[Buddha-l] buddha-l gathering

[JKirkpatrick]

> ============
> Hi Erik,
>
>
> I'm unclear as to what you refer to as "the relic"? 
> Please advise.....
>   
I mean the relic or rather relics of St Josaphat: a part of a
spine and an unspecified piece of bone. The power of relics and
monuments from a believers point of view is that they indicate a
presence, they are metonyms. These relics refer to the physical
presence of St Josaphat as a pars pro toto. He is not around
anymore but he does take part in human history. He's not a figure
from a comic book. 
The story of St Josaphat is a symbol, stories don't refer to a
presence because one usually tells stories about persons who are
absent. 
This is the reason I think the Buddha gave orders about the way
his ashes should be handled.

Erik
==================

Thanks! Since I missed ref. to the saint's relics in the
discussion, I thought something else was being referred to as
"relic".  Not. My mistake. 
JK