Charlotte’s latest tourist attraction? A jade statue of the Buddha
At 9:30 a.m. Sunday, a long white tour bus pulled into the curving driveway at Minh Dang Quang, a Vietnamese Buddhist monastery and temple in Charlotte.
The bus had come from Pennsylvania, and out of it stepped about 35 Buddhists, most of them born in Vietnam and now living in Philadelphia.
Their reason for traveling all this way?
“To come visit the Jade Buddha,” explained Trinh Thi, one of the passengers. She was there to reflect in its presence on peace and health – for her family, herself and the world.
The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace is a smiling statue carved from gemstone-quality jade. And since 2009, it’s been on tour around the world, exhibited in Buddhist temples, shopping centers, museums and stadiums.
This is its second stop in Charlotte. Five years ago, the statue was showcased at Liên Hoa Temple. It’ll be at Minh Dang Quang, 4310 W. Sugar Creek Road, through Sunday, with visitors welcome at no charge from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. each day. Organizers said they are expecting as many as 10,000 visitors.
A reminder of teachings
Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world. Founded in India between the fifth and sixth centuries B.C., it’s based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who gave up a life of royalty to become a monk. He eventually attained enlightenment (nirvana) through meditation and is referred to as the Buddha, or “the awakened one.”
“Buddha is not a god, only a man who guides us on the right path,” Thich Minh Nguyen, the monk at Minh Dang Quang, said Sunday through a translator. “The statue is a reminder to stay on that path and follow the teachings of the Buddha – to be mindful, to let go of ego, and to do, say and think the right thing.”
Taking Buddha to people
The Jade Buddha was carved from a rare 18-ton boulder of translucent jade – called “Polar Pride” – found in Canada in 2000. Over the next five years. it was carved into shape in Thailand. Its look is modeled after the most famous Buddha statue in the world – the one inside the Mahabodhi Stupa in India.
Starting in 2009, in Vietnam, the Jade Buddha began a tour that has taken it to 90 cities in 20 countries. Nearly 8 million people have seen it. The statue will travel in the United States for the rest of 2015. Then it’ll return to Vietnam for a year.
“Our idea is to be able to take the Buddha to the people,” said Ian Green, the Australian-born founder of the Jade Buddha project.
‘I can feel the energy’
On Sunday, there was chanting, meditation, bell-ringing and music under the large tent that featured the Jade Buddha. The statue was surrounded by offerings of flowers and fruit.
Some of the Buddhist pilgrims sported jade chips around their necks and close to their hearts. Remnants of the carving process in Thailand, they sold for $15 to $300.
Chuong Le, a retiree who fought for the South Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War, drove up from Columbia with his wife, sister and niece. “I pray for peace and for my family here and in Vietnam, too,” he said.
Sunday was the sixth time Dr. Leang Kim Eap of Charlotte has seen the statue. She didn’t mind traveling the long distances, but she’s happy to have it back in Charlotte. “I just like to be there with it,” she said. “I can feel the energy.”
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By the numbers
4 tons
That’s how much the Jade Buddha statue weighs. Its height: Nearly 8 feet tall.
20, 90,
8 million
The number of countries, cities and people that have seen the statue during its six years on the road.
$5 million
The statue is insured for this amount.
This story was originally published May 10, 2015 at 6:31 PM with the headline "Charlotte’s latest tourist attraction? A jade statue of the Buddha."