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DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE
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- EMBODIMENT OF
- JADE BUDDHA OF PEACE
By Nhat Quan
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---o0o---
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Deep in the soil of Northern Canada, under the British
Columbian mountains, lies the jade foundation. Here, among the
green grass hills filled with wildflowers, jade lies there
with all its solemnity. This jade mine was first discovered in
the 60s and 70s and is considered the largest jade mine in the
world. At the end of the 90s, something unexpected happened
here. People found south of the Yokon border a jade base with
a bright, beautiful blue color never seen before. Scientific
researchers say this type of jade is harder than any other
type of Nephrite jade. The shiny, quality jade is considered a
precious jade used for jewelry. In the spiritual world, people
often believe that jade contains extraordinary sacred power,
can help heal diseases, and keep evil spirits and demons away.
Jade sculptures are often highly appreciated around the world.
Truly Arctic Jade has changed the world's perspective on
Nephrite jade.
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Then in 2000, people found a block of jade that surprised the
whole world once again. This block of jade is unprecedentedly
great, completely flawless, weighing 18 tons, and is called:
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- Polar Pride
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Mean:
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- Pride of the Arctic.
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This jade block was assessed by a world-famous gem researcher,
Mr. Fred Ward, as a discovery of the millennium. After the
Polar Pride jade block was found, people asked Mr. Kirk
Makepeace, director of the jade mining company:
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- What will you do with this pearl?
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He said:
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- I will let the world decide, I call this gem Polar Pride,
and I will leave it as is and auction it, because this is a
wonder of nature. I hope this block of jade will become a
priceless item enshrined in a museum, a major construction, or
a symbol of some kind.
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Indeed, this is a block of nephrite jade with a beautiful
bright blue color that has never been seen before in the
world. That's what I say happens in North America and Canada.
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In Nepal, one night from the mountains in the Kathmandu Valley
of Nepal. Lama Zopa, the supreme leader of the Association for
the Preservation of Mahayana Buddhism, dreamed of seeing a
pearl in Canada. Startled awake, he called his disciple Ian
Green and encouraged him to find a place to buy that block of
jade and build a Buddha statue. With the wish that the light
of the jade Buddha will light up the entire world and bring
peace and happiness to sentient beings. And also the purpose
is to prevent the devastating dangers of environmental
pollution and war, the devastating destruction that is
happening all over the world.
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Mr. Ian Green was busy with the construction of the Great
Compassion Stupa at that time but left it to go to Canada and
eventually negotiated with Mr. Kirk Makepeace to buy this gem.
After many months of choosing the Buddha statue as a model,
finally, the Buddha statue at the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodh
Gaya, where Buddha attained enlightenment in India, was chosen
as the model. Because tens of thousands of Buddha disciples
are familiar with the sitting posture, facial expression, and
smile of this statue.
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Talking about the Buddha statue, according to the Agama, it is
recorded that during the 7th Retreat season, around the year
583 BC, Shakyamuni Buddha used his supernatural powers to go
to Traiyastrimsa-deva palace to preach the dharma to save his
mother, that's why that the Buddha was absent from India for
three months. Not being able to meet the Buddha for such a
long time, King Udayana ruled over the capital Kosambi,
feeling sad and sick. The mandarins summoned famous sculptors
of the time, used sandalwood from Buffalo Head Mountain to
carve a statue that looked exactly like Buddha, five meters
high, and presented it to the king. The king saw the Buddha
statue, thought he saw the Buddha again, immediately bowed and
worshiped, and the king immediately recovered from his
illness.
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It is the first statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in the history of
world Buddhism. For more than two thousand six hundred years,
Buddha's disciples across all five continents and four seas
have created countless statues to honor, admire, respect, and
worship Him during their practice. But now, the Emerald Buddha
statue is still the first statue in the world, carved from
rare jade. This statue was carved by Mr. and Mrs. Ian Green
and Judy of the Tibetan Temple in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
from a jade block more than 3,000 years old, unearthed at a
jade mine in Northern Canada. This block of jade was paid for
a symbolic price of one million USD and was transported from
Vancouver port to Bangkok in December 2006. In early 2008,
carving began. June 2008 Completed the statue carving project.
