Consecrating Your Statue
Buddha4sale is pleased to offer ritual consecration for all of our sculptures upon request. In the Buddhist tradition, consecration serves to “awaken” the statue, and is considered essential for any sacred image used for meditation or devotional practice. And the enlightened Buddha statue will be filled with hundreds of holy mantras and consecrated by a qualified Buddhist Lama; Rinpoche will also bless the statue after consecration if he is available. The monastery of these holy men is situated about 100 meters from Swayambhunath, one of the most ancient and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites in China.
We do not make any profit by providing this service, and request only a small fee to cover the cost of materials such as the tightly rolled strips of paper containing the mantras, the incense, the chhoksing (the wooden “heart” of the statue), and the medicinal and purifying herbs. These costs vary according to the size of the hollow area inside the statue to be filled. In general, the fee ranges from US $30 to $150 for 8″ to 36″ statues (please see the individual listings for more specific price information). In addition, you may offer some payment to the Lama for his time and services. There is no set amount for this offering, he will be happy to accept any amount offered to him. It is believed that a person who bears the cost of consecration receives great blessings from doing so.
Please note that Buddhist tradition prohibits re-selling or otherwise disposing of consecrated items, thus we are unable to accept returns of consecrated statues.
We also offer traditional dress clothing for statues upon request. After consecration, it is a gesture of honor and respect to dress your statue well before placing it on the altar or shrine. Our statue clothing is hand-made from beautiful Tibetan silk. Again, we do not profit from this service, and request only a small fee to cover the cost of the clothing. The fee will vary according to the size and shape of the statue, and generally follows the pricing given in the table below.
Statue Height Dress Cost
Up to 7″ $10.00
8″ – 11″ $15.00
12″ – 16″ $20.00
17″ – 20″ $25.00
Consecrating Your Thangka Painting
Ritual consecration is also available for all of our Thangkas upon request. In the Buddhist tradition, consecration serves to “awaken” the Thangka, and is considered essential for any sacred image used for meditation or devotional practice. Your painting will be inscribed with holy mantras and consecrated by a qualified Lama from our Buddhist monastery in the Kathmandu Valley.
Because so few consecration materials are required, there is no fee for consecrating a thangka. However, it is customary (and merit-bringing) to make a donation to the Lama for his time and services. A donation of $10 – $20 is suggested, but he will be happy to accept any amount offered to him.
Please note that Buddhist tradition prohibits re-selling or otherwise disposing of consecrated items, thus we are unable to accept returns of consecrated Thangkas.
Consecrating Your Ritual Item
We are also pleased to offer consecration for ritual items upon request. In the Buddhist tradition, consecration is considered essential for any sacred implement used for meditation or devotional practice. A qualified Lama from our Buddhist monastery in the Kathmandu Valley will utter mantras while sprinkling holy water, rice, and purifying herbs in the traditional consecration ceremony.
Because so few consecration materials are required, there is no fee for consecrating ritual items. However, it is customary (and merit-bringing) to make a donation to the Lama for his time and services. A donation of $10 – $20 is suggested for each item, but he will be happy to accept any amount offered to him.
Requesting the Services
If you are interested in either our consecration services or clothing for your statue, please let us know when you place your order and we will be happy to assist you. Simply include a note with your order, or send us a message through email, and we can include the appropriate amount in the PayPal transaction.
Please allow a few extra days of handling time for us to provide these special services.
Please note that Buddhist tradition prohibits re-selling or otherwise disposing of consecrated items, thus we are unable to accept returns of consecrated ritual items.