Saturday 31 July 2010

New Statues for the Home and Garden from The Buddha's Face

Click on the Buddha Statue image to see a higher resolution picture

"Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it."
Michelangelo

Our Buddha Face wood wall carvings and statues are mostly made from Rain tree hardwood . It is a fast growing tree common in most tropical areas and resembles Mahogany with its red/brown and cream coloured grain. The structure of this grain enhances its capability not to crack in dryer climates and it has high weather resistant properties.

The Michelangelo challenge for our wood carvers at The Buddha's Face the challenge is to find the serene and contemplative Buddha image within - as the noted Thai wood carver Khun Khorn Wasinwong says "Buddha images should show compassion and wisdom ".

So the challenge when making Buddha images is considerable. Our new stock has arrived after a six month delay whilst our family of Fair Trade carvers began work on our largest order to date. It is always a moment of trepidation when you open the container in the UK and see for the first time the quality and condition of what we had ordered so long ago.

We are delighted to say though these are our best Buddhas to date - confident carving on excellent quality sustainably forested rain tree hard wood which has brought out remarkable features and details in our range of Buddha statues,wall art panels and other Buddha images.

The example displayed above is a 70cm by 40cm Dark Brown waxed coating Thai style Buddha statue suitable for both your home and garden. Please visit our merchant website The Buddha's Face and register for our free email newsletter where we can keep you informed about progress in getting the whole of our new stock on online and details of special promotions we are going to be running over the next few months .

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."
The Buddha


This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Sunday 25 July 2010

Why do I do this Blog ? Why do anything ?


On life's journey Faith is nourishment, Virtuous deeds are a shelter, Wisdom is the light by day and Right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life nothing can destroy him; If he has conquered greed nothing can limit his freedom. Buddha

So began a web based journey to examine and seek to understand the man behind the image and what is Buddhism the name adherents give to the practice of following the Buddha. All journeys start simply one foot in from of the other and a vague sense of direction and thus was the beginning of my journey on this blog. In the 90 or so posts I have made since the beginning nearly a year ago I have examined numerous aspects of this wonderful faith from the largest Buddha statues in the world to where is the world's largest Buddhist temple , the monkey temple of Thailand , how Buddha statues are made, the link between Einstein and Buddhism,my videos featuring the music if trance Djs Blank and Jones and more deeply what are the central tenets and lessons we can learn to help instruct our lives and the path we tread. For Buddhist of deep and meditative faith who see this as transient musings of the shallow Buddha lite life style adherents I apologise if you are offended in any way in how I have treated this subject and the figure of the Lord Buddha - but what I hope matters is what is in my heart and I know this to be true.

So does it matter why this began or what the motives were or are - what really matters is the lessons learnt and the changes to my life I have made as a result.

Watch this space - with love and compassion

Ian





This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Buddhism : Understanding seeing through the illusion


“A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering.”
The Buddha

Great talk from a American Buddhist teacher explaining one of the most difficult philosophical points to grasp at what lies at the very heart of Buddhism - can the moments in which we live and can our lives truly be an illusion - and if they are what is the point of our lives and how can we transcend this.

In the midst of the dreamlike illusion if we are able to see it as it really is and understand and work on this then we can use anything to attain the way.

To forget the self,transcend the self and thus be freed from the self so we see the world as it really is.






This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Friday 23 July 2010

Our new shipment of Buddha statues,wall art and images has just arrived


We at the Buddha's Face are very pleased to report that our container of Buddha statues,wall art panels and many other Buddhist images and art pieces has just arrived from Thailand after being lovingly carved by our Fair trade carvers for over 4 months.

With over 900 pieces now in store at our warehouse we will shortly be adding them to our website. We are amazed and delighted at the quality and range we will shortly have available. So please keep returning to our Buddha's Face website for the opportunity to purchase some of the finest Buddha statues,wall art and images sold anywhere on the web. You can register for updates and special offers just be adding your email address on the home page.

