Yidams on a bikini

[Mantrik]

Which Yidams are we going to get upset about most?
Garuda gets slapped on everything you can thing of and doesn't seem to be harmed too much by the experience.

Then we have the yantras, mantras and seed syllables we can get upset about as well.

Then there's the reverse sutuation - people see a naked young Vajrayogini in fine pubic detail and get very upset....or conversely they get aroused, just as they used to use Khajuraho as accessible porn sculptures.

Nobody is ever likely to take any notice unless Buddhists start stoning people to death for blasphemy so best to ignore it and stick with our own context and our own practice.

I think we are now past the point of any control over images of Yidams so should focus on protecting the rituals rather than the images - the meal not the pictures on the menu.

[Josef]

Which Yidams are we going to get upset about most?
Garuda gets slapped on everything you can thing of and doesn't seem to be harmed too much by the experience.

Then we have the yantras, mantras and seed syllables we can get upset about as well.

Then there's the reverse sutuation - people see a naked young Vajrayogini in fine pubic detail and get very upset....or conversely they get aroused, just as they used to use Khajuraho as accessible porn sculptures.

Nobody is ever likely to take any notice unless Buddhists start stoning people to death for blasphemy so best to ignore it and stick with our own context and our own practice.

I think we are now past the point of any control over images of Yidams so should focus on protecting the rituals rather than the images - the meal not the pictures on the menu.

Well said.
This kind of religious defensiveness is the foundation of things like the Rohingya genocide and other horrors.
As practitioners of the bodhisattvayana petty concerns about religious piety are not something to engage in.

[mechashivaz]

Which Yidams are we going to get upset about most?
Garuda gets slapped on everything you can thing of and doesn't seem to be harmed too much by the experience.

Then we have the yantras, mantras and seed syllables we can get upset about as well.

Then there's the reverse sutuation - people see a naked young Vajrayogini in fine pubic detail and get very upset....or conversely they get aroused, just as they used to use Khajuraho as accessible porn sculptures.

Nobody is ever likely to take any notice unless Buddhists start stoning people to death for blasphemy so best to ignore it and stick with our own context and our own practice.

I think we are now past the point of any control over images of Yidams so should focus on protecting the rituals rather than the images - the meal not the pictures on the menu.

[Varis]

In the vast majority, if not all cases these individuals aren’t practitioners. They haven’t taken refuge, bodhicitta, or samaya vows and therefore have no commitments to revere Buddhist images etc.. This isn’t a downfall for non-vow holders. Publicly shaming them amounts to religious fanaticism.

There are examples in the sutras of people being reborn in negative circumstances due to disrespecting images of the Buddha.
You're putting words in my mouth, I never said anyone should be publicly shamed.

[Jesse]

I bet your yidams think it's hilarious

[Norwegian]

I bet your yidams think it's hilarious

Not really.

[Jesse]

I bet your yidams think it's hilarious

Not really.

Have you never done your practices while on the toilet? I bet not. Learn to relax some.

what is purity anyway?

[Josef]

In the vast majority, if not all cases these individuals aren’t practitioners. They haven’t taken refuge, bodhicitta, or samaya vows and therefore have no commitments to revere Buddhist images etc.. This isn’t a downfall for non-vow holders. Publicly shaming them amounts to religious fanaticism.

There are examples in the sutras of people being reborn in negative circumstances due to disrespecting images of the Buddha.
You're putting words in my mouth, I never said anyone should be publicly shamed.

I wasn’t attributing the shaming to you. I was commenting on the original behaviors associated with the topic.

[Jesse]

If anything I think we should have compassion for these people.. they are running around wearing powerful images that invoke compassion and wisdom on their asses no less.

Too bad they don't have the good fortune to realize exactly what that image on their ass is capable of eh?

[Grigoris]

Shiiiiiiiit, asses generally evoke compassion and wisdom in me anyway, so seeing a yidam on one is an added bonus!

[Jesse]

Shiiiiiiiit, asses generally evoke compassion and wisdom in me anyway, so seeing a yidam on one is an added bonus!

[Brunelleschi]

There's a post going around on social media addressing the depictions of Buddha, Tara, and some yidams being placed on bathing suits, skirts, shirts, etc. and people are expressing “outrage” and are calling for a boycott of Amazon who is selling this merchandise. As practitioners I would think folks would be beyond this kind of attitude. These images are sacred to us but to others they're just nice art. If we begin to police what images people who aren't Buddhist should and shouldn't wear it becomes a slippery slope and wasted effort. It even seems that if a practitioner were disturbed by this they've been missing the point of the Dharma, although I certainly think a practitioner should not engage in wearing or distributing such things. Some one seeing these images may even be drawn to Dharma because of them, as I and other have been; drawn in by the exotic images only to become devoted practitioners years later.

