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Buddhist Cremation 'Pearls'

Mighty_Emperor

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Posted on Thu, Jul. 22, 2004

Free exhibit features mysterious droplets

By Darren Barbee

Star-Telegram Staff Writer


GRAPEVINE - Centuries ago, the fires that cremated the Buddhist masters left something unexpected among the ash -- tiny, crystalline droplets as pale and white as pearls.

Some believe that they have a powerful and mysterious affect. Visitors burst into tears, feel energized, purified, connected to the world.

Huei-Min Wu of Dallas snapped a picture with her cellphone at the free, three-day exhibit that runs through Saturday at Unity Church in Grapevine.

"I feel good," she said. "I feel peace."

The relics include the remains of the religion's founder, Siddhartha Gautama, and have drawn thousands of curiosity seekers and devout Buddhists. They have not been scientifically tested, organizers say.

But they have been scrutinized by living Buddhist masters who are convinced of their authenticity.

Tour organizers are seeking donations to fund the Maitreya Project, an effort to build a 50-story Buddha statue in India.

Kaleb Runkle, 13, wearing an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt, said he felt nothing upon peering at a sliver of bone from one Buddhist master.

But the Bedford teen added: "I thought it was pretty cool."

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/entertai...ilemail.com&KRD_RM=5rmmuqtmpupumqopllllllllmt|The|Y
 
The label for such Buddhist cremation objects is Śarīra / Sarira ...
Śarīra is a generic term referring to Buddhist relics, although in common usage it usually refers to pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters. Relics of the Buddha after cremation are termed dhātu in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. Śarīra are held to emanate or incite 'blessings' and 'grace' (Sanskrit: adhiṣṭhāna) within the mindstream and experience of those connected to them. Sarira are also believed to ward off evil in the Himalayan Buddhist tradition. ...

These objects are considered relics of significant importance in many sects of Buddhism since they are believed to embody the spiritual knowledge, teachings, realizations or living essence of spiritual masters. They are taken as evidence of the masters' enlightenment and spiritual purity. Some believe that śarīras are deliberately left by the consciousness of a master for veneration, and that the beauty of the śarīras depends on how well the masters had cultivated their mind and souls. Śarīra come in a variety of colours, and some are even translucent. ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Śarīra
 
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