Sarira

Chinese
pic=Relics of Shakyamuni.jpg
picsize=150px
picc
Buddha and various students. "Part of a collection by Maitreya Project"
t= or
s= or
p=shèlì
kanji=仏舎利
hiragana=
romaji=butsu shari
hanja=
hangul=
rr=sari
lang2=Sanskrit
lang2_content=शरीर (śarīra)
tib=རིང་བསྲེལ།
wylie=ring-bsrel
vie=Xá Lợi

Sarira are generic terms for "Buddhist relics", although in common usage these terms usually refer to a kind of pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters.

Terminology

The term "sarira" (शरीर) is a loanword from Sanskrit. The term "Sarira" originally means "body" in Sankrit. The term "ringsel" is a loanword from the Tibetan language. Both of these terms are somewhat ambiguous in English, they are generally used as synonyms, although according to some interpretations, ringsels are a subset of sariras.

Sarira (舍利) can refer to:
* Dharma body sariras, or sutras as told by the Buddha, according to Din Fu Bao's "Dictionary of Buddhist Terms", a Dharma body sasira is "the Sutra as told by the Buddha: That which is unchanging in what is told by the Buddha, is of the same property as the essence of the Buddha himself, hence it is called the 'dharma body sarira'".
* Corporal and full body sariras, the cremated remains of the Buddha (or any other spiritual master), but can also be used to refer other remains (for instance, a finger), or a preserved body, similar to the Roman Catholic incorruptibles. Full body sariras refers to the mummified remains of spiritual masters.
* Broken body sariras refers specifically to cremated remains.
* Sariras or Ringsels, when used without qualification, the term sarira generally refers to the pearl-like remnant of a master after cremation.

The word "shrine" is sometimes used as a translation for ringsels (e.g. heart shrine relic refers to ringsels that supposedly formed from someone's heart.) This rather peculiar use of the term "shrine" reflects the Buddhist concept of shrine. For Buddhists, a shrine is anything that is deliberately constructed to remind one of something that is essentially intangible. Ringsels, whose primary function is to act as a memento, serves the same purpose as shrines, hence it is referred to as such.

Pearl-like Sariras

[
Thích Quảng Đức] Although the term sarira can be used to refer to a wide variety of Buddhist relics, as listed above, it is generally used to refer to the pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters.

These objects are considered relics of significant importance in many sects of Buddhism since they are believed to embody the spiritual knowledge, teachings, realizations or living essence of the spiritual masters. They are taken as evidence of the masters' enlightenment and spiritual purity. Some believe that the sariras are deliberately left by the consciousness of a master for veneration.

Sariras are typically displayed in a glass bowl inside small gold urns or stupas as well as enshrined inside the masters statue. The pieces of sarira are also believed to mysteriously multiply in number while inside their containers if they have been stored under favorable conditions. Saffron is sometimes placed within or around the bowl containing the individual pieces of sarira as an offering.

It is believed that individuals, regardless of their faith, will be overcome with emotions of joy, love, peace, inspiration, or even spiritual transformation when in the presence of the ringsel. There have been testimonies of healings and visions attributed to seeing these relics.Fact|date=January 2008

The occurrence of sarira is not restricted to ancient times, as well, many Buddhists have shown that sarira does not limit to humans or masters. The latest report of sarira came after the cremation of Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, who passed away in December 2006.Fact|date=January 2008 Many Pure Land Buddhism texts have also shown sariras of many adherents, some occurring recently. [真佛報(一九九二年元月份)] Parrots have been reported to leave sariras after cremation. [ [http://animal-to-avaivartika.spaces.live.com 物猶如此 動物念佛往生西方極樂世界實錄 ] ]

ee also

* Rainbow body

References

External links

* [http://www.relicsofbuddha.com พระบรมสารีริกธาตุและพระอรหันตธาตุ Relics of Buddha]
* [http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=5,949,0,0,1,0 Sacred Buddhist Relics]
* [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week711/feature.html Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Episode no. 711]
* [http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2003/relics.html MIT News: Buddhist relics ]
* [http://philosophy.dude.googlepages.com/sariras.html Page with side by side comparison pictures of Ringsels and Gallstones]
* [http://news.spirithit.com/index/asia_pacific/more/sacred_buddhist_relics Sacred Buddhist relics]
* [http://www.thirteen.org/pressroom/release.php?get=1032 WNET New York]
* [http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=61,3457,0,0,1,0 Buddhist relics tour comes to Charlotte]
* [http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=65,2412,0,0,1,0 Buddhist relics to arrive Friday]
* [http://www.kathokgonpa.ca/RelicTour.htm Heart-Shrine Relic Tour]
* [http://news.xinhuanet.com/travel/2005-08/31/content_3426221.htm Xinhua (China's official government news site) Feature on Ringsels, contains pictures of purported Ringsels (in Chinese) ]