The Co Lam Pagoda is a Buddhist temple in the ethnically diverse Rainier Valley neighborhood. Last weekend, we drove over to see the Jade Buddha, which is on display there until August 29th.
The Buddha statue weighs 4 tons, and was carved from a single piece of jade. To many Asians, jade is precious because they believe it protects from evil and bad luck.
This is a new statue, not an antique. The enormous jade block was discovered in British Columbia in 2000, and an Australian couple (both practicing Buddhists) hired carvers in Thailand to create the work of art. Since then, the Buddha has toured with them through the U.S., Thailand and Viet Nam. It will be on the road for another 5 years, with the idea to help all people (regardless of religion) reflect on peace and follow a peaceful path.
As many as 15,000 visitors to the temple viewed the Buddha on opening weekend in Seattle. We were there by 8:30 on a rainy morning, so the temple grounds were relatively uncrowded. Along with seeing the beautiful Buddha, it was a glimpse at a culture and a different world, just a few miles from home.
Behind the large temple, there was an outdoor kitchen (above) and stalls selling all types of vegetarian food.
I loved these constructed snack bag displays. Fritos!
The garden behind the temple was filled with intricate sculptures. There were shrines with offerings, flowers and candles. The wet air was heavy with incense and spices.
And tucked away in the garden, a carved stone reminder of the cycle of life...Meditation practice is at the heart of Buddhism. On the most basic level, it's about mindfulness and the great relief of detaching from your self for short periods of time. So simple, so hard. Buddhism also gives us awareness of the causes of human suffering. Here's just a few:
1. Object referral (If that happens, then I'll be happy)
2. Egoism (me, me, me)
3. Fear of death (universal)
4. And (of course) the bitter pickle
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