Warmest greetings from the Buddhas' Face

An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.
Buddha

This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

The Amazing Monkey Temple of Lopburi,Thailand



Lopburi is the capital city of the Province of Lopburi being located approximately 100 miles north-east of Bangkok. It's quite a small town in terms of its human population which numbers about 27,000 .The city dates back around a 1000 years and was an important religious centre under the Angkor period which saw of course the building of the stunnningly magnificent Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia.

During the the fifteenth century,the city became a stronghold of Ayutthaya's rulers.And became the new royal capital in the reign of King Narai the Great of the Ayutthaya kingdom in around 1650.With the king living here for about tow thirds of the year.

Today Lopburi is is most famous for the many thousands of monkeys that live free and unencumbered in and around the city. In particular they are Crab-Eating Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) living in particular around the Khmer temple, Prang Sam Yot, and the nearby Khmer shrine, Sarn Phra Karn. They are actively encouraged and fed by the local citizens , particularly during the Monkey Festival which takes place in November. Like urban foxes in the UK this has meant that they are not at all afraid of humans and so they steal whatever food they can find from wherever they can find it.

The temple of Prang Sam Yo was originally a Hindu shrine, has three prangs or towers that represent Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (the three Hindu gods). It was sometime later converted to a Buddhist shrine.

When a man has pity on all living creatures then only is he noble.
The Buddha



This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Tuesday 20 July 2010

The Use of Stone for the making of Buddhas

"Everything changes , nothing remains without change"
The Buddha

Our latest Ezine article on the use of Stone for making Buddha statues.

This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Time Lapse Painting of the Buddha - Our Latest Video

Deep contemplative reflection on the moment that is what a meditator seeks to achieve and is the space an artist must inhabit if they are to produce their finest works from the heart. Painting is an ideal media to achieve such an aim and painting the Buddha a perfect way to attain enlightenment of the moment when we actually live in it.The You Tube Channel The Buddha's Face has assembled some of the best Buddha painting videos from You tube and crafted them into Buddha painting compilation.

Accompanied by Blank and Jones Spanish guitar ambient chilled classic Lullaby we have a piece to sit down,relax and contemplate the infinite moment. Hope you enjoy.

"If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self-worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others."
Dalai Lama




This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Sunday 18 July 2010

How Buddha Statues are Made



Our companion Blog and You Tube channel Statues of the Buddha has just launched a new video called 'Making of the Buddha'. This shows a number of videos and still photographs of skilled craftsmen and women from around the world making these beautiful Buddha statues,sculptures and images.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

The Buddha




This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Lisa Gerrard and the Buddha's Face



Lisa Gerrard who was born in 1961 (the same year I was born incidentally!) is a hugely talented and inspired Australian musician, singer, and composer who began her illustrious career with the group Dead Can Dance alongside her former music partner Brendan Perry.

Her career in music started in 1981, and since then she collaborated in a wide range of projects. She received a Golden Globe Award for her best known music the score to the film Gladiator, where she worked with Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt. In addition to being an accomplished singer, she is a noted instrumentalist in much of her work and is at her most talented using the yangqin (a Chinese hammered dulcimer).

She sings in much of her work , such as Now We Are Free in an invented language of her own called Sanvean which she has worked on since the age of twelve.

Much of her music has another worldly feel and is a fitting choice to accompany four of the Buddha videos featured on the Buddha's Face You Tube Channel her work is second only to the channels use of music the most popular being that of the trance DJs Blank and Jones.









This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Sunday 11 July 2010

The White Buddha Statue - My First Buddha


The very first Buddha statue I ever bought was when I was at college over 30 years ago which I bought as a birthday present for my dear mother now sadly departed.It wasn't in the scheme of things anything special being a hollow ceramic Buddha statue I think bought from some then equivalent of Clinton Cards.That said it has a very pleasing appearance with closed yes as he sits meditating in the Lotus position.After my mother died in 1994 I took the Buddha back and it has pride of place high above my computer in the lounge flanked by two golden brass Thai Buddhas. We never really own a Buddha statue just rent them from one generation to the next - so for this reason whatever other Buddha images and statues I acquire for the remainder of my life this will always be the most meaningful and most precious to me .

In memory of my mother Edna Bunker I dedicate my latest Buddha Face You Tube channel video - White Buddhas. I hope you are inspired by the fine collection of some of the world's most beautiful white Buddha statues accompanied by a haunting elegiac soundtrack the Tower by Lisa Gerrard.


