Today is the official International Womens Day. America does not celebrate this holiday and I wonder why not rejoice in womanhood? My school invited all the women from janitors to admin on a bus trip to the Lingshan Buddhist Temple in Wuxi on Sunday.
I had no idea this was the home of the largest bronze Buddha in China at 80 meters tall and 700 tons in weight. It was a misty rather gloomy day for site seeing, but the place was brimming with women from all over China. The site included the Grand Buddha, a bronze duplicate hand of Buddha, a bronze Happy Buddha and other sculptures. The Brahma Palace was much like an exquisite cathedral inside, with an area for an Imax show and a live performance of Siddhartha’s life. The musical included Chinese Bollywood dancer’s acting and dancing the early life of Siddhartha, quite a site!
It wasn’t until we had walked half way through the park, that I looked up into the sky and low and behold nestled in the clouds was the Grand Buddha’s face! What a magnificent site, just a head in the clouds, the rest was covered in the fog. I think this was the precise time that I had my “come to Jesus” moment, realizing spirituality is everywhere. I walked up 217 steps and then an elevator to the platform where his feet were. It was raining cats and dogs, my hair was a mess. Looking up at his face huge droplets of water cascaded down his cheeks onto his nose and feel off right toward my face. Ka splat…. I thought to myself move over, those are huge drops of snot falling. I was reminded of the local Chinese men and the constant “hawking of a loogie” on a daily basis in China! These thoughts caused me to laugh out loud. My spontaneous laugh seemed to echo in the misty laden aura of the Great Buddha. It was a glorious, innocent happy moment full of joy!
I saw the cute Happy Buddha overrun with bronze children crawling about him. Five old women where laughing just looking at this sculpture, and they poised for a picture. What a day for laughter, happiness and amazement.
Why does the happy Buddha laugh, he has no fear? He sees with the innocence of a child.
Sorrow will dissipate when you no longer fear — A Buddhist saying.
