Vietnamese Buddha image draws ire

Vietnamese Buddha image draws ire

A picture of a golden Buddha image sitting on a lotus throne and hugging a naked woman sitting on his lap, photographed in Vietnam, has drawn criticism from Buddhists in the social media, reports said on Thursday.

From Facebook

The photo was first posted on Facebook and was shared and discussed on many Thai webboards. The poster said the picture was taken in Vietnam but did not specify the location in the country.

A Thai netizen posted a message, saying the person who sculpted the statue was evil and wanted to give Buddhism a bad name.

A Facebook user commented that Thai authorities must find the location of this Buddha image and destroy it immediately because it represents Lord Buddha, who is highly revered by Buddhists.

Another netizen said he viewed the Buddha image as an art form and Buddhists should not be engrossed in materialism.

The reports said the Buddha image appears in the "yab-yum" (father-mother in Tibetan) posture, which Buddhists in India, Nepal and Tibet worshipped at least 1,200 years ago.

"Yab-yum" is a common symbol in the Buddhist art of India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet, representing the male deity in sexual union, according to Wikipedia. 

Earlier this week, a French hotel that used toilet covers with an image of the Buddha's head outraged many Thais, and the French embassy in Bangkok had sent a letter of complaint to the hotel manager.

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