ROSEMEAD, Calif. (AP) — Katherine Nguyen stood with hands folded and head bowed at the altar of a Buddhist temple in Southern California.
Before her were tooth and finger bone relics believed to belong to Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism who is said to have attained enlightenment in India about 2,500 years ago.
“To be able to see the Buddha, to get close to him and feel the energy — it’s very special for a Buddhist,” Nguyen said.
Every Lunar New Year, the Wei Mountain Temple in Rosemead, California, publicly displays what it calls the “10,000 Buddha Relics,” though the actual number contained in several glass display cases and miniature stupas or reliquaries is far larger, according to the temple’s founder, Master YongHua.
The collection prominently features bones and teeth believed to have come from the bodies of the Buddha, his relatives and disciples. It also includes numerous shariras — colorful pearl- or crystal-like objects said to have been culled from the cremated ashes of Buddhist masters and the Buddha.
Relics in Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity are venerated as links to the saints or Christ, while Buddhist relics are primarily seen as living, active sources of blessings imbued with supernatural qualities. It’s believed they can appear on their own, grow or even …