Reginald Carpenter
2003-11-17 01:43:01 UTC
FEATURE: Buddhist RelicsNovember 14,
2003http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week711/feature.htmlEpisode
711
BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: There is a popular display now on a seven-year
world tour -- a display of relics, physical remains, it is said, of the
Buddha and other great Buddhist teachers. The tradition is that when a
spiritually pure Buddhist master is cremated, his remains can include
not only bone fragments but tiny pearl-like beads, called ringsel, which
are believed to emit spiritual power and even to multiply. In
Washington, we talked about these mysteries with Victoria Ewart, the
manager of the Heart Shrine Relic Tour.
VICTORIA EWART (The Heart Shrine Relic Tour): These relics have come
from masters around the world, starting with the Buddha and other
Buddhist practitioners after his time. And the relics are produced
because the master has spiritual realizations. So when the body is
cremated, then these ringsel -- relics -- are found among the ashes.
So this means that when the Buddha was cremated two and a half thousand
years ago, these relics were left behind. So they're not pieces of
bones. They're actually manifestations of the realizations of the Buddha
and other masters. And the idea is that, when you come into contact with
these ringsel, you automatically create happiness, or virtue, because of
the power of the holy object.
The ringsel multiply, given the right conditions. You can see from the
photograph, which was taken in June 2001. And a month later, I looked
inside the container, and I saw that there were three very small new
relics there. So that means it's an interactive process.
So often people say to me, "How do you know that these relics are real?
You know, how can you tell these come from the Buddha?" And the answer
is that we don't. But we do have a tradition of these relics being
passed down from master to student. And we ask the master in the temple
-- whether he's Vietnamese, Chinese, Tibetan, whatever -- we ask him or
her to bless each person that wishes to receive a blessing. They come
forward, they make a bow, and then they receive the blessing.
He will place the relics on top of the crown of your head. And the
reason that he does that is there is actually a physical energetic
effect of being blessed on top of the head. It is said to be a healing
or a purification of your own body.
The purpose of the Heart Shrine Relic Tour is to bring people into their
heart. So by coming into contact with the relics, we are inspired to
feel the quality of lovingkindness. Even people who aren't Buddhists,
they cry or they have moving experiences or they have a vision.
Regardless of any labels of "Buddhism" or "Buddha," people are
responding all over.
=A9 2003 Educational Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.
close window
******************************************************
<<< Stone Eagle >>>
Airborne in Cyberspace*
2003http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week711/feature.htmlEpisode
711
BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: There is a popular display now on a seven-year
world tour -- a display of relics, physical remains, it is said, of the
Buddha and other great Buddhist teachers. The tradition is that when a
spiritually pure Buddhist master is cremated, his remains can include
not only bone fragments but tiny pearl-like beads, called ringsel, which
are believed to emit spiritual power and even to multiply. In
Washington, we talked about these mysteries with Victoria Ewart, the
manager of the Heart Shrine Relic Tour.
VICTORIA EWART (The Heart Shrine Relic Tour): These relics have come
from masters around the world, starting with the Buddha and other
Buddhist practitioners after his time. And the relics are produced
because the master has spiritual realizations. So when the body is
cremated, then these ringsel -- relics -- are found among the ashes.
So this means that when the Buddha was cremated two and a half thousand
years ago, these relics were left behind. So they're not pieces of
bones. They're actually manifestations of the realizations of the Buddha
and other masters. And the idea is that, when you come into contact with
these ringsel, you automatically create happiness, or virtue, because of
the power of the holy object.
The ringsel multiply, given the right conditions. You can see from the
photograph, which was taken in June 2001. And a month later, I looked
inside the container, and I saw that there were three very small new
relics there. So that means it's an interactive process.
So often people say to me, "How do you know that these relics are real?
You know, how can you tell these come from the Buddha?" And the answer
is that we don't. But we do have a tradition of these relics being
passed down from master to student. And we ask the master in the temple
-- whether he's Vietnamese, Chinese, Tibetan, whatever -- we ask him or
her to bless each person that wishes to receive a blessing. They come
forward, they make a bow, and then they receive the blessing.
He will place the relics on top of the crown of your head. And the
reason that he does that is there is actually a physical energetic
effect of being blessed on top of the head. It is said to be a healing
or a purification of your own body.
The purpose of the Heart Shrine Relic Tour is to bring people into their
heart. So by coming into contact with the relics, we are inspired to
feel the quality of lovingkindness. Even people who aren't Buddhists,
they cry or they have moving experiences or they have a vision.
Regardless of any labels of "Buddhism" or "Buddha," people are
responding all over.
=A9 2003 Educational Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.
close window
******************************************************
<<< Stone Eagle >>>
Airborne in Cyberspace*