People walk around the Buddha Statue holding candles during Makha Bucha Day at Buddhist Park in in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand in February.

Athit Perawongmetha/Getty ImagesPeople walk around the Buddha Statue holding candles during Makha Bucha Day at Buddhist Park in i


Some Thai Buddhists are upset that Buddha's image is being taken in vain by foreigners� who, they say, see it as a philosophical and not a religious symbol and don't give Buddha the respect he deserves.BEIJING  Would you be offended by a toilet seat cover sporting an image of Jesus? Or Muhammad?

These sentiments flared anew last week after reports of a hotel in France with a Little Buddha� room that includes a toilet cover with Buddha's image.

The hotel, Moulin de Broaille in the Burgundy region of central France, went a step too far when it used toilet covers bearing an image of the Buddha's head, The Bangkok Post reported last week, citing Thai Buddhists� in a story titled Buddhists Enraged by Toilet in France.� (The hotel didn't respond to an email requesting comment.)

The Thais complained through the Knowing Buddha website at www.knowingbuddha.org,� The Bangkok Post said. And the government is involved.

These situations are becoming more frequent,� said Nopparat Benjawattananon, director of the National Office of Buddhism, according to the report. We have to understand that foreigners often think that Buddhism is only a philosophy. We have to help them understand that the Buddha's image is what Buddhists respect and it cannot be used inappropriately.�

Knowing Buddha opposes images of Buddha being used commercially and some supporters have demonstrated in Bangkok, including outside tattoo parlors where people may get it inked on their bodies. Below the waist is particularly offensive, they say.

The Knowing Buddha� Web site tries to help people understand how you (should) can treat Buddha's images appropriately,� it says. We often find that Buddha is not treated with respect. Many people overlook the feelings of billions of Buddhists around the world,� it says.

It also has a Facebook site that can tell people the Do and Don't on Buddha.�

They include: don't use Buddha as a decorative object, such as a statue in the middle of a table. Don't wear his image on the pocket of your jeans, or on your shoes. Instead place him high up, in a proper place.� And definitely don't place a Buddha statue in a toilet, a bar or a restaurant.

This post has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: March 5, 2013

A previous version of this post included a photo whose caption said it depicted a statue of Buddha in Bangkok. The statue is in fact a work by the Indian artist Ravinder Reddy and does not represent Buddha.


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Nandakumar