The Decapitation of the Buddha
de·cap·i·ta·tion
/dəˌkapəˈtāSH(ə)n/
noun
the action of cutting off the head of a person or animal.
an attempt to undermine a group or organization by removing its leaders.
A piece I first posted online on June 27, 2015, relocated to my new site.
Gautama Buddha
Anglophonic appropriation of Pan Asian religions is a tale as old as time. In the 1970s, “hippies” were drawn to Hinduism as they were drawn to ganja, a moment immortalized by Indian cinema. The rise of globalization (and Google) has made this appropriation even simpler as Anglophonic folk are able to easily access information on Asian cultures, traditions, and religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. Unfortunately, the popularity of these religious practices have stripped Buddhist and Hindu religious icons of the respect given to them by actual followers of the religion. A focus on Gautama Buddha demonstrates his decapitation in the name of aesthetics and “spirituality”.
Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal.
He was originally born with the name Siddhartha in the high-ranking Hindu caste, Kshatriya. It is said that existential crises led Siddhartha to renounce his Kshatriya class and develop his own path when he was unsatisfied with some of the teachings and answers of the broad Hindu religion. Thus, Buddhism was born, and with it a great spiritual leader.
There are over 8 million Buddhists in India, and over 70% of the Sri Lankan population is Buddhist. The religion spread widely in East Asian countries, and that is where it is most popular. Countries with over 90% Buddhist populations include Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar/Burma. These people practice Buddhism as a religion, and it is also a part of their culture. The two are necessarily intertwined. Unfortunately, many Buddhists face persecution because of their religion at the hands of others.
In 1963, a monk named Thích Quảng Đức burned himself alive to protest the persecution of Buddhists in Vietnam. He was willing to die for his people, his religion, and the teachings of Buddha. Buddhism is important to its followers in ways that you or I may never understand, as we are not Buddhist. However, we can empathize with these religious groups by showing solidarity and respect to their cultures and historic figures. This is especially important in Anglophonic countries where Buddha is now being used as a prop and aesthetic device. Decapitation. Noun. The action of cutting off the head of a person or animal.
Neo-religious and Anglophonic pagan traditions have begun severing Buddhist traditions from their religious fabric. This has become a problem of appropriation with Anglophonic people who are generally privileged, white, and lack a concrete religion or spirituality of their own. Simply put, they are picking and choosing the parts of Buddhism that they like, and discarding the rest in their efforts to appear or act “spiritual”. This often includes disregarding the struggles and racism against practicing Buddhists and those located and from East Asia even while using their religion.
For the most part, it is the aesthetics of Asian religions that are pleasing, as these support the need to be seen as spiritual by others. These aesthetic items include yoga poses on Instagram, mala beads to match Lululemon attire, and icons in the home that include Buddha and Budai- many people may be hard pressed to tell you the difference between the two. This is because Buddhism has been ripped from its religious foundations, and turned into a trendy aesthetic for neo-spiritual Anglophones.
Any home decor store in Toronto will reveal the cultural appropriation of Buddhism, where shelves are lined with Buddha statues and heads for sale. These heads are placed on tables, used as paper weights, and are left in dingy, dirty corners to give the buyer “positive vibes”. Buddhists place their idols on elevated surfaces, and lower themselves below the statues when praying - this is why you wouldn’t find a statue on the floor of a garden as is common in non-Buddhist households in my city. Using Buddha for merely aesthetic purposes disrespects traditions that are thousands of years in the making, and parses a whole religion into smaller bits and pieces that are palatable for the Anglophonic audience. The decapitation of the Buddha then becomes more than a symbol of appropriation - it becomes neo-colonialism that seeks to destroy a culture and religion while siphoning it of what is seen as valuable by the Anglophonic eye. Decapitation. Noun. An attempt to undermine a group or organization by removing its leaders.
A comparison of respect arises in the way we approach Catholicism, Christianity, and the figure of Jesus in Anglophonic countries. When we think of Jesus, we recognize him as a part of that religious tradition- people do not [usually] use Jesus as a prop, or as an aesthetic device. It is ironic that we do not see this respect because it is a given in our society - we allow Jesus to exist within the Christian/Catholic faith and do not divorce him from those traditions. Furthermore, one would never consider decapitating Jesus for aesthetics, nor would it be considered a sign of respect - can one imagine a Jesus head tucked into a corner of a garden or used as a paperweight? Why should the treatment of Buddha be any different from the treatment of Jesus? We shouldn’t have to understand how to respect the traditions of an individual from one religion by way of comparison with another. This respect should also be a given. Unfortunately, colonial history and oppression by Europeans has cultivated a discernable lack of respect for cultures that fall out of the Anglophonic sphere of knowledge. This is why many Anglophones feel entitled to the practices of other cultures in the way that is most self-serving.
Anglophonic assumptions about Asia perpetuate a tired tradition of Orientalism. It is an ignorant view of the world, and extends itself to the way that people with more power and privilege - Anglophones - decide how they will conduct their relationship with Asia on their own terms. When borrowing traditions and cultures, shouldn’t they be respected and utilized in the ways they have been used by people within those cultures? In this vein, how is the use of Buddha as a prop okay? History shows us that Buddha statues were beheaded as signs of disrespect, or as an act of looting. These heads would then make their way to colonial households as prized possessions of conquest - a trade that is still flourishing today. We unknowingly continue to oppress other cultures and our relationship to them without any historical context, but after having read this far, what will you do next?
If you own a Buddha head or Buddha idol that you’ve purchased or use simply for aesthetic reasons, it’s time to rethink your relationship to Buddhism, and reconsider how your privilege and identity have been a part of perpetuating colonialism. You may want to give your Buddha head to a monastery, or elevate its position so that it doesn’t sit anywhere near the feet, but meets the head. You may place it somewhere where it is a private part of your practice, and isn’t on display as a way to validate your “spirituality” to others. The decapitation of the Buddha is more than the use of a Buddha head as a prop - it is a single part of an oppressive, exotic, and appropriative story. This decapitation goes further than cutting the head off of a statue - it seeks to undermine Buddhist authority over their own religion and cultural practices in Anglophonic countries.
It’s not always easy to understand the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation, but it is easier to be honest with ourselves about our intentions when it comes to our spirituality. Understand how privilege exists within your daily life, and ask yourself (or others) if it’s okay to use cultures that you have not interacted with or are a part of. If you cannot believe in Buddha as a Buddhist, or (though some would disagree) as a pagan might, ask yourself how the Buddha validates your existence. Can you receive the same “positive vibes” by engaging in acts that do not disrespect cultures and cultural icons? Is your spirituality resilient enough to exist when it’s not visibly noticeable by others? If so, you can be an ally to others as they create their own global representation. Let the Buddha come home.
