At Rosemead Buddhist temple, relics inspire belief

Katherine Nguyen stood with hands folded and head bowed at the altar of a Buddhist temple in Rosemead.

- By DEEPA BHARATH

Before her were tooth and finger bone relics that the faithful believed to belong to Shakyamuni Buddha, also known as Gautama 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 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 purported to have come from the bodies of the Buddha, his relatives and disciples. It also includes numerous shariras — colorful pearlor crystal-like objects said to have been culled from the cremated ashes of Buddhist masters and Gautama Buddha.

Relics in Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity are venerated as links to the saints or Christ, whereas Buddhist relics are primarily seen as living, active sources of blessings imbued with supernatural qualities.

Though rarely questioned in temples, relic authenticity is disputed globally — Singapore's famous Buddha tooth was shown to probably belong to a cow.

Believers say they can appear on their own, grow or even multiply, which is how Buddhists often explain the conundrum of why there are so many spread across the world. Relics of the Buddha or revered monks are typically enshrined in a stupa — a sacred, dome-shaped monument that Buddhists also use for meditation and pilgrimage.

A matter of faith