Wutai Shan Temple Opens Its Doors For Annual Open House

Photo: KG - Smiling Buddha will soon greet Temple visitors

Photo: KG – Smiling Buddha will soon greet Temple visitors

The annual Open House at the Wutai Shan Buddhist Temple held last Saturday saw almost 2000 visitors come to witness the progress at this impressive project, much more than the anticipated crowd of 650 organizers expected, and twice number who came last year. Facing heat, humidity and dusty roads, many visitors opted to walk the tour around the 530 acre site instead of driving. The project is a work in progress, and while many new statues have been installed since last year’s tour, many remain on the ground in their shipping containers waiting to be placed in their permanent position.

Part of a massive project on 4 sites encompassing 1700 acres in the region, the Cham Shen Temple site is the furthest along in its development and the only one located in Cavan Monaghan Township. Established by Buddhist Association of Canada, this local project is a recreation of a series of sacred sites of China and is designed to allow an abbreviated, North American version of the sacred pilgrimage of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains in China. The Wutai Shan Temple on Ski Hill Road is the first and largest of the temples and pays homage to the leading Bodhisattva, Manjusri. This religious leader ranks first due to his “infinite wisdom”, which the project leaders acknowledge will be a key ingredient to the successful completion of this massive project. Once completed, the $80-million project will include replicas of the four Chinese sites, incorporating traditional temples connected by a 40-kilometre path for walking meditation.

At its outset, the Buddhist organization expected the project to be a significant economic driver for the area, attracting up to 45,000 pilgrims a year who would all require ancillary services including food and lodging. For now progress at the remaining 3 temple projects is on hold due to several wind turbine projects. It is very discouraging to the Buddhist organization, and Diane Chen, their Property Development and Special Projects Manager has worked hard with local politicians and particularly COKL Councillor Heather Stauble in their fight against the wind projects but so far, their efforts have been thwarted by the terms of the provincial government’s Green Energy Act, which sits firmly on the side of the wind developers. These projects are a challenge to this project as they compromise the serenity of the landscape which was one of the key attractions for these Temple locations. According to Chen, visitors to a pilgrimage site expect a peaceful environment. The sight and sounds generated by these turbines will distract visitors and ruin their meditation, particularly as they walk from one site to another.

Photo: Andy Harjulo - New Buddha statue with the finger sign meaning "Gesture of Discord"

Photo: Andy Harjulo – New Buddha statue with the finger sign meaning “Gesture of Discord”

At the entrance sits components of the massive Happy Buddha statue awaiting reassembly. The scale of all aspects of this project is hard to imagine, and perhaps is best reflected in this statue whose head alone weighs 26 tons, and the entire statue tips the scales at 126 tons. Further along at the peak of the site sits the Manjusri statue and a Peace Bell which stands over 15 feet high. Tradition dictates it be rung 3 times: the first time for world peace, the second time for peace in the community and the third time for the friends and family of the striker of the bell.

While the other three projects have been suspended indefinitely, the Wutai Shan Temple is past the point of no return. Construction there will proceed as funds allow, as the project is funded solely through donations. Perhaps it is a good thing the project operates under a Buddhist philosophy, which takes the long view of life. Believing in tolerance, compassion and the notion that you reap what you sow, they are prepared to wait in quiet contemplation before investing further in the remaining sites. In the end, these turbines won’t last forever, and worst case the organization is prepared to wait until their eventual decommissioning before continuing to build this dream. KG

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