Not long ago a Thai friend gave me a beautiful Buddha icon to be worn,
I think, around the neck. First, I am a Christian and second I am not
comfortable wearing anything around my neck. I tried putting on my key
chain but (another) Thai friend was horrified that I would use the icon in
that way, so I removed it forthwith. The icon is important to me, and I want to show it somehow.
SUGGESTIONS??
Help needed
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lvdkeyes
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Re: Help needed
Buddha icons should not be used as purely decorative items like a piece of jewelry. I think I would buy one of those small glass cases and display it that way at home.
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Gaybutton
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Re: Help needed
These types of amulets are very important to Thais and what your friend gave you was, to him, the ultimate token of friendship. His feelings are likely to be seriously hurt if you use it in some way that causes him think it isn't something very special to you.
Since you're uncomfortable wearing it - and around your neck is indeed the way it's supposed to be worn - my suggestion is to wear it when you know you're going to be with him. Don't wear it or use it in any other way - only around your neck.
If you follow lvdkeyes' advice, keep it somewhere visible but above head level. You'll have to come up with some kind of explanation for your friend that he will accept as to why you don't wear it. I would not use religion as a reason. Maybe something physical or saying something like you have a terrible fear of necklaces after seeing a friend get his caught in something and nearly decapitated himself. But come up with something, or you'll really be hurting his feelings.
Since you're uncomfortable wearing it - and around your neck is indeed the way it's supposed to be worn - my suggestion is to wear it when you know you're going to be with him. Don't wear it or use it in any other way - only around your neck.
If you follow lvdkeyes' advice, keep it somewhere visible but above head level. You'll have to come up with some kind of explanation for your friend that he will accept as to why you don't wear it. I would not use religion as a reason. Maybe something physical or saying something like you have a terrible fear of necklaces after seeing a friend get his caught in something and nearly decapitated himself. But come up with something, or you'll really be hurting his feelings.
Re: Help needed
As GB noted, the location is very important to them. If you have a 2-story place, any Buddha icon or whatever must go on the highest level of the structure. If you only have a one-story place, apartment, condo, or whatever, then it goes above head level and generally ought to be in the highest location (i.e., don't put your statue of Mickey Mouse or whatever either at equal height or higher).Gaybutton wrote:keep it somewhere visible but above head level.
This may sound weird to you as a westerner, but this is a very serious issue for most Buddhists and you'll actually offend them (some to the point that they'll actually do something about it) if you do otherwise.
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gottchakhrap
Re: Help needed
Thanks for your replies...all very helpful. This is indeed a special gift and I think
what I will do is to wear it around my neck when I'm going to see him. Incidently, I
saw him yesterday and he asked why I wasn't wearing the icon. I told him I was
looking for "just the right" chain. He accepted that gracefully. Again, these kinds'
of things are very important and I don't want to offend.
Again, thanks one and all.
what I will do is to wear it around my neck when I'm going to see him. Incidently, I
saw him yesterday and he asked why I wasn't wearing the icon. I told him I was
looking for "just the right" chain. He accepted that gracefully. Again, these kinds'
of things are very important and I don't want to offend.
Again, thanks one and all.