The Handsome Buddha...

I think its only fair to start with an explanation. Why the Handsome Buddha. Well it originates way back at the start of my first visit to northern Thailand: more specifically the beautiful northern city of Chiang Mai. while exploring one of the MANY old temples the city has to offer we came across a small but very intricately decorated room containing a large golden statue. Now due to the well known temple fatigue that had already set in, we would of just taken a quick look and moved on. This monument was a little different. 

During our first few weeks in Asia we expecting to see a million and one shrines to the holy Buddha, but this wasn't the case. We actually saw zero. This is because it is seen as an offence to the Buddhist people to profit or even display the sacred Buddha (as we recognise him in the west). So when we came across this statue we were a little relieved to have finally met the guy.

Turns out this wasn't the guy...

This was actually Monk Tan Pra Maha Kajjana, to give him his full title. And basically he is the handsome Buddha.

**Quick warning. I'm about to butcher the poetic way in which this story should be told** 

Tan Pra is an arahant or enlightened one, but it is made very clear that he is not the lord Buddha. What my poor man was unfortunately burdened with was impeccably good looks, so good infact that a lot of monks mistook him for the lord Buddha himself. One man said, and I quote "Once a man saw Tan Pra Maha Kajjana and said if Tan Pra Maha Kajjana was a women he would take Tan Pra Maha Kajjana as his wife." That's one Handsome Buddha. These were very strict times and thoughts like these were not allowed so the man was forced to live the rest of his life as a women.

Tan Pra didn't like that he was causing trouble for the other monks so generously decided to ugly himself up a little.

I admit this story seems a little too much to handle but here it is...

This story really stuck with me during my time in Asia and what best way to pay homage to such a brilliant piece of history than to make it the name sake to my blog.