Disposal

[plwk]

How do Theravadin Buddhists...

a. dispose off 'Dhamma' items which have degenerated due to reasons like aging, wrong printing, spoilage and etc?
b. Dhamma items: ranging from printed materials to statues etc

[santa100]

If the items are still usable and the information is correct, consider donating them to the nearby local temple. If the printed materials are too old to be used, I'd usually recite the Ratana Sutta (ref: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .piya.html ) and then use a clean clay pot to burn them.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

How do Theravadin Buddhists...

For any explanation you receive, keep in mind that I don't believe the Buddha himself gave instructions on such matters.

Therefore explanations may just as likely be reflective of local cultural practices, as they are "Theravadin" practices. (There is some overlap between the two)

Metta,
Retro.

[Kim OHara]

I think the best single-word answer to the question is, 'Respectfully.'
An act/ritual of de-consecration may well be part of it.


Kim

[gavesako]

Remember that the oldest Buddhist manuscripts discovered after 2000+ years in clay pots under ground in Afghanistan are believed to have been "respectfully disposed of" in this way. And yet someone can still find them useful today.