All in all, I counted 11 Buddhas in and around my house. I don’t consider myself a Buddhist, but I live with someone who does, and over the years he has collected quite a few. I walk past them everyday, and like many objects we have in our home, they recede into the fabric of the household. So today I decided I would go on a hunt for all the Buddhas who live with me. Like I said, there are 11.
This first Buddha is actually the only one that does not fade into the woodwork, mainly because of its size and location. It hangs on the wall in our bedroom and is about 4 feet by 5 feet. It is also the nearest to my heart, having been painted by a dear friend. I always find something new to admire each time I look at him.
This guy sits on the sill in our bathroom.
I have lots of small items collected on the window sill above the kitchen sink, including this happy buddha. He smiles at me while I do the dishes.
We’ve had this buddha so long that he’s grown moss all over him – he’s also smiling about it.
I haven’t spent much time looking at this buddha up close, but I like how precise his fingers are in his mudra. He sits on our mantle.
This buddha sits in the room where some of us meditate and some of us practice yoga and some of us jump on the bed. I’m not sure what the story is behind the red headband, but he’s definitely groovy.
I don’t know the origin of this simple buddha, but I know it made my husband cry when a dear friend gave it to him.
The same friend that painted the big buddha in our bedroom also painted this one after she traveled through India.
I’m pretty sure this is Jizo. She’s a he and he’s a she. She/he is the patron of children, travelers, expectant mothers, and more. I like her robe.
This guy is a bit too shiny for my taste, but he doesn’t seem too worried about it.
Here is the last and smallest buddha in our house. He’s about 1.5 inches wide, and he sits next to a big potted plant.
That covers all of the buddha friends who share my living space. Seeing them all together makes me want to go rub all of their heads.