If you have been following me on Instagram for a while now, or even reading this blog, then you know all of the updates I make to my condo, Villa Noir. There has been one item in my home that is totally controversial for some of you, my golden Buddha head. I have gotten several emails and comments about it and how its disrespectful of the Buddhist culture. I am not a Buddhist and was always told, as a Christian, I wasn't allowed to have anything representative of other deities in my home. So, I get those emails and comments too.
Over the years, what I have learned is to be true to myself, my life, my interests, my journey, etc. I've also learned how powerful it is to not let what other people think to affect your choices in life or you may not walk on the path intended for you and your own life.
I also get lovely comments on it, total support and in fact so many of you asking questions where you can get one too.
There is nothing in my home that makes me happier than my gold Buddha head, so I felt it was time to address the topic by sharing a lovely story with all of you.
You see, I am a total antique shopper at heart. I have been doing it since I was a little girl and its one of my most favorite hobbies. One of my favorite antique shows is Round Top in Texas. If you haven't been, I highly encourage you to check it out, its happening this month actually.
One day while shopping around, I came across this golden Buddha head. It was all by itself just shining away and because it is gold it totally caught my eye. It reminded me of an incredible story from Chicken Soup for the Soul that always stuck with me.
I passed on the head because I didn't know how it would work in my home, if people would think it was so big and weird. I don't know, I just didn't get it. I totally regretted it and after the show was over, I couldn't get that gold Buddha head out of my mind. I would see them in magazines or on movie sets and just kept thinking to myself, "I wish I had gotten that gold Buddha!!!"
This past Fall, when Round Top opened, I went straight back to that store to see if it was still there and it WAS! That golden Buddha was mine all mine and I was so happy to have it! The dealer actually loved my story and gave it to me for a SUPER good deal.
So, now I will tell you the story of the Golden Buddha. I have always been a huge fan of Jack Canfield and his books. In one of his books, he tells the story of a trip he took to Thailand and he visited the Temple of the Golden Buddha. It was his favorite temple because the story was so powerful and really spoke to him.
The Siamese monks, realizing they were about to be attacked, covered their precious golden Buddha to hide it from the Burmese. Sadly, all of the Siamese monks were killed leaving a huge clay buddha head. Hundreds of years later, in 1957 some monks were relocating the clay Buddha and one of them discovered a peek of golden light shining through the clay. As he kept knocking off the shards of clay, he discovered what was underneath was a large beaming golden Buddha.
In the book Jack Canfield said what he realized is "We are all like the clay Buddha, covered with a shell of hardness created out of fear, and yet underneath each of us, is a 'golden Buddha' . . ."
That story has forever stuck in my heart. Always remembering that fear is just stupid mud covering up our golden essence. So, when I first saw that gold Buddha head at the antique show, it immediately reminded me of that story. My golden Buddha head is just a daily reminder to me that we all have a beautiful golden essence underneath the fear we hide from in life. Every time I look at it, it makes me smile and remind myself to be fearless.
It feels like my spirit animal.
I share this story to encourage you to not be afraid of what other people think or feel about your home and whats in it. Decorate with the things that speak to your soul, lift you up and make you feel happy and blissful.
Do you have a beautiful story or a spirit animal that reminds you to live a beautiful life?
One of my girlfriends has a golden unicorn in her entryway and every time she comes home she always feels strong, beautiful, unique and awesome!
This weekend, try finding something that speaks to the best version of you and decorate with it. See how it can add to your life and enhance your domestic bliss.
