Concepts and Cultures IV: Buddha for Business and Buddha for Worship….by Jamil Shawwa

The Vietnamese waitress caught me staring at a statue for Buddha on the floor with candles and platter of fresh mangos in front of it so she volunteered to say before I opened my mouth that this food is for the gods. She said that knowing you all this time, I knew that you would not leave this thing alone without your usual curiosity. She continued to say that she has been counting how many days until I would say something. She did not give me a chance to respond and kept going as if she was on a mission to explain, she was doing it with pride, and her eyes had a sparkle in them as she was talking. She said that it is ok to put that one on the floor as it is Buddha for the business, to bring good luck to the business and then she pointed out to another Buddha- it looked more dignified- on top of a shelf and she said that one stays up as it is for worship. I showed my admiration to the education. I asked her about the fruits in front of the statue and who is going to eat them and she said that they will eat the fruits, of course! She said that when they bring new fruits, they eat the old ones, so they keep placing the food and taking it from Buddha’s front. She got warmed up on her religious beliefs and said that the Vietnamese burn fake money when their beloved ones pass as they might need this money to buy things in the other life that they are going to, my waitress believes that you need money wherever you go. Again, I expressed my gratitude to this information that I found very interesting. When she asked me about what I think, I politely thanked her and told her that I do not have any comments. It is not my place to express opinions on others beliefs; my place is just to learn, appreciate and be thankful that someone took the time to explain and teach.