"The presence always of Mara,the Lord of Death - do you understand that ? Even the rich man when he is laid low ,departs alone - do you understand that ?"
The Buddha


This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project


What is the Buddha Machine ?

This addictive and intriguing gadget is a small musical player which plays ambient musical loops. The name and idea for this prodcut comes originally from a popular and cheap electronic Chinese music box that intones repeating loops of Buddhist monks chanting.


It can play repeatedly one of 9 ambient sound loops ranging in duration from 5 to 40 seconds. The device for the FM3 varaint has been hugely popular and has sold more than 50,000 units.

The FM3 Buddha Machine looks like a small old-fashioned 1960s transistor radio, and has a resolutely retro volume control that also acts as an on/off switch; a headphone jack; it can be run off a mains transformer with a 4.5V AC adapter jack; and finally a switch which can select the any one of 9 ambient 'chanting' loops.

Latest vesrion of the Buddha Machine released in 2008 comes in three colours (burgundy, chocolate and grey), and has updated the original nine loops with a completely new set of nine new ones.There is also a new feauture which allows the user to vary the pitch of the sound.

Some major artsis that have used the machine for their music have included Robert Henke who released an album in 2006 called Layering Buddha and has 10 tracks that made by "filtering, pitching and layering either the original loops, or new loops which were re-assembled out of parts of the originals."






This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Quotes from Einstein and the Buddha - Coldplay The Scientist 720p HD

As promised in my earlier post - here it is. The Buddha's Face You Tube channel multimedia essay on Einstein and the Buddha accompanied with the music from Coldplay's The Scientist and featuring a number of quotes from the world's greatest ever scientist Albert Einstein.

Einstein thought that the religion of the future would be a cosmic religion transcending the concept of a personal God and thus avoiding dogma and theology. He also went on to remark that such a religion should encompass those of both the natural and the spiritual worlds and ought be based on a religious sense arising from one's own personal experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful whole or cosmic unity. Buddhism of course is a fitting answer to Einstein's requirement for a religion based on logical thought.

"If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism." Albert Einstein



This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Maybe the best Buddha quote of all time ?


The Buddha has left a large body of work about his life and thoughts and is often qouted on the web and as a starting point for many people in understanding Buddhism and the the Buddha is the short quotes that he made.

In my humble opinion the one that has had the most impact on me and stimulated a desire to seek out more is the the following ;

My Favourite Quote By the Buddha Of All Time

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."

Buddha



This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Albert Einstein's Response to Buddhism


Buddhism is no so much a religion as a philosophy of reason intuited by Siddhartha Gautama as he set out on his journey to understand the nature of everything and reach enlightenment. Over 2,500 years ago he observed the natural sphere and the relationship of all living things within the cosmos and reached what we would now call scientific conclusions. It is the same approach scientist take in our modern age and there can be no greater scientist than Albert Einstein.So it is not surprising that he found in Buddhism alone of all the world's greatest religions the most commonality. Indeed he remarked;

"If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism."

He made other observations throughout his life with confirmed and strengthened this belief such as ;

"He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. "

At the Buddha's Face we are moved and delighted that the philosophy and beliefs that we practice have such a strong champion in him.

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

So inspired by studying Einstein and his words that I now commit to producing a new video for out You Tube channel celebrating the two great men.

Watch this space.


This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Friday 9 July 2010

Drawing the Buddha - Ink Meditation Time Lapse Video

A lovely produced short movie found on You Tube of a time lapse japanese zen style ink painting of the Buddha. The artist show you how to do the painting step by step.

Here in the cool shade of a santal tree I dwell in solitude and silence,in trance I meditate,from all distractions far removed.

The Buddha





This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

The Life of the Buddha - BBC Documentary

It was just over 2 and a half millenia ago , that one unique man lived and followed his own path to gain enlightenment. This beautifully produced film produced by the BBC details the compelling story of Prince Siddhartha and the subsequent spiritual journey and would ultimately lead to the founding of one of the world's great religions.