Thoughts?

I disagree. There's of course no point in being "upset" or angry - but otherwise I completely agree with the protestors. It cheapens their (the symbols) meaning.

You wouldn't use a Bible as bathroom reading material.

[Mantrik]

You wouldn't use a Bible as bathroom reading material.

I would. Why on earth not? I wouldn't be surprised if some people post here while taking a dump.
(No videos, please.)

It may shock you that old bibles make great toilet paper and roll-up cigarettes. Much sought after.

[Brunelleschi]

You wouldn't use a Bible as bathroom reading material.

I would. Why on earth not? I wouldn't be surprised if some people post here while taking a dump.
(No videos, please.)

It may shock you that old bibles make great toilet paper and roll-up cigarettes. Much sought after.

Wow, you're so edgy.

[Mantrik]

You wouldn't use a Bible as bathroom reading material.

I would. Why on earth not? I wouldn't be surprised if some people post here while taking a dump.
(No videos, please.)

It may shock you that old bibles make great toilet paper and roll-up cigarettes. Much sought after.

Wow, you're so edgy.

Opposite.
Debunking. Of course I am posting this from the bathroom whilst making good use a holy book.

[Brunelleschi]

I would. Why on earth not? I wouldn't be surprised if some people post here while taking a dump.
(No videos, please.)

It may shock you that old bibles make great toilet paper and roll-up cigarettes. Much sought after.

Wow, you're so edgy.

Opposite.
Debunking. Of course I am posting this from the bathroom whilst making good use of q holy book.

If I saw you do that in person I would slap you.

I'm reporting this post - it is disparaging of other religions.

[Brunelleschi]

Which Yidams are we going to get upset about most?
Garuda gets slapped on everything you can thing of and doesn't seem to be harmed too much by the experience.

Then we have the yantras, mantras and seed syllables we can get upset about as well.

Then there's the reverse sutuation - people see a naked young Vajrayogini in fine pubic detail and get very upset....or conversely they get aroused, just as they used to use Khajuraho as accessible porn sculptures.

Nobody is ever likely to take any notice unless Buddhists start stoning people to death for blasphemy so best to ignore it and stick with our own context and our own practice.

I think we are now past the point of any control over images of Yidams so should focus on protecting the rituals rather than the images - the meal not the pictures on the menu.

Well said.
This kind of religious defensiveness is the foundation of things like the Rohingya genocide and other horrors.
As practitioners of the bodhisattvayana petty concerns about religious piety are not something to engage in.

What does respecting Buddhist symbols and a genocide motivated by longstanding ethnic and political tensions in a former military dictatorship have to do with each other. This doesn't make any sense.

Demanding some respect is not equal to hudud punishment (stoning). One must be able to approach issues without this kind of black and white thinking.

There is a tradition within Buddhism to respect Statues (place them high, not on the ground) and Dharma materials (don't place it on the ground, don't throw it in the trash) - this is part of that.

Relevant nytimes-piece: https://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/20 ... he-buddha/

[Mantrik]

If I saw you do that in person I would slap you.

I'm reporting this post - it is disparaging of other religions.

Why would you be in my bathroom watching me read holy book? You're welcome, of course, but you'd have to fight your way past the girls clad in bikinis covered in pics of Jesus, Mo and Muni.

As for slapping me.......I'm terrified. I should report you for threats of floppy behaviour.

[Mantrik]

Demanding some respect ............

Demand away. It's a short leap from demanding to imposing and from there to punishing and oppressing.

Of course, you could always demand respect by threatening to slap people.....but I think you may be a little delicate to accommodate the response, as most posting here have decades of practice under their belts - they are Dharma Black Belts unafraid of slaps.
To quote you on this thread, before you got angry and upset:
''There's of course no point in being "upset" or angry...''
Preaching.....it is tedious and unnecessary and people will poke fun at you.

[mechashivaz]

Wow, you're so edgy.

Opposite.
Debunking. Of course I am posting this from the bathroom whilst making good use of a holy book.

If I saw you do that in person I would slap you.

Is that slapping part of your "Buddhist" conviction too?