On the far side of the pool was a statue which depicted the arrival of Buddha on Earth. It is written that "The prince walked seven steps raising his right hand to the sky, pointing down with his left hand to the ground and said Heaven and Earth. " He was accompanied by nine heavenly dragons spurting water to announce his arrival. The Chinese artists were infinitely patient in their work, which is painstakingly detailed. Having carved many a walking stick with figure and vine, I could appreciate each knife cut and chisel tap in the intricate patterns and designs. One such Chinese character is the wonderfully carved mythical imperial dog. The face is always full in likeness to a chow. The body is solid and powerful looking yet the expression is one of happiness or playfulness giving off a warm feeling. We found many examples of this creature throughout the temple. It is carved into almost every type of media available to the carvers. The intricate detail is exquisite in every aspect. Laura found one standing guard along the way and gave it a pat and a word of encouragement as we passed by. The Temple was quite active with worshipers coming and going. The Main Temple is off limits to cameras and shoes and I shed both before entering. The use of gold is overwhelming in the main room. The three solemn and exquisite Buddha statues make up the center of the shrine. Sakyamuni Buddha in the center, the Buddha of Medicine on his left and Amitaba Buddha to his right. the room was aglow in candle light flickering off the gold, which is the predominant color throughout the Temple. The whole place had a serene calming effect on us. It is a very pleasant place to visit. On the way out I picked up a couple of English translations to the story of Buddha and will brush up on this Eastern Religion over the next few days. For the curious, Buddha lived in the 6th century BC in India. He was neither God or a Prophet of God. He created a philosophy, which later became a religion. A rough layman's interpretation is that man is destined to suffer as a result of his thoughts which are influenced by his emotions such as greed, lust and anger. To be free of suffering, and find sublime peace, one must become enlightened. This is accomplished by cultivating the mind with among other things, understanding the 4 noble truths and following the noble eightfold path. In closing I would say that our visit was to more than a temple. It was to an art gallery and a museum all rolled into one. A truly beautiful place in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a major Canadian city.

*** THE END ***


Back      <<<<< Back             Next >>>>>     Next