Teeth, finger bones and blessings: Buddhist relics inspire belief

Key Highlights

• Every Lunar New Year, the Wei Mountain Temple in Rosemead, California, publicly displays what it calls the “10,000 Buddha Relics,” though the actual number contained in several glass display cases and miniature stupas or reliquaries is far larger, according to the temple’s founder, Master YongHua.
• The collection prominently features bones and teeth believed to have come from the bodies of the Buddha, his relatives and disciples.
• It also includes numerous shariras – colourful pearl- or crystal-like objects said to have been culled from the cremated ashes of Buddhist masters and the Buddha.
• Relics in Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity are venerated as links to the saints or Christ, while Buddhist relics are primarily seen as living, active sources of blessings imbued with supernatural qualities.
• It’s believed they can appear on their own, grow or even multiply, which is how Buddhists often explain the mystery of why there are so many spread across the world.