The Garden of 1000 Buddhas being created at Ewam Sang-ngag Ling in Arlee, Montana, is meant to be a place of spiritual pilgrimage where all people regardless of belief can connect with and inspire their natural inner qualities of peacefulness, wisdom and compassion. Much of the Garden’s inspiration will happen on a symbolic level, so here is an introduction to some of the major symbols you will encounter:
The Garden Itself
The Garden of 1000 Buddhas will be composed of a central figure of Yum Chenmo (the Great Mother of Transcendent Wisdom, already in place), 1000 buddha statues, 1000 stupas, many traditional prayer wheels, and native trees and flora, all arrayed in the pattern of an eight-spoked wheel, or dharmachakra. This is an ancient symbol from India that has come to have profound meaning in Buddhism. When the Buddha’s teachings (dharma) are described poetically, it is said that the Buddha “turned the wheel (chakra),” or set in motion the teachings on the path to liberation and enlightenment. Since the spiritual path as the Buddha taught it has eight major components, it is known as the “eight-fold path”; thus, the dharmachakra has eight spokes.
Yum Chenmo/Prajnaparamita/The Great Mother
Seated at the center point of the Garden of 1000 Buddhas is the 25-foot figure of Yum Chenmo, or the Great Mother. In the Sanskrit language she is known as Prajnaparamita, or “Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom.” She is depicted in feminine form because it is said that it is this perfect wisdom that “gives birth” to all of the Buddhas, as well as the bodhisattvas,those who are striving for enlightenment to benefit all beings.
The 1000 Buddhas
Buddhist texts explain that we are living in an enormous cycle of time known as ‘The Fortunate Aeon.’ It is so-called because in this cycle 1000 Buddhas will take birth, attain enlightenment, and teach the path to liberation. Of these 1000, the Buddha of our particular time, Shakyamuni, is only the 4th! It is further explained that all 1000 Buddhas will attain enlightenment at the site now known as Bodh Gaya, in India. Montana’s Garden of 1000 Buddhas is meant to be a pure reflection of Bodh Gaya to benefit Western pilgrims who may never have the chance to travel to India.
The 1000 Stupas
The stupa is one of the world’s oldest architectural forms. Originally constructed as reliquaries to honor the remains of great kings and warriors, since the time of Shakyamuni Buddha stupas have enshrined the relics of enlightened masters. The form has evolved in sophistication over the centuries. The 1000 stupas that will encircle the Garden are in a Tibetan style known as chorten. Each element, from the base to the tip of the spire, represents an aspect of the path to enlightenment. The stupa as a whole is a symbol for the mind of enlightenment from which the spiritual path arises. Each of these 1000 stupas will also enshrine an image of the female Buddha Tara. This will serve as a potent reminder that spiritual liberation is the birthright of all beings equally.
