How much is that Buddha in the temple?

[mbarker]

It's ironic, I think. Apparently somewhere in South Korea sits a stone Buddha, presumably meditating on suffering and attachment. The statue is from about 1300, and I think everyone agrees it was made in Japan. However, it is now resident in South Korea, and has been there for some while. Apparently it was stolen, or traded, or something some time ago. There seems to be some disagreement as to exactly how it made its way from here to there.

In any case, monks in Japan are demanding its return, while monks in South Korea insist that it stay there. The furor has reached the point where diplomats on both sides are making statements, and it was in the morning news today.

I was wondering if someone could suggest Solomon's solution? Get a stone cutter with a chisel and split the statue in half, and give one half to either side?

Buddhist monks fighting over who has a stone Buddha in their temple. I wonder if the statue can cry?

Comments

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Aha! I found an article explaining the traveling Buddha. Apparently the South Korean temple believes it was made there, and stolen by the Japanese. It ended up in a temple in Tsushima, a small island, where it was stolen last year. It has indeed turned up in South Korea.

The Japanese are claiming that it should be returned, but the South Korean courts have indicated that it should not be returned unless the Japanese temple can prove that they acquired the Buddha originally in a lawful manner.

I still think the stone Buddha is going to cry.