According to the tour website, "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."
While the Buddha is covered in our photo, it will be unveiled on Saturday and celebrated the entire week. You can read more about it here, and see a complete list of the festivities here.
I gotz to give those folks credit for taking a rundown old frame building and doing something nice with it. Oh, and colorful.
ReplyDeleteBeats the hell out of the old masonic or moose lodge that was there. Maybe it was the Loyal Order of the Crazed Woodchuck or something. I forget.
My daughter loves to see the many colorful changes the temple goes through throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteWe both did a double-take yesterday when we passed by while the Jade Buddha was being unloaded from a semi. By the way it was shrouded and the care taken by the workers to unload it I assumed it was something important. Good to know the background.
All those signs on the fence now really make that place an eyesore.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting "ecumenical" addition to Easter/Passover week!
ReplyDeleteYes, this temple is a "good neighbor" and a great asset to the community!
Love the "Buddha Birthday" exhibits!
Agreed on the vinyl advertising banners. It is getting ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteTruc Lam Temple is no eyesore. It is really a great place to go and relax. Signs on the fence are nice and a hell of a lot better then gang signes on all the other Uptown buildings.
ReplyDeleteThose signs are likely to raise money to offset the cost of this special tour and the guest-hosting of the Jade Buddha in Chicago. They are no more an eyesore than the Coke and McDonalds signs at a basketball game and serve the same purpose. My guess is that when the Jade Buddha moves on, so will the signs.
ReplyDeleteI live directly across the street from Truc Lam and they are great neighbors otherwise. My house is, as we speak, vibrating from the base of their speaker system and my two month old baby is loving it.
ReplyDeleteBut ...
@Wiseguy - No one said the temple was an eyesore. In fact it is quite lovely. The vinyl advertising banners (one of which is for vinyl advertising banners) surrounding the temple is the eyesore. And just because a sign isn't affiliated with a gang doesn't make it nice.
@Beth - Comparing a peace-focused religious ceremony with a basketball game is a bit disgusting. But I do hope your guess as to the signs moving on is accurate.
I wonder if any of the festival goers across the street will come back as a Christian in their next life. Being downgrading like that would really suck.