The Jade Buddha Returns

The Jade Buddha returned to Charlotte this past weekend. I saw it last when it passed through here on the same date in 2010. Not much that I can add to the traditional history of the statue itself. Best if I leave it to what I wrote 5 years ago. If this exhibit comes through your area, take the time to go and see it; if only to observe the people who are adherents to Buddha. They come in all shades and sizes. Shapes; too.

The Jade Buddha is in Charlotte for the next week. It arrived here last week and is on display at Lien Hoa Temple on Lake Drive. The statue is only 10 feet tall but seems much larger. Made from 4 tons of jewelry grade Jade and adorned with a halo of gold gilt, the statue beams benevolently over all who come to view it.

The four-ton "Jade Buddha for Universal Peace" was being exhibited around the world on the way to its permanent home at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia. The Buddha is worth about $5 million. (Smaller, lighter ones for wearing are on sale for about $15 dollars.) The statue was carved from an 18 ton block of jade found in Canada called the Polar Pride", which was found in 2000. The boulder was sent to Thailand for carving and is fashioned after the Buddha statue which sits in the Mahabodhi Stupa in India.

http://jadebuddha.org.au/index.php/en/tour-dates/forthcoming-tours

According to the Jade Buddha website the goal of the tour is as follows;

“The purpose of exhibiting the Jade Buddha around the world is for everyone, irrespective of their religion, to take a moment to reflect upon peace; peace for the world; peace in their relationships; peace for their families and friends; peace at work; peace in their mind. We hope that such positive inspiration will bring joy and motivation in the lives of those who are able to see the Jade Buddha.”

The statue has also previously been displayed in Vietnam and Australia. The sight of so many Buddhists devotees, as well as the smell of the food, both work together to put a smile on the faces of all who come to view it. And that's exactly the point of the tour.

Charlotte has quite an active Buddhist Community. Last year Sue and I went to see the Essences of the Dalai Lamas. That exhibit consisted of the remnants of the cremated remains of the past Dalai Lamas. When the body is cremated a small portion of bone, or metal and minerals, are left behind and these are called the "Essence" of the deceased. In the case of Dalai Lamas the remnants are considered sacred relics which contain wisdom. They are almost like jewels.

Another Buddhist event worth catching is the sand painting ritual. This tradition consists of groups of Buddhist Monks working in teams to create an intricate work of art. The colored sand is painstakingly applied through brass cones that are manipulated with a metal rod to allow the exact placement of each grain of sand in a pre-ordained traditional image. Upon completion this work is carried lovingly to the nearest body of water and thrown in, thus symbolizing the impermanence of all things.

Events like these serve to hammer home the reality that we all must share this one small planet. And when you look around at the different faces and explore the different cultures you are helping to achieve that goal.

http://jadebuddha.org.au/index.php/en/gallery/video

Shrine of the Sacred Flower

This is the Shrine of the Little Flower, located in Royal Oak Michigan. I first became aware of this shrine when looking through the contents of my father’s army wallet, which I wrote about a few days ago. Realizing that I knew very little about the place I decided to look on line to see what I could find out. As always, I’m glad I did.

Catholic Shrines have always been of interest to me. Although I am Jewish, my father was Catholic; as in Irish Catholic. It was Latin and incense, blood and body of Christ; and no meat on Friday’s until the Pope said it was okay in the 1960’s. I even went to church with him until I was about 6 years old. I found it spooky; all in Latin and dark with the nuns wearing their wimples. But I have always been fascinated with the Shrines; as they usually represent some interesting story, and even; in some cases; a miracle. That interest is what sparked me to find out about this particular Shrine.

The National Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic National Shrine, as well as a functioning church. It was built in two stages between 1931 and 1936. It serves as an active parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. Father Charles Coughlin; the controversial evangelistic preacher; helped to fund it. He even broadcast some of his programs from the tower during the 1930's.

The shrine itself was erected in honor of Saint Thérèse de Lisieux ; also known as the Little Flower. The church was built in 1926. The area was largely Protestant and within about two weeks after it opened the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross in front of the church. The original wood structure was destroyed by a fire in March of 1936. The construction of a new church was already underway; having  begun in 1931; with the entire project completed by 1936, shortly after the fire.

