Skip to content

Giant bronze Buddha arrives

A 48-foot-tall bronze Buddha will soon tower over the Busby area as the completed statue arrived at the Westlock Meditation Centre late last week. Peter Trang, the centre’s caretaker, said the donation-funded statue landed in Vancouver Jan.
buddha
A 14.6-metre Buddha statue arrived at the Westlock Meditation Centre Jan. 31. Once the weather warms up the statue will be placed on top of a mausoleum overlooking the site.

A 48-foot-tall bronze Buddha will soon tower over the Busby area as the completed statue arrived at the Westlock Meditation Centre late last week.

Peter Trang, the centre’s caretaker, said the donation-funded statue landed in Vancouver Jan. 26 and was scheduled to arrive at the centre, located at 58012 Range Rd. 270, in two parts Jan. 31. Assuming the weather cooperates, he said the plan was to have the statue standing this week.

“Buddha resides in the Pure Land, it’s kind of the equivalent of Heaven,” explained Trang. “He watches over the people who have passed away.”

At 14.6 metres from foot to head, the statue will stand atop a mausoleum that will house the ashes of loved ones for members of the Truc Lam Monastery, which operates the 10-year-old meditation centre. In total, the structure will stand 21.2 metres or 69.6 feet over the area, making it one of the tallest structures in the area.

To put that in perspective, the weathervane at the Canadian Tractor Museum is 50 feet, or 15.4-metres tall, while the peak of Westlock Terminals is 160 feet or 48.8 metres.

“Because it’s going to be standing on top of another building, it’s going to be pretty high,” said Trang. “It’s also two-to-three times taller than our other big statue, you might be able to see it from the highway.”

Trang said the 27-tonne statue, which was constructed in pieces in Putian, China, was meant to help the Truc Lam Monastery celebrate its 30-year anniversary. A grand opening ceremony will be held Aug. 11.

A symbol of mindfulness, the Buddha guards over the Pure Land — a metaphor for enlightenment. Mahayana Buddhism teaches that enlightenment is reachable by anyone and can be achieved in a single lifetime, contrasted with other types of Buddhism, which place more emphasis on reincarnation and moving towards Nirvana through several lifetimes.

“According to belief, reincarnation depends on karma,” said Trang. “Think of a drop of water. It comes from the rain, but it can freeze or boil — it takes on a different form, but the essence remains the same. In Buddhism reincarnation depends on your actions, not just in your current life but in your past ones as well.

“If you have bad karma, you might not be reborn as a human, but in a lower form like an animal or something.”

The centre is open for visitor and holds frequent retreats for meditation, prayer and other spiritual activities. It also hosts meditation classes on Wednesdays. Anyone interested in visiting should contact the Truc Lam Monastery in Edmonton at 780-471-1093 or [email protected].

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks