I fancy having a Buddha

A Buddha has meaning - and is a lovely thing to have in your garden. I am sure you will treat it with respect - and one way to do that is to avoid picking the figure up by its head. I hope you find one you love!

We have a granite Buddha, bought for us as a silver wedding present.
I don't know where ours was from (I suspect it was Grosvenor Garden Centre, Chester) but this is a very similar one from Japangarden.co.uk

This is my Buddha. It was my retirement gift from collegues at work. They asked what I wanted. I wanted one and also knew that they came in a wide range of sizes and prices. I love him, but he is made of wood (as I wanted). I oil the wood annually, but I wonder sometimes how long he will last. In Buddhism there is no instruction that a Buddha should face East. I think that may come from Feng Shui, which is completely different. For instance, Feng Shui advises having a Buddha in the house facing the front door to ward off bad things coming into the house (not the task of the Buddha). In Buddhism, it is said that you may wish to place a Buddha beside the front door FACING INTO THE HOUSE as it will remind you as you leave and return home to be mindful and appreciative.

Lot’s of garden centres have stoneware buddhas. We’ve had ours for years. One time he was pale gold but now he’s a tasteful bronze!

I have my own personal Buddha, my darling little GS age 9 months. He is so round and chubby, and is definitely a Buddha - lookalike!

I was told that the thin Buddha is his real appearance, but because he was so attractive to the ladies he chose to be seen in his fat character so that he did not distract them ?

I have 2 by a small pond which has no fish but several small potted acers over hanging it. I thought it needed something to give it a bit of interest. One is seated & the other dancing but they do both have round tummies so not what you want.
I love them & touch their heads, tummies & feet every morning when I go past to feed fish in bigger pond. Very calming.

shop.sueryder.org/sitting-meditating-buddha.html

do some good with the purchase :-)

I thought I might like a Buddha, but being a Christian I wondered if this was o.k.?

Nonnatimes, whilst buddhaism preaches love it does not accept God as the creator and believes Christ had lived previous lives

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201806/medium-366159-our-pond-area-5.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201806/medium-347687-symonds-yat-46-resize.jpg

Hi I have designed and constructed 3 oriental gardens all have Buddhas my own Chinese garden has 3 if you would like pictures of the gardens let me know and will send picture so the 3 gardens retired now so energy is less LOL

I've had a 14" high garden one for 16 years and do feel calm when I look at it. I assumed that it should face east so interesting that isn't the case. I have several small ones around the house but not in the bedroom, that is a definite no-no!

I was told that the figure with the tummy is Ho Tai, you rub his tummy for good luck. He is known as 'The Laughing Buddha' and brings wealth and joy. When you have enjoyed his blessings you pass him on to someone who needs him more which is a lovely thought.
My Buddha is a small wooden reclining Buddha which GS gave me after a visit to Sri Lanka. He gives me a sense of peace and of the impermanence of life.

The Range do this lovely meditating Buddha water feature. I love mine.

I was always told that a Buddha needs to be gifted rather than bought and luckily my mum and I fell in love with the same one and so I bought hers and she mine. I have a few scattered round the house but would also love one for my garden think I will have to give my son a few hints for a Christmas present ?
I do find them very relaxing

Mine was a Mothers Day present from my daughter last year, after I fell in love with him in B&Q. She hates him!

I didn't realise the fat laughing one wasn't real Buddha. That's the one we have amidst the ferns and undergrowth at the bottom of the garden. But its cheerful. We like it. I quite like the Buddhist philosophy ( what I know of it).

Thank you for all your helpful replies and photos. When I find the one I want I will get DH to buy it for me. I think I will know when I find the right Buddha or perhaps the Buddha will find me.

I too am a Christian but I like to embrace a variety of faiths.

The pointy headdress is actually his head covered in snails. The story goes that the Lord Buddha was meditating and the sun was very strong and so the snails climbed up on to his head to protect him from the sun.

My husband was given a gold coloured Buddha's head by a colleague who was a Buddhist, and she told him that such sculptures should be gifted, not bought by yourself. Personally I have a Green Man in my garden, in the hope that he will protect and encourage my plants!

This is my little Buddha- can see him all the time from the sunroom window.

Katek love your Buddha. Haven't seen that one before.

Thanks annep, dh bought him for me at a small garden centre when he took his father out one day.

I've got a lovely bronze one in my garden. I have tripped up on him a few times he's a pest

When we were in Thailand, we were told by a guide that it was disrespectful to have
a Budda statue as an ornament. I thought this was quite a strict view but we also saw billboards with the same message. Maybe it's the equivalent of someone with a different faith having a statue of Jesus in their garden. I don't know but it made me think enough not to buy one as a souvenir.