enables a representation made from wood or bronze,
already rendered living by the opening of the eyes, to
become a cult icon worthy of veneration (Bizot).
Consecration as empowerment
The cult of relics, images, portraits, mummified re-
mains, and other representations of the Buddha and
Buddhist saints reflect a thaumaturgical belief that the
miraculous powers associated with extraordinary spir-
itual attainment can be objectified in material form.
Thus, consecration rituals incarnate the Buddha and
ARHATs not primarily as idealized spiritual mentors
and personifications of the dharma but as wonder-
workers, protectors, and grantors of boons. Consecra-
tion rituals, therefore, infuse into these icons a variety
of powers associated especially with the mental and
physical attributes acquired through ascetic practices,
especially meditation.
Since from the outset the Buddha was venerated not
only as a teacher but as a miracle worker, representa-
tions of the Blessed One can be seen in similar terms.
The cult of the power of relics and images should not
be understood as a later, degenerate form of Buddhist
piety but as one of the ingredients of Buddhist belief
and practice from its earliest days. Consecration ritu-
als, in this regard, can be seen as a practical means by
which this aspect of Buddhism spread and flourished
throughout Buddhist Asia.
In Cambodia the consecration ritual infuses not
only the Buddha’s supernal qualities associated with
his awakening into the image but various protective
powers, including the power of gods and spirits, the
souls of ancestors, and tutelary deities. During the 1989
consecration of the repaired stupa atop Doi Suthep
mountain overlooking the northern Thai city of Chi-
ang Mai, the powers of the protective spirits of the
mountain, the spirits of wonder-working ascetics who
dwell on the mountain, and Chiang Mai’s renowned
kings were invoked, as well as the power of the Bud-
dha relics enshrined there.
Annual rituals reconsecrating images and relic-
enshrined stupas are often accompanied by stories
bearing witness to their miraculous powers. Relics
radiating brilliant rays appear before awed onlookers,
or valued images reputed to have previously disap-
peared or been stolen may suddenly reappear in or-
der to be lustrated and otherwise venerated by the
faithful. Moreover, consecration rituals are not only
occasions to enliven and empower new or repaired
images. Devotees may bring previously consecrated
home shrine images, AMULETS AND TALISMANS, and
other representations of the Buddha and Buddhist
saints to be reconsecrated time and again, thereby in-
creasing their perceived protective power and their
real economic value.
Buddhist consecration rituals embody the complex-
ity of the religion’s rich cultural tapestry. In particular,
they open a window to a more nuanced understanding
of Buddhist devotionalism where images, relics, and
other material representations of the Buddha and Bud-
dhist saints occupy a central place.See also:Initiation; Relics and Relics Cults; Reliquary;
Space, SacredBibliography
Bentor, Yael. Consecration of Images and Stupas in Indo-Tibetan
Tantric Buddhism.Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 1996.
Bentor, Yael. “The Horseback Consecration Ritual.” In Religions
of Tibet in Practice,ed. Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press, 1997.
Bizot, François. “La consecration des statues et le culte des
morts.” In Recherches nouvelles sur le Cambodge,ed. François
Bizot. Paris: École Francaise d’Extreme-Orient, 1994.
Bowker, John, ed. Oxford Dictionary of World Religions.Oxford
and New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Faure, Bernard. The Rhetoric of Immediacy: A Cultural Critique
of Chan/Zen Buddhism.Princeton, NJ: Princeton University
Press, 1991.
Gombrich, Richard. “The Consecration of a Buddha Image.”
Journal of Asian Studies26, no. 1 (1966): 23–36.
Ruelius, Hans. “Netrapratisthapana-eine Singhalesische Zere-
monie zur Weihe von Kultbildern.” In Buddhism in Ceylon
and Studies in Religious Syncretism in Buddhist Countries,ed.
Heinz Bechert. Götttingen, Germany: Vandenhoeck und
Ruprecht, 1978.
Stone, Jacqueline. “Opening the Eyes of Wooden and Painted
Images.” In The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin.Tokyo: Soka
Gakkai, 1999.
Swearer, Donald K. “Hypostasizing the Buddha: Buddha Image
Consecration in Northern Thailand.” History of Religions 34,
no. 3 (1995): 263–280.
Swearer, Donald K. Becoming the Buddha. Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press, 2004.
Thompson, Laurence G. “Consecration Magic in Chinese Reli-
gion.” Journal of Chinese Religions19 (1991): 1–12.DONALDK. SWEARERCONSECRATION