Rupa

Pictures of revered teachers, places, rupas, temples, bhikkhus, shrine rooms etc. that bring inspiration to our members. Pilgrimage advice, devotion etc.
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forestmat
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Re: Rupa

Post by forestmat »

Greetings Ngawang,

the Rupa looks great.

The one you put outside would look even better if it was raised up off the floor. :buddha1:

I know you are well intentioned, it's just that having the Buddha at one's feet makes me wince.

Perhaps you could make a small concrete plinth and use the concrete to cover the broken part.

Nevertheless a lovely rupa.

With metta

forestmat
Hartridge Buddhist Monastery, Devon, England
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: Rupa

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

forestmat wrote:Greetings Ngawang,

the Rupa looks great.

The one you put outside would look even better if it was raised up off the floor. :buddha1:

I know you are well intentioned, it's just that having the Buddha at one's feet makes me wince.

Perhaps you could make a small concrete plinth and use the concrete to cover the broken part.

Nevertheless a lovely rupa.

With metta

forestmat
Oh, thank you very much forestmat! The one outside is so broken on the bottom part that the only alternative would be to discard it. It seems like a waste and a shame :(
But it really isn't proper to have it at foot level, in the dirt. What to do? Any advice? I planted some baby trees by it. Supposedly they're Bodhi trees but I'm a little fuzzy on that. The person who gave them to me doesn't have English as a first language so the communication was a little confusing.

Thanks for any thoughts!
Drolma :)
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: Rupa

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

I wish I could get a better picture of the shrine inside. Today I bought a stupa to put by the rupa. It's not expensive but it was still exciting for me, to be making this shrine! I had a neat one before but I lost it in the divorce. So I'm starting from scratch.

This picture makes the stupa look big but it's only 5.5" tall. Apologies if this is not a Theravada thing; I don't know. In my tradition the stupa is a symbol of the Buddha's enlightened mind :)


Image
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Ben
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Re: Rupa

Post by Ben »

No problem, Drolma!
Personally, I would like to get a replica of the Mahabodhi temple or a replica of Shwedagon for my shrine.
Metta

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

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DNS
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Re: Rupa

Post by DNS »

Beautiful stupa, Drolma! I am a Theravadin, but have a couple of stupas at my place too. It is similar in appearance to the Maha Bodhi Temple replica I have:

Image
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: Rupa

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

TheDhamma, that is so beautiful! Wow, thanks for sharing it :anjali:
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: Rupa

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

Do Theravada practitioners make offerings with shrines? I'm sure you don't do water offerings and such, but do you offer candles or incense?
When you go to a local temple do you give offerings for the shrine, like candles?

Thanks, just curious :anjali:
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mikenz66
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Re: Rupa

Post by mikenz66 »

Ngawang Drolma wrote:Do Theravada practitioners make offerings with shrines? I'm sure you don't do water offerings and such, but do you offer candles or incense?
"Traditional" Theravadins, such as the Thai people here offer all kinds of things. Food, and so on... Sometimes I'll add some of the food I brought to the tray.
Ngawang Drolma wrote: When you go to a local temple do you give offerings for the shrine, like candles?
In Thailand I'd do the usual incense thing. I only do that here on special occasions.

Mike
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: Rupa

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

mikenz66 wrote:
Ngawang Drolma wrote:Do Theravada practitioners make offerings with shrines? I'm sure you don't do water offerings and such, but do you offer candles or incense?
"Traditional" Theravadins, such as the Thai people here offer all kinds of things. Food, and so on... Sometimes I'll add some of the food I brought to the tray.
Ngawang Drolma wrote: When you go to a local temple do you give offerings for the shrine, like candles?
In Thailand I'd do the usual incense thing. I only do that here on special occasions.

Mike
Thanks Mike, very interesting. I'm sorry, what's the usual incense thing in Thailand?

:anjali:
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mikenz66
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Re: Rupa

Post by mikenz66 »

Ngawang Drolma wrote:
mikenz66 wrote:
Ngawang Drolma wrote: Thanks Mike, very interesting. I'm sorry, what's the usual incense thing in Thailand?
Sorry, I mean just lighting some small sticks of incense. Usually you'll get a package of a candle, three sticks of incense and a lotus.

As opposed to China where you get truly humongous sticks of incense... :tongue:

Mike
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: Rupa

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

Gotcha, thanks! :)
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: Rupa

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

forestmat wrote:Greetings Ngawang,

the Rupa looks great.

The one you put outside would look even better if it was raised up off the floor. :buddha1:

I know you are well intentioned, it's just that having the Buddha at one's feet makes me wince.

Perhaps you could make a small concrete plinth and use the concrete to cover the broken part.

Nevertheless a lovely rupa.

With metta

forestmat
Dear forestmat,

Since reading your post, the outdoor Buddha in the dirt began to bother me. I became determined to bring it inside, clean it up, and find a way to disguise the badly broken parts. Here's the result:

Image

I'm much happier with this! It feels much more respectful. The broken parts are not so noticable because they're in the corners of the table and behind the table. Thanks so much for your feedback.

Best wishes,
Ngawang

:anjali:
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Ben
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Re: Rupa

Post by Ben »

That's lovely, Ngawang!
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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