Thailand's Buddha Mothership
posted by Bob | January 28, 2011
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Icerocket"The dome is actually composed of 300,000 identical titanium- and gold-coated bronze statues of Buddha -- another 700,000 are nestled inside a temple that even devotees will admit looks like a UFO.
Some call it, "The Mothership."
Estimates have placed the value of the temple complex at around $1 billion. The religion is growing quickly with millions of followers who gather around a central shrine that looks like a giant UFO in elaborately choreographed rallies. "
This from: George A. Filer, MUFON Eastern Region Director, January 26, 2011
Comments
Hmmm...
— Jan 28, 2011
Thanks for sharing, Bob!
I'm kinda saddened by this though. If it's truly worth $1 billion dollars, I can't help but think of how many people could have been helped by that money. As a Buddhist, I think the whole thing is tremendously excessive (not just monetarily). 1,000,000 little Buddha statues? Can't see how that's going to lead anyone to enlightenment. It may inspire some to practice, but inspiration fades.
hmmmm
— Jan 29, 2011
I didn't think of it that way until you said that....i was just kind of blown away by the beauty of the thing. The price is excessive, but I don't think the design is. As a piece of spiritual art, it is very neat. But made out of bronze and gold? your right
After I posted this link an
— Jan 29, 2011
After I posted this link an American ex-pat friend of mine now living in Thailand wrote me this response:
"I have been there. Visually it is pretty amazing. Unfortunately, it is the product of a quasi-cult covering itself with a modest veneer of Buddhism. In Dhammakaya, the monks consistently preach that the best way to improve your karma is by making more generous financial contributions to the temple. Sound familiar?"
As a Presbyterian minister from Silicone Valley once told me. "You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead!" Even from Thailand apparently.
Well, this may be just another "Monster Church." I don't really know. They do get style points for the structure. Hopefully, they will be able to convert some of the substantial energy they collect into positive, useful manifestation.
Dedicated to the proposition
