Offerings of food to Buddha Statues

[Kim OHara]

It's a stupid practice that creates nothing other than flies and bees hovering around statues.

That's one viewpoint, Alan. There are others with as much, or more, in their favour.


Kim

[alan]

Haven't heard one yet.

[Ben]

When someone offers food to a Buddha statue they are, in fact, offering food to the Buddha himself. The statue is merely a manifestation of the qualities of Buddhahood in physical form.
Whether the practice has its roots in the Pali canon or elsewhere, it is in my humble opinion, irrelevant.
Kind regards,
Ben

[alan]

Everywhere in Thailand there are statues reeking with trash and junk food, which of course draws insects. I've often wondered if Buddha truly needs another bottle of orange soda, and if so, does he need to drink it from a plastic straw?

[Kim OHara]

Everywhere in Thailand there are statues reeking with trash and junk food, which of course draws insects. I've often wondered if Buddha truly needs another bottle of orange soda, and if so, does he need to drink it from a plastic straw?

Everywhere in Thailand there are statues with offerings representing offerings to the Buddha. That in itself is a good thing, IMO, since the practice reminds the donors and others of the virtues of generosity and respect. Whether or not Buddha truly needs another bottle of orange soda and, if so, whether he needs to drink it from a plastic straw, may not be so important.
As always, YMMV.
And as always, we should try not to mistake our own opinions for universal truths.


Kim

[Mkoll]

I don't remember what Buddhist blog/website/book/whatever I heard this from but it went something like this.

No gift goes unrewarded.

[waterchan]

Everywhere in Thailand there are statues with offerings representing offerings to the Buddha. That in itself is a good thing, IMO, since the practice reminds the donors and others of the virtues of generosity and respect. Whether or not Buddha truly needs another bottle of orange soda and, if so, whether he needs to drink it from a plastic straw, may not be so important.

There are those who do these things as an outward form of respect and there are those who do it due to wrong view, particularly silabata paramasa.

Among cultural type Buddhists, I suspect the majority fall into the camp of the former. Just go and ask them why they do it the next time you are in those countries and see how they answer.

The Buddha might not care for a soda, but he might be concerned about people who give regular offerings to statues thinking it'll make good karma and get them a good rebirth.

[Pinetree]

That in itself is a good thing, IMO, since the practice reminds the donors and others of the virtues of generosity and respect.

I agree

Offering food to monks is a very nice practice. But if that is not always a possibility, and offering to statues can be a good thing.

The Buddha might not care for a soda, but he might be concerned about people who give regular offerings to statues thinking it'll make good karma and get them a good rebirth.

They may make good karma and get good rebirth, if the offerings help cultivate virtues of generosity and respect.

But I agree with your point that venerating statues can have dubious results.