When my friend Colleen drove past a statuary shop in Vermont last weekend and saw a group of Buddhas sitting calmly in a garden alongside the road, she had to pull over to take a closer look. This is one of my favorite photos she took that day of a Buddha meditating half in the sun and half in the shadows. The serene pose and expression on its face reminds me of the peacefulness that can occur when I stop for a moment, breathe deeply, and quiet the busyness of my mind. It makes me wonder why I don’t meditate more often…it only takes a few minutes to reap great benefits.
I definitely saw this Buddha as a sign for me as I headed to Vermont for a solo trip to recharge my inner battery after a wonderful but hectic summer. As I stared at him before I took the picture, I smiled to myself because I felt peace flowing through me…the combination of being in the mountains, feeling the strong sunlight on my face and seeing a Buddha was all that I needed to make me happy at that moment…and that moment set the tone for the entire weekend. It was a blissful getaway!
Somehow the stylized curls atop the Buddha’s head remind me of the leaves in the photo you use as your blog header.
Yes…there is a nice connection there…I noticed it too.
This is another reminder that the messages are everywhere, it is the gifted soul who has the wisdom to see them.
I have a little (bronze) Buddha in my house that I brought back from Japan a few years back. I find these statues very peaceful to see – even if they are as large as the one in Kamakura. One of these days – I’m sure one will find a way into the garden.
Of course, the grounds around the temples are always laid out for meditation and reflection – water, trees and stones…things that lend themselves to peaceful thoughts…