SHRINE

I had a wild hair and created this mini Buddhist shrine here in the computer room. I got the statue at Crazy Earl's not too long ago. Note the Karana Mudra that this image is sporting - it signifies the banishment of negativity, demons, etc. I learned from being in the houses of my Asian friends and relatives growing up that you put the Buddha way up high on a shelf like this. My friend Tuan Nguyen had godparents who had an electric "laughing Buddha" that you plug in - it was in their entrance room on such a high shelf. I really loved that thing, as it would randomly light up every now and again and laugh. This feature, however, freaked Tuan out, as he said he would be walking around the house late at night and the Buddha would just start laughing randomly (he felt) at him. If anyone out there knows where to find such an electric laughing Buddha, please give me the link, as I have searched the internet in vain for one to purchase...

Much to the chagrin of my Christian friends I'm sure, I've even toyed with the idea of featuring a different deity in my shrine ever so often in this manner. I have it in my mind to assemble images of Christ, Hecate, the Virgin of Guadalupe, Ganesha... Who knows? I don't think I'm an idol worshipper so much as a collector of symbols from the world's religious thoughts. Yes, yes, I know: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." But I believe that the nature of the numinous is as such that it demands a greater articulation and exploration. The One God has many faces.