"I am the result of my own deeds,heir to deeds.Whatever deed I do,whether good or evil,I shall become its heir.This should be contemplated often."
The Buddha



This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Thursday 8 July 2010

Painting the Buddha

Two beautiful,time lapse videos of artists painting the image of the Buddha. We found these on You Tube when researching appropriate content for our latest video offering the Wisdom of the Buddha.

To contemplate the image of the Buddha through statues,art and images leads us to his teachings and through his teachings to a greater understanding of his life and message which leads to us having a greater understanding of the journey we are on and what it means and where we are going .

"More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness.."
Charlie Chaplin The Great Dictator

In Love from the Buddha's Face







This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

The Wisdom of the Buddha Video - The Great Dictator Speech


“His success may be great, but be it ever so great the wheel of fortune may turn again and bring him down into the dust”
The Buddha



I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that. We all want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone.
The way of life can be free and beautiful. But we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate;
has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.

We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in:
machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.
Our knowledge has made us cynical,
our cleverness hard and unkind.
We think too much and feel too little:
More than machinery we need humanity;
More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness.

Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me I say "Do not despair".

The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress: the hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people, will return to the people and so long as men die [now] liberty will never perish. . .

This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Wednesday 7 July 2010

Wisdom of the Buddha - Beautiful Worlds

Our latest video offering inspired by the timeless wisdom of the Buddha. A vivid multimedia piece featuring some of the most inspiring quotes from the Lord Buddha set against a variety of film clips including Martin Luther King,Hitler,the Dalai Lama,Bernie Madoff and the famous funeral speech of the W.H.Auden poem from the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral.

We do hope you enjoy and are inspired by it as much as we were in making it .

"In freedom I am freed." The Buddha





This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Monday 5 July 2010

The Buddha's Face You Tube Channel passes 10,000 views

We launched our Youtube channel after a trip to Thailand in JHanuary 2009 and over the last one and a half years have now produced over 32 videos. We started the channel as a way to profile the statues,wall art panels and other Buddha related carvings and products that we sell at www.thebuddhasface.co.uk but it quickly became apparent we wanted the channel to be so much more than a mere sales channel for the website.

With the launch or the new website in June we embarked on the Buddhism 101 project which aims to be the most comprehensive Buddhist resource on the web and our You Tube channel has been used to accompany the articles with a visual accompanient of sound,video music and still photos.

It is this process that has been so creative and engaging and has brought us into much closer association with the life,ideas and philosophy of the Lord Buddha,Siddhartha Gautama who is now the guiding light of the sight and we re-dedicate our work and sites to his vision and teachings.

We hope you enjoy our work and if you do subscribe to our You Tube channel so we can keep you updated with all our new content as it is created.

"The moment we are enlightened within,we go beyond the voidness of a world confronting us." The Buddha



This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

Sunday 4 July 2010

Blank and Jones - and the Buddha's Face You Tube Channel

The most popular music for our Ultimate Chilled Buddha series of You Tube videos is that of the master DJs Blank and Jones. They are a German Trance based duo who have released over 11 albums since their debut in 1997. Their ambient floaty music with intense soaring euphoric lines is the ultimate chill out music and a perfect accompanient to the Buddha's Face videos about the Budhhism and the Buddha .

We hope you are inspired to find out more about this the most sublime and contemplative of religions.

"Even as the moon makes light in black darkness,even so in one moment the supreme bliss removes all defilements" The Buddha











The Buddha's Face you tube channel now with over 30 exclusive videos !

This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

The Buddha's Face presents Ambient Buddha 2 - or latest video

In what has been the busiest weekend for creativity the Buddha's Face video workshops is proud to present our latest chilled offering of Ambient Buddha 2. Densely packed with many beautiful and iconic Buddha images ,statues and videos of Buddhist monks along with some of the most vivid and awe inspiring video companions to create a spellbinding video montage.

Best viewed in stunning high definition 720p and full screen and preferably with the soundtrack playing through an external hifi. The music is by the trance master DJs Blank and Jones.



The Buddha's Face you tube channel now with over 30 exclusive videos !