July 2008 Completed the statue polishing project. December
2008 Completed the prayer ritual and sculpting work over 5
years,
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In early 2009 the exhibition program began. For the first
time, this statue was exhibited in 6 cities in Vietnam and 4
states in Australia, then in the US in 2010. Then to Europe,
from Europe returned to the US a second time for two
consecutive years 2014 and 2015, serving as a basis for many
millions of people to come and admire in the spirit of prayer
for world peace and for living beings to be happy.
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It can be said that the Emerald Buddha for World Peace is
considered the largest and most solemn statue in the world
today, sculpted from an 18-ton block of jade. The Buddha
statue, including the throne and lotus, is 3 meters 85 meters
tall and weighs 5 tons. With its size and beauty, this Emerald
Buddha is honored as a wonder of the world today. Being able
to worship and pay homage to a Buddha statue made from a rare
gem is a blessing that is hard to come by in this life. The
Buddha once mentioned this in the Increase Faith Force Mudra
Sutra:
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- In just a short moment of admiring the Buddha image, that
practitioner has already gained immeasurable merit, let alone
being able to worship and make offerings in front of the
Buddha image, the merit is many times greater.
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Jade sculptures are often highly appreciated around the world.
Truly Arctic Jade has changed the world's perspective on
Nephrite jade.
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The purpose of the exhibition of the Emerald Buddha & Buddha's
relics is to create an opportunity for many people to come and
worship, regardless of religion. Everyone can attend as long
as you spend a little time so that when you worship, you have
the opportunity to see more clearly the value of peace. To
pray, the Emerald Buddha and Buddha Relics will bring peace to
the world, peace to relationships, peace to family and
friends, peace in the workplace, and peace of mind. I hope
that that strong desire will bring great joy and encouragement
to those who have the opportunity to admire the Emerald
Buddha. Especially at a time when our world is surrounded by
the shadows of war and natural disasters.
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That's why the purpose of the Jade Buddha Ceremony Festival
for World Peace in Seattle, Medicine Master Pagoda & Ten
Thousand Buddhas Medicine Master Pagoda is to create an
opportunity for many people, regardless of religion, to come
and worship and pay their respects. I hope that the positive
inspirations of the Jade Buddha Palace Festival will bring joy
and motivation in life to everyone. The World Peace Jade
Buddha creates opportunities for everyone to come and worship
and receive peaceful energy to pray for peace in the world and
for each of you. When the public and the community worship,
they will be inspired and receive energy blessings of peace
for themselves, their families, and the community.
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The Jade Buddha of Peace has become a spiritual and cultural
event that has spread far and wide in Buddhist communities and
has spread to our beautiful Seattle City. Millions of hearts
were moved when they met and worshiped the Emerald Buddha.
Millions of hearts feel the majesty and boundless power of the
Emerald Buddha. Because the Jade Buddha statue is dedicated to
World Peace, this name is a message of love to humanity, a
message about the peaceful spirit of Buddhism. That is peace
within oneself and the family. Peace in the workplace and
peace in the world.
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You can say that such a spirit of peace is the content and
ideal of Buddhism. Such a spirit of peace is the practice
process and also the goal that Buddhism aims for. Please join
us in reciting the Dhammapada:
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- With hatred destroys hatred,
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This life is not possible.
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Without hatred, destroy hatred,
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It's the eternal law. (Dhammapada number 5)
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During the festival period from August 6 to August 16, 2015,
at Medicine Master Pagoda & Ten Thousand Buddhas Medicine
Master Pagoda this year, I want to talk about the true meaning
of worshiping the Emerald Buddha for World Peace. That is,
each of you should diligently practice the Buddha's teachings
on peace and tolerance, on kindness and love, on transforming
body and mind, towards the realm of peace of mind and world of
peace.
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In the long night of ignorance, war, and hatred, the peaceful
spirit of Buddhism is the warmth and light of dawn, the
persuasive power of wisdom and love. Because, Buddhism is a
religion that loves peace, or in short, the Religion of Peace.
Therefore, Buddha's birthday was honored by the United Nations
and became a common festival of the whole world. Because of
that, the day of the Emerald Buddha of Peace Palace has been
officially accepted by many localities as Peace Day when the
Emerald Buddha comes and resides in those localities.
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The Jade Buddha of Peace has now arrived and resides in
Seattle, a gentle coastal city with fresh air, four seasons of
warm climate, and beautiful flowers and grass. In the past
days of preparation, although I have been busy, I have the
feeling that the presence of the Emerald Buddha has made our
peaceful City even more peaceful, warmer, and more beautiful.
