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Buddha statues and amulets
On a visit to Thailand you might be surprised by the large number of Buddha statues in all kinds of places. On streetcorners, in shops, in taxis, in restaurants, in the spirithouses in the garden, on the top of hills, in hotels, etc.

When you see a Thai burning incense-sticks in front of a Buddha statue, you’ll be deeply impressed by the integrity and the feeling with which he or she carries out this ritual. Evidently, the Thai are very much involved with the message of the Buddha, which is experienced as sacred.
You might also notice that many Thai wear one or more amulets with the image of the Buddha as protection around the neck.

The spiritual impact of a Buddha statue is not only determined by the artistical ability of the artist, but to a high degree by the spiritual level of the artist and his understanding and emotional experience in relation to the message of the Buddha.

The message of the Buddha refers to one’s own inner life which one should try to improve in order to relieve one’s personal suffering. It presupposes the illusionary character of all kinds of feelings and notions, and the personal ego (the personality) is interpreted as illusionary too.
In Buddhism you won’t find a paternal (or maternal) god to whom you could address yourself. The Buddha then should not be seen as a divine being, but as a human being though one who acquired insight into the nature of things and life; for this reason he was given the name Buddha (the ‘enlightened’, the ‘awake’).

In Thailand the Buddha is often depicted as sitting in the lotus-posture (padma-asana), touching the earth with his right hand (bhumisparshamudra), which refers to the moment just before his enlightenment when he makes contact with Thoranee (the earth-goddess), in order to get her assistance in his struggle against the demon-armies of Mara (the head-demon) that assault him.

When looking at a good Buddha statue, you get directly (non-verbally) in touch with the spirit of Buddhism.
The images of the Buddha (whose original name was Gautama Siddharta Sakyamuni) in Thailand usually represent the Buddha as a historical person during his period of search as a monk; consequently, the Buddha is usually depicted in the simple dress of a monk.

The Thai people experience the Buddha statues as sacred and they object to their use as only decorative objects in places where actions are taking place that conflict with the moral injunctions of the Buddhist doctrine (the eigth-fold path), as in bars (because of the use of alcohol) and such like.
The bronze statues which you will find in the stock of www.handicrafts.nl, are manufactured in a traditional way and they represent the different styles which have come into existence in different periods inThailand.

The Thai amulets are also very diverse, depending on their provenance from particular temples.

Those who are interested in Buddhist philosophy are advised to study for instance the Dhammapada.
The Dhammapada was originally a collection of short and pithy psychological recommendations, which were orally transmitted, and which represent the core principles of the Buddhist teachings.