Big Buddha. The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace weighs 4 tonnes and has been valued at $5 million dollars. The statue has been on a world tour since March 2009. It will be touring Canada and the United States until May 2011. Photo supplied
Phap Van Vietnamese Buddhist Cultural Centre of Ontario is marking its 10th anniversary next month by welcoming the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace.
The centre, located on Traders Blvd. in Mississauga, will be displaying the statue from June 12-20 at the temple. It sits 2.7 metres high on a throne that is 1.4 metres high.
Abbot Venenerable Thich Tam Hoa said the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, which was completed in 2008, signifies the "deepest desire and aspiration for universal peace to all mankind."
"It is also an opportunity for everyone to pay homage and to offer prayer," he said.
The statue is billed as the largest Buddha in the world carved from gemstone quality jade. It has been on a world tour since March 2009 and is currently touring the United States and Canada until May 2011. In the second half of 2011, the Jade Buddha will travel to Germany, England and other European destinations before going back to Asia in 2012. It will eventually make its way home to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Victoria in Australia. The tour aims to inspire everyone who sees the Buddha to find peace in their home, their schools and work, their family and in their own hearts. It has been blessed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition.
The statue will be on display from June 12 until the temple's 10th anniversary celebrations on June 20. During its time here, the temple will host Dharma talks, conduct evening chanting session, provide grand memorial services for the deceased and stage a Mandala ceremony for all the dead. A Mandala in various spiritual traditions is a teaching tool for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. There will be another Mandala ceremony performed on the last day for the forgotten souls and suffering spirits.
jle@mississauga.net
Julia Le
Trở Lại Trang Những Bài Sưu Tầm