This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

The Life of the Buddha - ambient video from the Buddha's Face

The image of the Buddha has inspired artists down through the ages and we at the Buddha's Face are not immune to this and so we have produces some of the most beautiful homages to the Lord Buddha using high definition images of Buddhist statues,images and art and scouring the internet for some of the best Buddha videos and re-mixing along to inspiring club based soundtracks.

I truly believe this is our best production to date - feauturing some psychedlic animations of the Buddha along with hypnotic images of swirling smoke,fire and time lapse flowers and clouds.

We hope you can relax and watch it in glorious 720 p full screen and over your hi-fi for the best sound and pictures.The music is called Love and Intent by U.Kay Hitz

Om Shanti !



This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

The Ambient Buddha -New HD Video from the Buddha's Face

Another HD 720p classic Goan trance video from the creative cauldron of the Buddha's Face - here we have combined some extraordinary buddhist images of temples,statues and exquisite Buddhist art along with hypnotic visuals of swirling smoke ,Zen symbols,walking monks timelapse cloud scapes, sacred moon and opening flowers accomany the beautifully lyrical Spanish guitar inspired chilled soundtrack of the world's finest trance remix artists Blank and Jones.The other voice you hear is that of the Dalai Lama.

We hope you enjoy it.



This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project

The Ambient Buddha - New Video from the Buddha's Face

Another classic trance video from the video workshops of the Buddha's Face - some extraordinary buddhist images of temples,statues and Buddhist art along with entrancing visuals of swirling smoke ,zen symbols,walking monks timelapse cloud scapes, sacred moon and opening flowers accomany the beautiful Spanisg guitar inspired chilled soundtrack of the Trance DJ masters Blank and Jones.

Ambient Yoga - New Video from the Buddha's Face

A trip to the Glastonbury arts and music festival is so good on so many levels.A real chance to see some of the most beautiful,amazing and spiritual artists at work in the world today. The Green Fields are the most special for me with some of the most subtle and profound performances of the festival. It was a chance to recharge my batteries and come back to London newly inspired. One of the first videos I have made is to re-visit the Yoga theme.

Scouring You Tube for some of the most beautiful Yoga videos and accompanying them, with the exquisite trance music of Oceanlab's Ashes we strongly feel we have mad our most beautiful video yet.

Hope you enjoy !



This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project Yoga and Buddhism

Saturday 3 July 2010

The Buddha's Face You Tube Channel

When we started the Buddha's Face it was initailly as a merchant website to sell the finest Buddha image wall panels and statues on the web. However it quickly became apparent that our passion for the subject and the image of the Buddha spilled over into a creative urge to create abstract video essays on You Tube around classic Buddha images. Thus was born the Buddha's Face You Tube channel . Using a variety of styles and music we strive to create beautiful,inspiring and enjoyable short essays around the feelings our love for the Buddha creates. Now all in glorious 720p High Definition they can be enjoyed as the creator intended.

Please take a look and if you like what you see comment on them and subscribe to the channel.

Warmest regards

Ian




New Buddha Statue Video on You Tube

Here at the Buddha's Face we have a deep and real love of the Buddha images of the wall panels,statues and other products that we sell. We feel they exhibit the qualities that the Buddha taught of compassion and love and the repose that calm contemplative meditation and a loving heart can bring. As a consequence our Video workshops have produced a number of videos that take some of the best high definition photos of ancient and contemporary Buddha images and statues and put them into a photo-reel along with a modern soundtrack.

The latest video to use this technique uses the music of one of the world's greatest 'trance' Djs Tiesto and the remix of his work Cant' live a day (without you) Avalon.

Whilst the lyrics refer to actual love I am most honoured in this context to use them as a homage to our love for the inspiration and lessons taught by the Lord Buddha. We hope you enjoy it !



I could live life alone
And never fill the longings of my heart
The healing warmth of someone's arms
And I could live without dreams
And never know the thrill of what could be
with every star so far and out of reach
I could live without many things
And I could carry on
but, I couldn't face my life tomorrow
Without your hope in my heart I know
I can't live a day without you
there's no night and there's no morning
without your loving arms to hold me
You're the heartbeat of all I do
I can't live a day without you