Buddha Nature

It was a cold and rainy day yesterday. After brunch Leslie and I decided to drive down to Escondido to see the gigantic Jade Buddha for Universal Peace that arrived this week. It is being exhibited at the California Center for the Arts. This 9' tall buddha weighs four and one half tons and is the largest buddha in the world carved out of gem quality green nephrite. It was consecrated by the Dalai Lama last december.

It was a large and colorful festival, sponsored by the Vietnamese American United Buddhist Congregation. The grounds hosted lots of different statues from the buddhist pantheon. There were many  altars and offerings, from joss sticks to fruit and lots of flowers.

I believe that yesterday was also the anniversary of Tet, the lunar holiday in Vietnam. Lots of stalls sold food and trinkets. Everyone was very happy, friendly and pleasant. I was struck by the seriousness and sincerity of the devotion shown by the faithful.

I met a monk and bought a scroll that he had painted with his beautiful calligraphy, a paean to peace. We talked about the subtle differences between the southeastern asian mahayana and the tibetan version. He seemed very clear and sincere, a typical buddhist.

The Jade Buddha was carved out of a piece of jade purchased in Canada for the purported sum of $1,000,000.00. The carving itself cost over $250,000.00. Over 5 million people have seen the buddha in the last year. There was also a special exhibit of rare antique buddhist artifacts loaned by the king of Thailand in one tent. If you want to see the event, and I recommend it, I believe that the jade buddha will be there for another week.

"If you come here with mindfulness, you will find the relationship with Buddha ... You can see all the lights shining on the Jade Buddha and you can feel relaxed," said Le Tan Huynh, among the team of the organizers that helped bring the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace back for its second visit to Escondido. "It's miraculous; you can't describe it."