An act of faith in Adelanto

A monk building a shrine to the Buddhist goddess of compassion explains why he's doing it, and what he hopes to accomplish.

--Veronique de Turenne

Video: John Vande Wege

Comments

[Tokyo Temp - ex LA Renter]

Japan has large statues like these as well and are pretty common. I've seen them here on my visits around the country.

This is a statue of a Bodhisattva not a Buddha, and it's the Bodhisattva of Compassion. In Japan they call him Kannon or Kanzeon and in China he's is depicted as the goddess Guan Yin.

Also, one does not pray to this Bodhisattva (it's just a statue) one pays respects to what he symbolizes. And Kannon represents the compassion of all the Buddhas.