The large limestone Art Deco tower is known as the Charity Crucifixion Tower. It was completed in 1931 and has sculptures by Rene Paul Chambellan, including one of Christ on the Woodward Avenue façade. It was built as a response to the Ku Klux Klan as a "cross they could not burn." Pretty cool, huh?

The sides and rear of the building contain a crucifix which can be lit from the inside. The upper four corners of the structure are representations of the Four Evangelists, and carved below the feet of the figure of Christ are the Seven Last Words. Just below that is a doorway with "Charity" and "Christ Crucified" carved above it. On the sides of the doorframe are depictions of items associated with the Passion.”  This doorway leads to a balcony resembling a pulpit. It is carved with depictions the Archangels Jophiel, Raphael, Michael, Gabriel and Uriel. And, across the terrace facing the crucifix there is a depiction of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is carved into the wall. This sculpture is also by Chambellan.

As for the Little Flower herself, well she was in reality Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin, born on January 2, 1873. She was a French Discalced Carmelite nun from the age of 15 until her death 9 years later from tuberculosis at the age of 24. She is popularly known as "The Little Flower of Jesus". She is also known as simply the “Little Flower”. In 1997 Pope John Paul II named her as a Doctor of the Church; the youngest so honored and only the 3^rd woman to hold that position. As a result her already wide following has increased.

What made her so revered were the volumes of poetry and writing she left behind. Her extreme ordinariness was the very quality which led to her writings becoming the basis for her eventual canonization in 1925. Her spirituality in the face of her illness is what she is revered for. Her feast day is October 1^st.

If you wonder why I am taking the time to find this out, it’s all just an extension of trying to understand my father; as well as get to know a bit more about Roy; pictured above at about the time he got the crucifix which he gave to my Dad. While I may not be able to make these journeys physically, through the wonders of technology I can walk the grounds and see where Roy once went and where he bought that crucifix. And the story about the Little Flower isn’t bad either…

Note: The above photo of Uncle Roy is courtesy of Aunt Gloria from the Williams Family Collection; which is housed in various drawers and photo albums across the land.

The First Bloom and the First Frog

Spring is a time of renewal, and I love to watch for the “first” each year in several categories. First on my list is watching the first cactus bloom. The cacti that I have are all either gifts from my wife and daughter, or ones that I have bought on my own. Funny thing is, the ones that I buy for myself never make it, while the ones I receive as gifts seem to thrive.

The first one is from Sarah, my daughter. She got it from the sand dunes on the outer banks of NC in a town called Duck. That was 15 years ago and it has been moved 3 times to 3 different houses where it continues to thrive.

The one pictured at the top is the latest addition. Sue picked it up from a woman named Mona, who has sold us some very beautiful plants and even some cacti and palm trees over the past few years. Her prices are outrageously fair. That planter, with the pot, was only $8. And it will give me years of enjoyment. As a matter of fact, Sue and I are planning on stopping by to show Mona how quicly and beautifully this new cactus has bloomed.

The second thing I wait for is the arrival of the first frog. Now, this isn’t the greatest photo, but it does capture the spirit of the frog’s yearly return to our house in Concord. Each year it’s like a pilgrimage. Scores of these little toads descend on my front porch to visit the great Green Shrine of the Frog, which is visible in the background. We like frogs.

Sue swears that she saw the first frog last week, but without the photographic evidence I am a bit skeptical. When I spot the first frog I usually wrap it up in a handkerchief or towel and bring it in to show Sue. At the very least I take a photograph. So, I have to wonder why she didn’t call me out to look. Hogging the frogs!

Actually we have a small group of these frogs which live somewhere on the property, or in the nearby creek, during the winter. I’d swear I recognize this guy from last year, although he has put on some weight. I wonder what they eat all winter, as I haven’t seen a fly since early October!

No matter, the frogs are back, which is reason enough to celebrate. I can never greet the return of the frogs with enough joy. After the frogs and cacti have arrived the turtles come; my favorites. Along with the lizards; who like to hide in the siding during the cold weather; the whole neighborhood seems to come alive again. There’s something very comforting in watching the world come back to life each year. May it ever be thus…