Buddhism

I am travelling to Thailand, and I would like to know if I can enter the Buddhist temples or take pictures with their statues and buy souvenirs.

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

Buddhism is an idolatrous religion that does not accept the one and only G-d who created the world in 6 days, also known as the “G-d of Abraham” or “G-d of Israel.” Evey human bring is required to believe int he G-d of Abraham and keep the 7 laws of all mankind, known as the Noahide laws.

Buddhists bow down to their statues and images rendering the religion literal idolatry as was the case in Biblical and Talmudic times.

As such, one may not enter their temples or take pictures with their statues. It goes without saying that one cannot purchase Buddhist souvenirs of idola and images and keep them in one’s home.

The basis for the above begins in the Torah where it says in Exodus 20:20, "You shall not make [images of what is] with me; gods of silver and gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves". Based on this verse the Talmud (Rosh Hashana 24b) teaches that it is forbidden to make any image of man or the celestial bodies (sun, moon, or stars). This is codified in the Shulchan Aruch YD 141:4.

The Talmud and codes further explain that even keeping such images in one’s home, whether or not one actually made them and whether or not one actually owns them, is forbidden lest people suspect you of idol worship.

That being said, the Chochmas Adam 86:6 is lenient with regard to images and statues that are clearly not worshipped nowadays. Although this would not allow one to keep a Buddha statue in one’s home, it is the source for allowing children to play with dolls and figurines and the like which are made as one piece, however if they can be disassembled and put together, than one would need to break part of the doll (eg, the nose).