Object Lesson #3 Jade Buddha

This Asian object is a miniature jade Buddha that I bought as a souvenir while in China. (It is not the actual, because I gave the one I bought to my grandfather). Jade automatically makes me think of China because of its long history of being such a regal and powerful stone. I also bought a jade bracelet while I was there and the woman who sold it to me explained that jade is believed to ward off evil. That is in large part why so many people in China wear these bracelets, or jade necklaces. This particular Buddha was being sold right outside of the Jade Buddha Temple. Inside that temple, hence the name, there was an enormous jade Buddha, and I realized that these miniature Buddhas were more than just souvenirs. Buddha being that which Buddhism is centered makes this small figurine quite spiritual in nature. Had this Buddha been in a store in the United States, I would still consider is to be “Asian” because of the origins of Buddha and the importance jade has in that part of the world. Yet, it wouldn’t be as “authentic” to me. Yes, both Jade Buddhas could have easily been manufactured in the same place, one being shipped to the U.S., while the other to China, but the feelings I had surrounding the experience of seeing the temples, and being in China, make this Buddha figurine feel much more genuine. Tag words that I would use to describe this object are: Buddha, Jade, Figurine, China, and Asian.

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