11/20/10 10:25 PMBuddha's Stones: A Stacking Comparison

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Buddha's Stones: A Stacking Comparison

When Chambers was living in South Korea, he traveled to the Buddhist temples onnumerous occasions, and became interested in Buddhist philosophy (quotes follow).He also noticed a unique practice of stacking stones as a form of worship and askingfor good fortune. He decided to document this behavior, and compare these stoneformations as a study in technique, and to pay tribute to those Korean people involvedwith this form of religion.

"As material civilization develops, cultivate spiritual civilization accordingly."

"All are incarnations of truth-Buddha, do each thing as an offering of worship to theBuddha."

"Practice meditation continually, practice meditation everywhere."

"Keep such oneness in motion and in quietness, maintain the full oneness of the spiritand the body."

"Buddhist truth is found in life, life is Buddhist truth itself."

(The Scripture of Won Buddhism, Pal Khn Chon, The Commemorating Commission forSacred Achievements of the Great Master of Won Buddhism, Won Kwang PublishingCo., Iri, The Republic of Korea, 1988)

The above statements are the foundation for Buddhism, and multitudes of peopleflock to the temples in South Korea to worship and practice such; and some stackstones. This stacking of stones is a recent practice, and is probably due to monksstacking stones, as well, in the past. This practice is probably a form of worshipping,but it's mainly a gesture of asking or wishing for good fortune to be bestowed on thestacker and his/her family. Each stone within the stack represents a particular wishand possibly, family member.

Go to the image table above and click for a stacking comparison. When the stacks arecompared, it's interesting to note the similarities in configuration, size and number.They all conform to the geometrics of pagodas that were constructed in the past, andmove upwards and towards the ethereal Buddha.

"According to the development of scientific civilization, the human spirit, which

11/20/10 10:25 PMBuddha's Stones: A Stacking Comparison

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should make use of material things, grows weaker, while material things, whichshould be used by human beings, increasingly flourish and assert their dominationover the enfeebled human spirit. Thus, human beings find themselves chained to theservitude of materialism. How, then, can they expect a life free from suffering andtrouble? Won Buddhism was therefore founded in order to lead all living creatures tothe vast and boundless world of happiness, away from the tormenting seas of life, bymeans of strengthening the power of the spirit over the forces of material thingsthrough faith in a religion based on Truth, and through actual moral training."

(The Scripture of Won Buddhism, Pal Khn Chon, The Commemorating Commission forSacred Achievements of the Great Master of Won Buddhism, Won Kwang PublishingCo., Iri, The Republic of Korea, 1988)

Even though stones are material things, they're different in nature and of nature.They have a connection to the natural world and the universe. The human spirit isindeed growing weaker, and the stacking of stones is another attempt to escape thedomination, and find this connection.