Buddha-chic!

By jozjozjoz | Friday, June 13, 2008 | 2 Comments

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I was surfing around when I found this slideshow on the LA Times site: Buddha in home decor.

A related article entitled “Buddhamania” goes into detail about how the religious symbol of Buddha has become “decorative” and is used by interior designers as a “visual shorthand” to exemplify “zen.”

The article describes the popularity of buddha-shaped items like bars of soap, table lamps, and wind chimes.

The trend has even spawned the inevitable spoofs, including the sage dog in the classic contemplative pose — paws poking out of its monk robe — for $25 at the Pilgrims Way Community Bookstore & the Secret Garden, a Carmel shop that sells mostly serious items representing world religions. When a Japanese Buddhist monk saw the concrete canine, he laughed out loud, store owner Cynthia Fernandes says. “So I figure it can’t be offensive.”

Indeed, Buddha has become such a ubiquitous element in living rooms and on patios, the questions are inescapable: Has Buddhamania gone too far? What is the proper way to showcase such pieces? And at what point is the religious symbol reduced to a decorating tchotchke?

I don’t consider myself to be religious, but I am definitely more Buddhist than anything else. Personally, I am not interested in “decorating” my house with Buddhas, save for maybe one or two very special pieces. And even so, I know that I would place the Buddha very purposefully and respectfully, but that’s just me.

I guess other people can do what they want in terms of decorating their own houses, but being a non-Christian, I could not imagine putting Jesuses around my home, but it sounds like a lot of non-Buddhists like having Buddha in their homes. More power to them, I guess.

What do you think?

(Coincidentally, I.M. Chait Gallery/Auctioneers, the Asian art gallery/auction house I work for part time, has a couple of items included in the slide show and article.)

Image by Bonnie Dain for the LA Times

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Lifestyles

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