of the Buddha. There are 2 versions. The first portrays the Buddha, resting with his head in his hand. This is the sleeping Buddha, however the other similar pose, where Buddha’s feet are resting together, signifies the day the Buddha entered Nirvana.

Aged eighty, the Buddha sat down and told his followers he was about to enter parinirvana, the state that occurs whenever the physical body of a person who has accomplished total awakening or enlightenment ultimately passes away. He ate his last meal and after that became strongly ill. He asked his followers for any concerns that they had and when there were none he gave all of them his last instructions. “All composite things pass away. Strive for your own liberation with diligence.” Custom tells that when his body was laid between the sala trees, the plants bloomed, despite the fact that it was not the season.

This is the day symbolized by the reclining Buddha statue.  In Thailand the most common pose shows the Buddha with legs crossed and with his left hand in his lap while the right points to the ground, palm inward in a pose called ‘Calling the Earth to Witness’ and relates to the precise of the Buddha’s enlightenment.

Whichever shape your space, right now there is a Buddha statue that will certainly fit, delivering a feeling of peace and tranquility to your world and surroundings.

Every designer knows that when a client asks for a room which is calm and tranquil, there is just one route to choose the interior decoration, and that’s East. Consider fountains, bonzai, elegant plants, beautiful screens and exotic sculptures. It is possible to create a feel of the orient in many ways, however among the simplest would be to add a statue of the Buddha. There are over one hundred known positions and three distinct orientations for these statues, so there is likely to be one which will be perfect for just about any living space, even when it is an unusual shape or dimensions.

Buffets and desks all seem to cry out for a sitting Buddha, gardens and balconies may be perfect for the standing Buddha, but some areas need an item a lot broader than high. Here the optimal decor item is a reclining Buddha.

All Buddha statues share 32 features believed to have been bodily features from the original Gautama Buddha who was born in approximately 563 BC. They are also referred to as the ‘Thirty Two Signs of a Great Man’, and include:

•    flat feet

•    a pointed head

•    beautiful gold skin

•    long fingers all the same length

•    long toes all the same length

•    a robe draped over one shoulder

•    long ear lobes

The Buddha wasn’t in favor of representations of his own body, and therefore the real question is actually, why are there so many Buddha statues?

It appears this may be yet another matter which can be blamed on  the Greeks, and on one Greek in particular, Alexander the Great. When Alexander  occupied Northern India and Afghanistan, the leader placed lots of soldiers and artists in the regions, hence the artwork of this area had been greatly affected by classical sculpture, as well as through Greek ideas of Gods and mortals. Alexander was famous for taking pleasure in the imitation of his own visage, having understood the value of paintings and sculpture as items of propaganda.

This may be why Alexandrian India, with a partly Greek populace and ties to Greek tradition, was the first region to produce Buddha statues. These proved immensely popular and the idea spread with Buddhism itself, even so as Islam restricted the representation of the human form and considered such statues as idolatry,  many of the historic and beautiful statues of the Buddha in that area have since been destroyed.

Generally there are a few well defined poses for these sculptures which refer to distinct ideas or times in the life of the Buddha.

But the most fascinating is the reclining pose of the Buddha. There are 2 versions. The first portrays the Buddha, resting with his head in his hand. This is the sleeping Buddha, however the other similar pose, where Buddha’s feet are resting together, signifies the day the Buddha entered Nirvana.

Aged eighty, the Buddha sat down and told his followers he was about to enter parinirvana, the state that occurs whenever the physical body of a person who has accomplished total awakening or enlightenment ultimately passes away. He ate his last meal and after that became strongly ill. He asked his followers for any concerns that they had and when there were none he gave all of them his last instructions. “All composite things pass away. Strive for your own liberation with diligence.” Custom tells that when his body was laid between the sala trees, the plants bloomed, despite the fact that it was not the season.

This is the day symbolized by the reclining Buddha statue.  In Thailand the most common pose shows the Buddha with legs crossed and with his left hand in his lap while the right points to the ground, palm inward in a pose called ‘Calling the Earth to Witness’ and relates to the precise of the Buddha’s enlightenment.

Whichever shape your space, right now there is a Buddha statue that will certainly fit, delivering a feeling of peace and tranquility to your world and surroundings.

Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Buddha which are referred to as “Dharma” or “the Dharma.”  Those who practice Buddhism engage in a spiritual journey to attain a state of complete enlightenment known as Nirvana.    Like all religions, Buddhism has evolved over time, fractured and adapted as it spread through Asia and eventually the globe.  Today, there are three major sects of Buddhism and several smaller variants of the religion.

These different Buddhist religions are all united under some core Buddhist principles. They all accept Buddha as their spiritual teacher.  The Four Noble Truths are core to their philosophies and teachings.  Those who practice Buddhism follow the principles of the Eightfold Path and believe that Buddhahood is the highest possible state that one could achieve.

Around 300 BC, the Theravada, or “Traditions of the Elders” was first established.  This religion centered around the teachings of Buddha and encouraged it’s followers to use meditation as a means to teach the mind and eliminate suffering with the goal of achieving Buddhahood.  Theravada Buddhism established the canon of Buddhist scriptures and the Ten Precepts which govern the lifestyle of Buddhist monks.

Theravada Buddhism began in India and moved through southeast Asia into Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam and other Asian countries.  As this form of Buddhism was embraced by the indigenous people, the Theravada was adapted to include the religious beliefs of the various geographic regions. this form of Buddhism is still popular in Sri Lanka, Laos and Cambodia today.

Mahayana, or Eastern Buddhism, broadens the Buddhist scriptures to include other religious philosophies and texts that champion of belief in universal compassion and altruism.  These beliefs are central to their concept of an “Awakened mind.”  Practiced primarily in China, Korea and Japan, Mahayana Buddhism incorporates elements of cosmology and mysticism.  This form of Buddhism has splintered into two variants.  Zen Buddhism, which focuses more on internalization of the spiritual path and self-reliance and Pure Land Buddhism which teaches that dedication to the Amitabha Buddha is required to reach Nirvana.

Although deeply influenced by Mahayana Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana is another distinct discipline of the Buddhist faith..  referred to as Tantric Buddhism, Vajrayana melds the scriptures and text of both Mahayana and Theraveda Buddhism along with Buddhist Tantras.  A major difference of Vajrayana Buddhism is that it teaches that Buddhahood can be achieved in a single life time without need for reincarnation.   

The method in which one achieves enlightenment is the most significant difference between the various types of Buddhism.  each value meditation and spiritual journey guided by the eightfold Path and the four Noble truths, but the attainment of Buddhahood differs in each version of the Buddhist faith.

Are you a Buddhist?  Do you meditate or practice Yoga?  If you’re searching for Asian decor to compliment your meditation space, you’ll find hundreds of Buddha statues at Big Buddha Statue.  It’s a one stop online shop for all your Buddha decor needs.