The Dos and Don’t’s while placing Buddha Statues as Home Decor
Peace, tranquility, harmony and balance. Those are words often associated with the Buddhism, and thus the Buddha's likeness has become a popular presence in many homes as a centerpiece or accessory, even amongst non-believers.
While sometimes controversial, in that Buddha’s likeness has been used in several items of merchandising which can be seen as disrespectful, most buyers seek to honour the founder of Buddhism and his teachings and beliefs by placing these statues in strategic locations around their home in order to spread positive energy and peace and tranquility. Now, before purchasing and placing a Buddha statue in the home, here are a couple of things to keep in mind. Some of these are general principles that involve good taste and avoiding disrespect. A few have to do with using Buddha statues to enhance the balance of chi, or energy, in the home using the science of Feng Shui.
Placing a Buddha statue in a part of the home that enjoys good energy already is the most auspicious choice. A beautiful vista or restful, uncluttered room has better chi than one confronted by jutting angles or noxious outdoor lights at night or loud street noise through a window. Views of electrical wires, large bridges, or looming high rise buildings could also be associated with disruptive chi and can undermine the effect of placing a Buddha in the room.
Never place a Buddha statue on the floor or near the soles of your shoes; this is not appropriate and may be disrespectful. Instead, use a table or altar to display the statue. It is a good idea to place a piece of red paper under the Buddha to add a symbol of luck to an altar placement. As an alternative, you can get a Buddha as a canvas art painting and hang it on the wall.
It is also disrespectful to store a decorative Buddha figure in a safe or vault. It is acceptable to keep a Buddha on the shelf with closing doors, however. Also keep it away from messy or unkempt parts of the home, especially the bathroom.
Great locations for a Buddha figurine include the study or office reception desk, in your meditation garden, or where yoga is practiced. If a decorative Buddha figure is placed in a car, it should face forward. In the garden, the statue should face the home to bring abundance and prosperity. Indoors, keep the statue facing into the room unless it is facing the main entrance from another angle, to block negative energy and greet visitors.
The material of the statue also matters in its placement. The compass directions east and west are associated with wood and metal, respectively. A wood statue in the metal area of the home or vice versa can cause a sense of discord.
The position of the Buddha’s hands is also significant. If the Buddha is seated with hands forming an oval, this symbolizes inward attention or meditation and can be placed in a Zen garden facing east. If the Buddha holds one hand upward and one hand downward, this depicts a blessing of compassion and fearlessness. The blessing Buddha should be placed in an area that has weak chi or depleted energy.
If the Buddha holds both hands in front of his heart with the index fingers touching the thumb, this represents the sharing of knowledge and would be well placed in a study or den. By touching his thumb with the ring finger, he attracts wealth and good fortune and thus should be placed in the southeast area of the home.
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