A gigantic bronze Buddha statue will soon overlook the Westlock Meditation Centre.
Ven. Thay Phap Hoa, abbot of the Edmonton Buddhist Research Institute, broke ground July 8 at the future site of the Buddha located at the centre, which can be found at 58012 Range Rd. 270.
Construction of the massive statue, which on its own will stand 14.6 metres, or nearly 48 feet, and weigh in at 27 tonnes, will be done in phases. Parts are being constructed in Putian, China, and shipped to Canada for final assembly, with the parts expected to arrive this fall.
The statue will stand atop a mausoleum and in total, the top of the statue will be 21.2 metres, or 69.6 feet, above the ground. In comparison, the weathervane at the Canadian Tractor Museum is 50 feet, or 15.4 metres tall and the peak of Westlock Terminals is 160 feet or 48.8 metres.
The statue is currently being assembled in Putian, China.
Phap Hoa said the statue will serve as a symbol of mindfulness for people who visit the centre.
“It is the symbol of awakening, to remind people about their spiritual practice and return to inner peace,” he said. “This is a place for people to come to calm their mind. Especially during these busy days.”
Noting the Buddha was funded entirely by donations, he estimated it would cost over $1 million when work is complete. So far, they’ve fundraised around $300,000 but are covering expenses as they go. It took three years to get this far.
The Edmonton Buddhist Research Institute practices Mahayana Buddhism, which teaches that enlightenment can be achieved in a single lifetime and emphasizes meditation as the means to reach it.
“Meditation is like a food for the mind. We take food for the body everyday, but sometimes we miss food for the mind,” said Phap Hoa. “Humans need to take the time to calm themselves. We only hope we can bring this kind of practice to everyone so they can learn to reduce the percentage of suffering in our daily life.”
Construction is expected to be finished by the spring, just in time for the 30th anniversary of the institute, which practices at Truc Lam Monastery in Edmonton.
It’s been a busy few years for the centre, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year with the construction of a Lotus Pagoda to serve as a central hall and connect the retreat’s kitchen and meditation halls. A new bell tower was installed and a stone garden for meditation were all finished over the last year.
After the statue is finished, the centre will finally be finished with major construction projects. Phap Hoa said the focus will then shift to organizing more retreats and finding ways to accommodate more practitioners.
“We just want to create a place where people can enjoy and relax,” he said. “Sometimes people can only come to practice for one day, so we would like to have more days for people to practice.”
Peter Trang, the centre’s caretaker, said they routinely host youth retreats that attract people from around the world, usually one each season. The centre also hosts meditation classes on Wednesdays, though for the summer they are taking a break from teaching to focus on the work at hand.
“Last spring, we had our first youth from Westlock come to one of our retreats, so that was pretty cool,” said Trang, who added classes will resume in the fall, from 7-8 p.m.
In the meantime, people are still able to visit the centre. Anyone interested in visiting should contact the Truc Lam Monastery in Edmonton at 780-471-1093 or [email protected].
