Buddha's Relic ~Sarira ~
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~ SARIRA ~
"Sarira", sometimes also "Sharira", is a term derived from a Sanskrit root-word which can best be translated as something close to "what is easily dissolved," that is, easily worn away; the idea being something transitory, foam-like, full of holes, as it were. A more general meaning is: a composite body or vehicle of impermanent character in and through which an ethereal entity lives and works. In such a translation the body is likened a sheath, a vehicle, a Upadhi for consciousness. Upadhi is like an appearance, a disguise. Derived from the Sanskrit verb-root dha plus the prepositional prefix upa, meaning in combination "to put on," as in a disguise. In Hindu philosophy an Upadhi is a 'vehicle' or 'base,' that which is the mere appearance of some unseen Reality or consciousness center.
KARANA SARIRA: Vijnanamayakosha (Causal Body) for the upper levels of the Mental Plane; Manomayakosha (Mental Body) for the lower part of the Mental Plane; Anandamayakosha (Bliss Body) for the Buddhic Plane.
SUKSHMA SARIRA: (Astral Body)(sometimes, Subtle Body) for the Astral Plane. Denotes the link between the nervous system and the cosmic reservoir.
LINGA SARIRA: Pranamayakosha for the etheric levels of the Physical Plane, the Etheric Double also being a recepticle for the Vital Force(Prana).
STHULA SARIRA: Annamayakosha (Gross Body) for the Dense Physical Plane.
An interesting point about the Sanskrit definition of a body “that is easily dissolved” is that it is also interpreted to mean “full of holes”. Science today is teaching that the building block parts of the atoms of which our bodies are composed are relatively more empty than they are full. We are, as bodies, essentially etheric. Our physical world is mostly so-called empty space -
SACRED RELICS
The translation of the Sanskrit Sarira literally means 'body', BUT in Buddhist usage most often refers to the sacred relics found in the cremated remains of the Buddha or of a Buddhist monk. If we are indeed "star stuff" even before death we are cremated, that is, composed of the remains of cremated stars. Witness the Crab Nebula above as the material from the exploded star expands out to be reused somewhere by the Universe again and again. Rebirth in its purest form.
After the death of Prince Siddhartha Gautama aka The Buddha, Shakyamuni Gotama 2,600 years ago, following tradition, he was cremated. Followers searched through his ashes and found four teeth and some finger bones. His relics were distributed and later redistributed by Emperor Asoka, who built special stupas ( Chinese: "pagoda" ) to house them for worship. Of the finger bones, only one, shown in the graphic above, is known to be in existence today.
Often in the cremated remains of monks who have led extremely pure lives are found Sarira of various colors and sizes that look like effulgent pearls.
Chan Master Hsu-Yun related this experience he had with a relic of the Buddha at Asoka Monastery:
". . . Everyday when visitors came to have a look at the Sarira, I always followed them. The visitors' opinions about the relic varied greatly. I had seen it many times; at first it looked to me as of the size of a green bean and of a dark purple color. In the middle of the tenth month, after I had paid reverence to the Mahayana and Hinayana tripitakas, I went again to look and it was the same size as before but like a brilliant red pearl. As I was impatient to see how it would transform itself, I again prostrated myself and felt pains all over my body; the Sarira was bigger than a yellow bean, half yellow and half white. I then realized that its size and color varied according to the visitors sense organ and its field. . . ." (Empty Cloud: the Autobiography of Hsu Yun)
Bones have played an important roll in various ways throughout Buddhist history. It is not known generally, but Aurispacy, the casting of bones, called Divination, has a long, albeit, early, history in the Tao and the beginnings of Buddhism. The Chinese people believed that certain bones were able to answers man's questions and predict the future. Particularly in the Han Dynasty were fortune telling customs utilized by laymen and nobles to fortell everyday concerns as well as more substantial matters and aptly demonstrate numerous beliefs of the people. -
Merry Meet To All,
As promised previously, i am sharing with you, the Buddha's Relic ~Sarira~ in my private collection from Yonghe Gong (the Palace of Harmony or Beijing Lama Temple) is the largest lamasery in Beijing and one of the most famous lamaseries in all of China.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Hi Oceanos, thanks for sharing with us about the Sariras and the wonderful photo you have taken
I do agree that sariras are amazing stuff... -
Here's another related and interesting topic: Shariras/she li zi/relics
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Originally posted by OCEANOS:
can you do something about the relic like look at it under a microscope or try to cut it or something
[b]Merry Meet To All,
As promised previously, i am sharing with you, the Buddha's Relic ~Sarira~ in my private collection from Yonghe Gong (the Palace of Harmony or Beijing Lama Temple) is the largest lamasery in Beijing and one of the most famous lamaseries in all of China.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos[/b] -
I am not sure about microscope, but usually if sometimes they give you a magnifying glass.Originally posted by Eric Cartman:can you do something about the relic like look at it under a microscope or try to cut it or something
Yes, it is uncuttable, and undestroyable. Like I said there are people who use a strong metal hammer to hit the sharira, not only does the sharira remain unharmed, the metal hammer become dented. -
no i mean examine the relics in detail since oceanos has some at homeOriginally posted by An Eternal Now:I am not sure about microscope, but usually if sometimes they give you a magnifying glass.
Yes, it is uncuttable, and undestroyable. Like I said there are people who use a strong metal hammer to hit the sharira, not only does the sharira remain unharmed, the metal hammer become dented. -
Merry Meet An Eternal Now,Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Hi Oceanos, thanks for sharing with us about the Sariras and the wonderful photo you have taken I do agree that sariras are amazing stuff...
Welcome, thanks for reading & sharing too. Hard to take picture as its not big. As promised previously so i post & share with all of you in here.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Originally posted by OCEANOS:
zzz
[b]Merry Meet An Eternal Now,
Welcome, thanks for reading & sharing too. Hard to take picture as its not big. As promised previously so i post & share with all of you in here.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos[/b] -
Originally posted by Eric Cartman:zzz
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so will you do science the favour of examining your relics for us?Originally posted by OCEANOS: -
Merry Meet Eric,Originally posted by Eric Cartman:so will you do science the favour of examining your relics for us?
If you insist, if you are paying for the Laboratory Tests cost, i don't mind.
"Religion without Science is Blind; Science without Religion is Lame"
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Originally posted by OCEANOS:
just borrow a microscope somewhere
[b]Merry Meet Eric,
If you insist, if you are paying for the Laboratory Tests cost, i don't mind.
"Religion without Science is Blind; Science without Religion is Lame"
Blessed Be,
Oceanos[/b] -
Merry Meet Eric,Originally posted by Eric Cartman:just borrow a microscope somewhere
Why not you borrow one? It not just a simple microscope, got to be a specialised microscope.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
Originally posted by OCEANOS:
or donate some to NUS or something and ask them to look at it
[b]Merry Meet Eric,
Why not you borrow one? It not just a simple microscope, got to be a specialised microscope.
Blessed Be,
Oceanos[/b] -
microscope could not see everything, microscope can be used to see bacteria, human or animal cellOriginally posted by Eric Cartman:just borrow a microscope somewhere
an electron microscope will be able to view things as small as a protein
if u were to put the sairira under the microscope, nothing can be seen as it will be too big to fit on the stage of the microscope
in short, nothing much can be done with just using a microscope
further testing have to be done, science is not so simple
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im sure we have those tools in singapore somewhereOriginally posted by scorpboi:microscope could not see everything, microscope can be used to see bacteria, human or animal cell
an electron microscope will be able to view things as small as a protein
if u were to put the sairira under the microscope, nothing can be seen as it will be too big to fit on the stage of the microscope
in short, nothing much can be done with just using a microscope
further testing have to be done, science is not so simple -
hmmmOriginally posted by Eric Cartman:or donate some to NUS or something and ask them to look at it
u gotta know if they are interested to find out about it first
they might have some on going project going on.
at least 5-digit amount of money is needed to invest for the research
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well then go and know. and dont request for something so formal just ask one of the students with access to the tools to look at it in his spare timeOriginally posted by scorpboi:hmmm
u gotta know if they are interested to find out about it first
they might have some on going project going on.
at least 5-digit amount of money is needed to invest for the research -
we do have the tools here in singaporeOriginally posted by Eric Cartman:im sure we have those tools in singapore somewhere
but the cost to run the test required is high
for example, to test for a short DNA fragment, the test cost a few thousands.
the machine itself cost about the same price as those of a 5-room flat
its hard to find the sponsors that will pay for all these expenses tho -
aiya, just give 1 or 2 out of the hundreds he has in that bottle. im sure someone in there will be interested someday. give it to their buddhist society?
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as i have said in the earlier postOriginally posted by Eric Cartman:well then go and know. and dont request for something so formal just ask one of the students with access to the tools to look at it in his spare time
to look at the sample under the microscope, we will have to cut it into finer pieces for it to be placed onto the microscope slides
if we just place the whole thing under the microscope, the increase in magnification will gives us an enlarge view of it, but will not be enough, what is there might be overlapped by something else in the inner layer of the sarira -
alright thanOriginally posted by Eric Cartman:aiya, just give 1 or 2 out of the hundreds he has in that bottle. im sure someone in there will be interested someday. give it to their buddhist society?
may i ask what objective do u wish to reach in the first place for the sarira? -
another thing they could do is try to cut it up to see if shariras are really indestructable.Originally posted by scorpboi:as i have said in the earlier post
to look at the sample under the microscope, we will have to cut it into finer pieces for it to be placed onto the microscope slides
if we just place the whole thing under the microscope, the increase in magnification will gives us an enlarge view of it, but will not be enough, what is there might be overlapped by something else in the inner layer of the sarira