Teeth, Bones And Blessings: At Rosemead Buddhist Temple, Relics Inspire Belief

Katherine Nguyen stood pinch hands folded and caput bowed astatine nan altar of a Buddhist temple successful Rosemead.

Before her were bony and digit bony relics that nan religious believed to beryllium to Shakyamuni Buddha, besides known arsenic Gautama Buddha, nan laminitis of Buddhism who is said to person attained enlightenment successful India astir 2,500 years ago.

“To beryllium capable to spot nan Buddha, to get adjacent to him and consciousness nan power — it’s very typical for a Buddhist,” Nguyen said.

Every Lunar New Year, nan Wei Mountain Temple successful Rosemead publically displays what it calls nan “10,000 Buddha Relics,” though nan existent number contained successful respective solid show cases and miniature stupas aliases reliquaries is acold larger, according to nan temple’s founder, Master YongHua.

The postulation prominently features bones and teeth purported to person travel from nan bodies of nan Buddha, his relatives and disciples. It besides includes galore shariras — colorful pearl- aliases crystal-like objects said to person been culled from nan cremated ashes of Buddhist masters and Gautama Buddha.

Relics successful Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity are venerated arsenic links to nan saints aliases Christ, whereas Buddhist relics are chiefly seen arsenic living, progressive sources of blessings imbued pinch supernatural qualities.

Though seldom questioned successful temples, relic authenticity is disputed globally — Singapore’s celebrated Buddha bony was shown to astir apt beryllium to a cow.

Believers opportunity they tin look connected their own, turn aliases moreover multiply, which is really Buddhists often explicate nan conundrum of why location are truthful galore dispersed crossed nan world. Relics of nan Buddha aliases revered monks are typically enshrined successful a stupa — a sacred, dome-shaped monument that Buddhists besides usage for meditation and pilgrimage.

A matter of faith

At nan Rosemead temple, nan teeth and digit bony relics are importantly larger than those successful nan mean quality body. YongHua said that’s because they person “grown” complete nan years. The bony relic, he said, produces “baby shariras,” nan multicolored crystals believed to person multiplied and filled respective containers successful their exhibit.

Most Buddhist sects admit nan belief value of relics, moreover if immoderate teachers person tried to displacement nan attraction to Buddha’s teachings that stress mindfulness and kindness. Relics tin beryllium recovered successful each state wherever Buddhism has a heavy history: India, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand. In temple and monastic settings, nan authenticity of these items is seldom questioned; belief leaders debar subjecting them to technological tests complete worries that it mightiness portion them of what makes them extraordinary.

Over nan years, location person been galore reports of clone bony and bony relics arsenic good arsenic manufactured acrylic shariras flooding markets successful Asia and online shopping platforms, often sold pinch falsified authenticity certificates.

Singapore’s Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum houses a bony relic said to person been recovered from nan Buddha’s ceremonial pyre successful a elephantine stupa fashioned from 705 pounds of gold. That relic came nether scrutiny successful 2007 aft dental experts pointed retired that nan 3-inch tooth’s characteristics were incompatible pinch nan dimensions of a quality bony and astir apt belonged to a cattle aliases a buffalo. The temple’s abbot, nan Venerable Shi Fazhao, said astatine nan clip that he had ne'er questioned its authenticity and “if you judge it’s real, it’s real.”

YongHua says nan main intent of nan relics donated to nan Rosemead temple astir 14 years agone by a collector is to animate faith. He has nary doubts astir their ethereal nature.

“I person seen them multiply pinch my ain eyes,” he said. “They move connected their own, they levitate. ... I’ve seen group get cured of various ailments conscionable by being successful their presence.”

John Strong, professor emeritus of belief astatine Bates College successful Lewiston, Maine, wrote nan book “Relics of nan Buddha” successful 2004. He said nan earliest accounts of Buddha’s ceremonial are recovered successful Pali texts making love from astir nan 2nd period B.C. Later commentaries picture nan relics that came retired of nan Buddha’s ashes arsenic sparkling jewels — immoderate arsenic mini arsenic mustard seeds and others resembling gems aliases aureate nuggets.

Theories abound astir what generates these relics and why, Strong said, adding that they do service nan important intent of connecting Buddhists to nan Buddha, who is “essentially absent” because he became enlightened and liberated from nan rhythm of birth, decease and reincarnation.

Relics are signs of a spiritually realized yogi

Geshe Tenzin Zopa, a Tibetan monk and educator, said relics are “the astir precious, astir sacred, astir powerful beatified objects successful our understanding.” As a young monk successful Nepal, he believes he saw his teacher, Geshe Lama Konchog — who was recognized arsenic a realized yogi by nan Dalai Lama — make relics arsenic his assemblage was being cremated. The guru died successful October 2001.

Zopa said he observed pearl-like relics popping retired of nan crematorium “like popcorn.” He said elder monks advised that nan building beryllium sealed and near undisturbed for 3 days. When they returned, disciples recovered hundreds of relics — and nan guru’s intact heart, lingua and eyes, Zopa said.

“I’d ne'er seen thing for illustration that successful my life. It was genuinely a miracle,” he said. It’s wide believed nan relics later multiplied; astir are enshrined successful a memorial stupa astatine Kopan monastery successful Nepal.

For students of yogis, looking for relics successful cremains is not a morbid fascination, but an enactment of unshakeable religion and an anticipation that their guru would time off down a connection — a beingness motion of their belief realization, Zopa said. They’re not easy to nutrient either.

“We judge that nan relics are near down owed to nan kindness of these beatified gurus for nan liking of america sentient beings to cod merit and purify ourselves,” Zopa said. “One has to make very beardown and extended prayers and sphere axenic morality for galore lifetimes successful bid to create nan causes that nutrient relics.”

Differing views

In Southern California, astatine nan U.S. office for nan Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order, nan Venerable Hui Ze explained that their founder, Venerable Master Hsing Yun, taught his followers not to attraction solely connected relics.

“Our venerable maestro emphasized Humanistic Buddhism — really we tin bring Buddha’s teachings into our regular lives pinch bully thoughts, words and actions,” said Hui Ze. “He instructed america that relics should not distract america from nan way to liberation.”

The order’s office successful Taiwan houses a Buddha bony relic talented to Hsing Yun by a lama, Kunga Dorje Rinpoche, who carried nan ineffable entity arsenic he fled Tibet successful 1968 and safeguarded it for 3 decades. Hui Ze said he was moved by nan relic nan infinitesimal he saw it.

“I had this really friendly acquisition and felt for illustration I had connected pinch nan Buddha who was present 2,600 years ago, and that relationship is priceless,” he said.

Hsing Yun had instructed disciples not to look for relics successful his ashes. He died Feb. 5, 2023, astatine property 95. Following nan master’s cremation, his disciples sifted done nan cremains and purportedly recovered respective colorful, pearly relics.

But successful deference to nan master’s wishes, they’ve been near successful nan ashes to beryllium dispersed crossed nan order’s twelve centers crossed 5 continents.

Hsing Yun’s ashes containing nan relics will beryllium enshrined successful nan Southern California office during a ceremonial connected March 21.

Bharath writes for nan Associated Press.