The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum
Last week, I dropped by at that place right after the certification test. It was suppose to be 1 day after Vesak day. The place is still filled with visitors eager to view this new and extravagantly built monument.
Grand and elaborate it may be, filled with numerous sculptures generously coated with gold I presume, as well as the 400kg gold plated stupa used to housed the Buddha tooth relic lavished with gem stones. Kind of too extravagant I felt. While I have my doubt on the authenticity of the said relic, I personally felt that the level of luxuries showered on this whole monument kind of contradict the lifestyle preached by Buddhism isn't it? From the free hand-outs distributed, all I can feel is the magnitude of extravagance demanded.
However, at a pragmatic level, this is of course understandable. I do believe the support rallied from the various leaders of the region be it Chairman of Association of Businessman of Chinatown, MP or Singapore Tourism Board, is probably rooted from the desire to portray as one of the latest tourist attraction. Thus, having a shabbily built monastery to house a supposed relic of such importance is unlikely to be acceptable.
Still, what kind of puts me off is still the demanding attitude for such level of extravagance, from some venerable Buddhist monk.
Grand and elaborate it may be, filled with numerous sculptures generously coated with gold I presume, as well as the 400kg gold plated stupa used to housed the Buddha tooth relic lavished with gem stones. Kind of too extravagant I felt. While I have my doubt on the authenticity of the said relic, I personally felt that the level of luxuries showered on this whole monument kind of contradict the lifestyle preached by Buddhism isn't it? From the free hand-outs distributed, all I can feel is the magnitude of extravagance demanded.
However, at a pragmatic level, this is of course understandable. I do believe the support rallied from the various leaders of the region be it Chairman of Association of Businessman of Chinatown, MP or Singapore Tourism Board, is probably rooted from the desire to portray as one of the latest tourist attraction. Thus, having a shabbily built monastery to house a supposed relic of such importance is unlikely to be acceptable.
Still, what kind of puts me off is still the demanding attitude for such level of extravagance, from some venerable Buddhist monk.