I am also very impressed with the images of Buddhists and
non-Buddhists who have wholeheartedly sacrificed, contributing
their efforts resources, time, and wisdom so that we can have
an Emerald Buddha festival touching and solemn, joyful, and
virtuous.
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We worship the Emerald Buddha. Light up your spirituality.
Transform afflictions into Bodhi, ignorance into
enlightenment, hatred into sympathy. A peaceful mind means a
peaceful world. Everywhere you see love. You are waiting for
the symbol of peace, great kindness, and great compassion.
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People must live for peace. To achieve world peace and help
reduce the suffering and misfortune of living beings. Please
light the torch of Buddha's wisdom and compassion, spread it
everywhere, connect humanity, eliminate differences, and pray
for humanity to soon enjoy peace.
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In Seattle, the Medicine Master Pagoda and the Ten Thousand
Buddhas Medicine Master Pagoda in particular, and the
Vietnamese community in Washington State and the Northwest
region of the United States in general, were very fortunate to
be able to see the Jade Buddha statue three times:
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- The first time in 2010 at Co Lam Pagoda
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- The second time in 2014 at Medicine Su Pagoda and Ten
Thousand Buddhas Medicine Master Pagoda
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- Third time in 2015 at Medicine Su Pagoda & Ten Thousand
Buddhas Medicine Master Pagoda.
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Because of its sacred mission, the statue also had to travel
to other localities. At first, we thought it would be
difficult to see the Jade Buddha of World Peace again, but
what was surprising was what the Organizing Committee of the
Jade Buddha of World Peace Palace said. The Polar Pride jade
block weighs 18 tons. In addition to creating this 12-foot
large statue of Master Shakyamuni, the remaining five small
jade blocks from the large jade block, the Organizing
Committee also created 5 more statues of Buddha Shakyamuni.
Small Ca Mau Ni statues are each 24 inches high. Currently,
those five 24-inch tall statues are present in the following
countries:
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- 1 statue was purchased by a pagoda in Vietnam
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- 1 statue was purchased by a sponsor in Chicago Illinois,
USA.
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- One statue was worshiped in Australia after the carving was
completed, and the fourth statue traveled with the large
statue of Sakyamuni, and will also be worshiped in Australia
after the trip ended.
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Fortunately, there is one last statue left, which is the 5th
statue, Medicine Su Pagoda & Ten Thousand Buddhas Medicine
Master Pagoda (USA) purchased on the occasion of the Emerald
Buddha's return at Duoc Su Temple and Ten Thousand Buddhas
Medicine Master Pagoda, Seattle Washington in 2015.
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Because the
Buddha is an omniscient being, and his statue is made of
precious gems that have crystallized for thousands of years,
in the spiritual world, people believe that the JADE BUDDHA
STATUE OF PEACE, whether large or small, contains the source
of extraordinary sacred power. Whoever has the good fortune to
meet, worship, and make offerings can cure incurable diseases
and keep evil spirits and monsters away.
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To appreciate
the strong dedication of Buddhists from near and far for the
benefit of human beings in general, the Buddhist community in
Seattle, Washington, in particular, has jointly contributed
their finances to purchase the above-mentioned statue.
Therefore, I decided to organize a festival once a year so
that Buddhists near and far have the opportunity to worship
the statue of the embossed Buddha of WORLD PEACE, which is a
masterpiece in terms of art and spirituality and has become
widely known in recent years. At the same time, it is also an
opportunity for Buddhists, compatriots, and young friends from
far and near to have the opportunity to worship and bow to the
small Jade Buddha of Peace statue, and the various Buddha
relics that Medicine Su Pagoda & Medicine Su Pagoda are
worshiping.
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In short,
although we do not have enough blessings to be born during the
Buddha's time in this world, we still have some blessings left
over, so in this life, we have been able to meet the
Buddha's Dharma and listen to the teachings of the teachings
of liberation by venerable monks. Even more fortunate is that
we also have the blessing of worshiping the Jade Buddha of
World Peace. So the rest is to try diligently to practice
until you reach your destination, until the day of
enlightenment.
---o0o---
If you have any recommendations,
please e-mail to:
chuaduocsu@duocsu.org
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