Sleeping Buddha

Reclining Buddha; one can find that in many places and I'm sure I've heard someone referring to the one in Wat Chaiyamangalaram in Georgetown, Penang as Sleeping Buddha. Reclining Buddha isn't really a sleeping Buddha. The statue is said to represent the historical Buddha who is about to enter parinirvana. When I visited Ayutthaya, I came across one built in post 16th century; that is during the Middle Ayutthaya period. The statue in Wat Lokayasutharam, Ayutthaya is 37 meters long and 8 meters high and is characterized by the slightly vertical straight arm which  supports the head. The arm would be folded if built in the early Ayutthaya period. After being raided by Burmese, the statue is left exposed to the elements and has first been restored in 1954 by the Alcoholic Beverages Factory. A recent furore over fund provided by a number forecast agency for a trip for high-ranking police officers to Istanbul probably is good food for thought. Considering the fifth of the Buddhist Precepts for layman, Suramerayamajja pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs, which lead to carelessness; would you, for one, find it unacceptable to use money from a company dealing with hard drinks and drugs for a good cause?







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