The Jade Buddha

The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace

Yesterday was the final day for the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace to be on display in Seattle, and I would have missed it completely had not one of my library colleagues called unexpectedly to invite me to see it with her.  We work with a woman who was born in Vietnam, and the Jade Buddha has been on view at her Vietnamese temple, the Co Lam Pagoda, for the past week.  She said it was well worth seeing, and while we were there, to be sure to buy some of the delicious Vietnamese food for sale at the temple.  I’m so glad we followed up on her suggestions!

The Jade Buddha is reportedly the largest jade Buddha statue in the world.  It’s nearly 9-feet tall, and is carved from one large piece of jade that was discovered in British Columbia in 2000.  Since its completion, it has been on tour in Vietnam, Australia, Canada, and now the United States.  Eventually the Jade Buddha will find a permanent home in Australia, so I feel very fortunate to have had an opportunity to see it in my hometown.

The festivities were conducted in Vietnamese, so I missed a lot of what was going on.  But it was such a joyous, welcoming, and colorful crowd, that I enjoyed every minute.  My friend Carol and I treated ourselves to a lunch of com chay, rice with a huge assortment of vegetables — so many exquisite flavors, simply delicious.  It was a wonderfully culture-rich outing.

The Jade Buddha on view at the Vietnamese temple, Co Lam Pagoda in Seattle

The 9-foot Jade Buddha is carved from one large piece of jade.

The Jade Buddha

Burning incense

Mini-Buddha statues made from the same block of jade as the big Jade Buddha

Little Buddhist

Preparing two orders of com chay for Carol and me