the white buddha

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ah. the white buddha at long son pagoda. it stands 24 meters in height. (although some websites say 9, another 14). you can see it sitting on the hillside as you drive towards it from the catholic church in town. if you happen to even be coming that way.

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http://www.farofflands.com/avpa/0nha_trang.html

Long Son pagoda is a shrine of a huge 14-meter-high white Buddha image seated on a lotus blossom, lying atop the hill with a flight up of 152 steps. The White Buddha is crafted in 1963 to dedicate to Buddhist monks and nuns who, in the time of Diem Presidency, soaked themselves with gasoline and set themselves on fire to protest against the policies of the government.
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the sleeping buddha. 18 meters in length. the face is so serene you want to lay down, prop your head up on a bent elbow and be it's mirror image. or try to find that same knowing inside of you.

and that's what i did. mom, aunt huong, and i went to visit one afternoon and after only a brief 1 hour visit i knew i had to go back. to sit.

we were met at the gates by many school girls with name badges on...they would be our tourguides on this visit. they would have it no other way. they walked us halfway up the 152 steps to the sleeping buddha. i forgot my camera by a temple photographer took our picture to then take our address to drop the developed pix to our house later that evening for 50cents a picture. yes! 50 cents. they were beautiful. laminated too! so anyway,
we then walked past the monk ringing this HUGE bell...at least once a minute. the "tour guide" told us they do it 3 times a day. SCORE that we arrived in time. we walked around the corner to the top of the 152 steps and i almost fell to my knees. *okay a little dramatic* but no lie...it was spectacular. no need to be a buddhist or to even "believe." a white buddha with smooth wavelike lines caressing the blue skies above. ajna (third eye) made of a clear crystal...but ofcourse. we walked around the lotus base with 7 carved faces of the monks that set themselves on fire during the "american war." inside the lotus you entered to give incense offerings and prayers.

on our way down there was someone sitting inside the HUGE bell. the tourguide said that it is "said" that anyone that sits inside the bell while the monk gongs it can heal from any sickness. ofcourse. the sound of OM resonating through every cell in your body. she asked if "i want." "i want" i said. and i did.

WOW! Om om om om om om ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. you must...sickness or no sickness. ofcourse i could hear after i got out....probably more clearly...because i was listening with my heart too!

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the next morning uncle vinh's neighbor took me back at 8am (after a sit down on the floor b'fast with the family). i went into the bell again and this time a different monk added chanting as he gonged the bell. BONUS!! i meditated inside the buddha and again gave my incense blessings + prayers to the buddhas inside.

oh! did i mention that my aunt huong and mom explained to me what it is that they say when they hold the sticks of incense in their hands facing the buddha...and it looks like they're repeating a mantra. no. simply they say:
- your name
- where you are from
- how old you are
- ask buddha for health, prosperity, good luck, and whatever else you would like
....repeat in front of the next buddha accordingly.

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white buddha, sleeping buddha, and sit in the bell. that was my favorite in nha trang...as far as a "must see."

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