A woman in the Philippines spent four years worshipping a green Buddha statue before discovering that it was actually a 3D-printed figure of the cartoon character Shrek.
The woman’s misplaced faith has sparked amusement across social media.
The story began four years ago when the unidentified woman from Manila, the capital of the Philippines, bought a “Buddha statue” from a local shop.
With its round shape and gentle expression, she believed it to be a depiction of Buddha and treated it with great reverence.
She placed it in a prominent spot in her home altar and began worshipping it daily, offering incense and praying in the hope of receiving blessings.
However, a visiting friend noticed that the colour and facial features of the statue looked quite different from a typical Buddha.
Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the figure she had been devoutly worshipping was actually a 3D-printed model of Shrek, the fictional green ogre from the animated film Shrek, known for his intimidating appearance but kind heart.
On learning the truth, the woman was both amused and speechless.
Rather than feeling embarrassed or upset, she laughed and said that what truly mattered was the sincerity of her prayers, not the figure itself. She added that faith with good intentions mattered more than appearances.
She also said that she plans to continue worshipping the Shrek statue.
The incident sparked amusement on social media.
One person said: “This is honestly hilarious. She has gained merit, but I have just lost one point of merit.”
Another said: “Devotion and faith in God come from within. So what if she worshipped Shrek? What matters is that the devotion is sincere.”
“The moral of the story is that sometimes you need to watch cartoon films too,” said a third.
While a fourth person added: “Buddhism has long absorbed elements from various local folk beliefs, so it is not surprising or even shocking that someone might offer prayers to Shrek as a form of Buddha. If there is a Buddha in your heart, then that is Buddha.”
The incident echoes a similar case that happened in Premlok Park in Pune, India, last June, when water suddenly began gushing out of the trunk of a royal poinciana tree.
Locals mistook it for a divine miracle and flocked to the site to worship.
However, it was later revealed that the “holy water” was actually caused by a damaged underground pipe beneath the tree, which allowed water to seep up through its hollow trunk. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
