History of Buddha's Relics

When the bodies of enlightened sages are cremated, various relics are found in their ashes. These relics, also known by the Sanskrit word shariras, are small crystals of different colors and textures. These gem-like substances arise in response to the purity of the sages’ lifestyles and are formed out of crystallized bone and other parts of the body, such as skin, blood, and brain tissue.

Buddhist relics date back to the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical founder of Buddhism. According to the Buddhist Sutras, thousands and thousands of relics remained after the Buddha was cremated, over 2,500 years ago. At that time, the Buddha’s relics were divided into eight groups. And then, a few hundred years later, in the 3rd Century B.C.E., King Ashoka collected the majority of the Buddha’s relics, and spread them throughout his empire, enshrining them in stupas primarily located in South and Central Asia.

Since then, the Buddha’s relics, as well as those of his disciples, have spread all across Asia, where they have been protected and worshiped in temples for centuries. In recent years, Buddhist relics have also become a topic of fascination in the United States, and have been exhibited in the US by groups such as the Maitreya Heart Shrine Relic Tour.

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About the Collection

The majority of the relics in The 10,000 Relics Collection that was donated to BLI in early 2013 come from Shakyamuni Buddha himself. With well over 10,000 relics, this is now the largest collection of the Buddha’s relics in the United States. The highlight of the collection is an extremely rare tooth relic of Shakyamuni Buddha. The Buddha’s tooth is one of the most sacred relics in Buddhism; there are only a few tooth relics of the Buddha in the world today, and this is believed to be the only one in the United States.

Another highlight of the collection is a strand of hair from the Buddha. Finally, the BLI collection also includes tens of thousands of the colored crystal shariras of the Buddha, as well as additional shariras of his closest disciples. View photos and read more about the Buddha’s relics by clicking here.

The first sneak-peak showing of the newly acquired relics collection was held on March 31, 2013. The showing was covered in the following newspaper article by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Currently, the collection is only on display for special events. 

Origin of the Collection

The majority of these relics were donated to BLI by two Vietnamese Buddhist disciples who have been collecting relics for many years. One lives in the US and the other in Vietnam. Most of these relics came to BLI through Vietnam, although they originated from temples located in Myanmar and Thailand. One of these donors eventually ordained as a monk under Master YongHua’s guidance, at Lu Mountain Temple, in Rosemead, CA.

Benefits/
Responses

Master YongHua, president of Bodhi Light International, has said, “According to Buddhist beliefs, being in the presence of the Buddha’s sharira is no different from being in the presence of the Buddha himself.” There are numerous stories of the sublime ambiance and peace that people experience upon viewing shariras; many can be found scattered throughout the archives of major American newspapers.

The relics of enlightened sages are believed to emit a powerful energy. Members of Lu Mountain Temple have already noticed an increasingly peaceful atmosphere at the temple, and a deepening of their meditation practice. BLI’s recent one-month meditation retreat was especially powerful, and many participants, even beginners, easily entered profound states of meditation.

In addition, the faithful believe that the Buddha’s shariras bring many great benefits. Master YongHua mentioned that, “The shariras render the surrounding area safer and more prosperous.” And some have already experienced healings since the arrival of the relics.

The 10,000 Relics Collection is intended to benefit all living beings, especially those of this country. Thus, Bodhi Light International has launched the Maha Stupa Project to build a stupa to enshrine these sacred religious artifacts.