Such a timely article; wonder if this is why the Taliban took out those
twin Buddhas.
Since when is all this symbolism so dangerous.
Imagine - I have a rock from the Roman Collisieum.....but also within an
area at the Vatican, my little neice had her "blankie" buried and it was
so worn and ragged someday when it is dug up they will say "botchie
blanket" what is this a sacred treasure and to whom did it belong.
So the Buddha was the original Finger Man?
Still trying to draw a finger on my web, and is not
possible........instead of a Royal Crown engraved upon omy envelopes
which I would like for snob appeal, think I will get "The Finger"
stamp.....everyone who owes the IRS money, should get one.
Note in our area the last numbers of their zip code is 666.......NEVER
write a letter to them and understore this, and right it in big red
letters. They get revenge.
So...on with the show.
My apologies to the Buddhists on the list for the devil made me do this.
Keep in mind though it was Judas who was called "The Fingerman" as if
being left holdiong the bag wasn't enough.
OSaba
Green Belt Dung Foo Expert
Fang Wang Class 1999
�Taiwan
Buddha finger relic to leave for Taipei County2002-02-26 / Taiwan News,
Staff Writer /
The Buddha finger relic guarded by two monks will be relocated from the
National Taiwan University stadium to the Chinkuangming Temple in
Sanhsia Town, Taipei County, for exhibition starting tomorrow. (CNA)The
treasured Buddha finger relic will be relocated from the Stadium of
National Taiwan University to the Chinkuangming Temple in Sanhsia,
Taipei County tomorrow for exhibition on the second stop of its
islandwide exhibition that started yesterday.
The NTU stadium was packed with Buddhists and their family members who
came from Taipei and other cities and counties in order to worship
Buddha for peace, prosperity and physical health at a time when Taiwan's
economy is experiencing its coldest winter in years.
In addition to its display at the Chinkuangming Temple, the relic will
also be exhibited at the Tunghai Altar in Taichung City and the Chungtai
Temple in Nantou County until March 31.
The 24 Buddhist monks trained in the martial arts who have escorted the
treasured Buddha finger relic to Taiwan from China and have guarded the
invaluable piece round-the-clock have been a "side attraction" during
the islandwide exhibition.
The relic had been kept at the Famen Temple in Xian for more than 1,000
years without outside knowledge until the collapsed temple was explored
in 1987.
The Buddhist treasure is being guarded round-the-clock by the 24 monks
in groups of four in six four-hour shifts per day. All 24 of the men are
students from the China Buddhist Academy in Beijing.
All of them, aged between 25 and 29, have been trained in kung fu or
other forms of martial arts, with 20 of them being sworn monks.
When asked how "invincible" are the monks' martial arts skills, Master
Juedeng, the head monk of the group, declined to give details, only
saying that "you can easily tell even when they move just one of their
fingers."
Seemingly annoyed by questions about the monks' fighting skills and
requests for them to give demonstrations, Juedeng sternly refused,
saying that "showing off kung fu in public is inappropriate for a sworn
monk."
Juedeng said he was touched when he saw crowds of enthusiastic people,
including an old lady crying and waving, greeting the procession of the
Buddha finger relic along the streets in Taipei Saturday as it was
escorted to National Taiwan University for the first stop of its
exhibition in Taiwan.
In carrying out their guard duties, each of the monks have maintained a
serious and solemn attitude.
All the accompanying monks are on a mission to guard the treasure with
their lives, Juedeng said, adding that if anything "really terrible"
were to happen and the monks' even with sacrificing their lives could
not protect the treasure, the "power of the Buddha" itself would protect
the invaluable relic.
Meanwhile, when asked what they think of Taiwan, the monks said "the
cars are so numerous that they make a lot of noise," adding that their
guard duties would prevent them from getting to know the island better
over the following two weeks.
They will have the opportunity to see more of Taiwan with their own eyes
when their replacements -- similar students from the Nanputuo Buddhist
Academy -- arrive in mid-March to take over their guard duties.
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