In Thailand there were posters up everywhere condemning using Buddha as an icon or inappropriately. For example, Buddha heads on t-shirts or huge matte black Buddha heads on mantels in chic hotels or homes. Much to the chagrin of Buddhist countries, Buddha has become a hip image in the ranks of Che. Shame the philosophy of Buddhism isn't as hip. While we aren't new age or hip or religious enough to utilise Buddha in our day to day life, we do admire aspects of Buddhist thought.
When we came to view our house we were smitten by the very tranquil indoor-outdoor design. Given the zen overtones it was no surprise when we spotted a small statue of Buddha in the bathroom. It added to the mystique of the otherwise completely empty house. Was the small Buddha put there intentionally to attract the right kind of tenant? Had the previous tenant forgotten it there? But in that case why in the bathroom? Did they just have small statues of Buddha scattered all over the house? But the entire house had been renovated so how would such a small Buddha not get lost in the bathroom overhaul? Did a builder plant him there? Did the owner leave the Buddha there to bring luck upon the house? But again why the bathroom? None of the answers made sense. So we rented the place of Buddhist mystery. We now have our own small retreat complete with a rescued lemon tree, herbs, large sunny windows, plush carpets and a small Buddha in the bathroom.
In Australia tenants don't usually ever speak or meet the owner. I had the opportunity to meet the owner and creator of our home. She regaled me with stories of the house and its creation and revealed some of its personality. And before we parted ways I eagerly asked "but what about the Buddha in the bathroom?" She looked at me confused, "There is no Buddha in the bathroom." "That is very profound," I said, " but there IS. Where did the Buddha come from and why is it in the bathroom?" While she knew the story of each and every brick, this story, like the Buddha himself, is more elusive.
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| The Buddha who wasn't there |
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| A bad picture of an otherwise pleasant scene |
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| It's nicer to sleep on the floor when bathed in sunshine |
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| We like her more than Buddha |
Buddha in the bathroom! Yes!
ReplyDeleteSo are we redoing last years nice Sunshine Coast trip this year? Maybe we should meet up on your island?
DeleteWow your article very informative. Thanks for sharing such a useful post.
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ReplyDeleteSo what did you do with the buddha. Did you leave it there? I am moving to a house and i saw a small buddha in the bathroom too. I dont know if the old tenant forgot it there or intentionally left it. I am scared to touch it but i also dont kmow if i should remove it or just leave it alone.
ReplyDeleteSo what did you do with the buddha. Did you leave it there? I am moving to a house and i saw a small buddha in the bathroom too. I dont know if the old tenant forgot it there or intentionally left it. I am scared to touch it but i also dont kmow if i should remove it or just leave it alone.
ReplyDeleteYup we left it there. And we grew quite fond of the small buddha. And then when we moved homes we were faced with the more difficult decision of whether to leave it in the bathroom on moving out. We were worried it would be discarded by others or more realistically the end of lease cleaners. In the end it moved houses with us. And then our daughter brought it traveling and now it is once again in our house.
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