Gee, That’s a Lot of Buddhas

by Robert Koehler on September 30, 2007

Just some of the 3,000 Buddhas enshrined in the Samcheonbuljeon Hall of Bongwon-sa Temple, near Yonsei University.

{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Uri Onara October 1, 2007 at 2:40 am: I wonder if any of them are plastic — like the parking Buddhas. But I guess we will never know for sure. Or if it makes a difference.
2 The Western Confucian October 1, 2007 at 4:49 am: Reminds me of Manbulsa, a temple down here in Gyeongsangbukdo. Most of them seem plastic.
3 TomCoyner October 1, 2007 at 4:57 am: Plastic Buddhas — that is why I have never been particularly taken by that collection of injection-molded Buddhism. I imagine you may find something like this in Japan, but in my ramblings, most Japanese temples make at least an attempt to make the multiple Buddhas unique — and many are naturally so as they are individually handmade.

Nice photos, though. But hardly inspirational — and that is no fault of the photographer.
4 Sonagi October 1, 2007 at 5:32 am: As the Buddha lay dying, his final words began, “Be lamps unto yourselves. Be refuges unto yourselves.” How staring at a long line of little plastic Buddhas is going to help someone reach enlightenment is beyond me.
5 Dram_man October 1, 2007 at 6:33 am: Makes me want to walk the aisles going “Scorecard! get your scorecard! you cant tell who is enlightened and who’s in nirvana with out a scorecard!”

That and sneak in a place a “John 3:16″ sign in the crowd.
6 SomeguyinKorea October 1, 2007 at 9:08 am: Were those ‘donations’? They have names listed below them. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? Aren’t Buddhists supposed to be generous because it is the right thing to do and aren’t supposed to expect anything in return for their generosity, not even the personal satisfaction of having done a good deed?
7 R. Elgin October 1, 2007 at 9:33 am: I see a lot of things but no buddha.
8 gbnhj October 1, 2007 at 12:13 pm: When will they put an end to the internment program? These ‘Buddhist Relocation Centers’ are nothing more than prisons – it’s no wonder they look so disspirited and lifeless.
9 babarian October 1, 2007 at 12:57 pm: 3,000 Buddhas. Would that mean that they have set the goal of collecting 3,000 donations to put the name attached to each of them?