“Fo-Guang Buddha, Taiwan,” Print, 8″x11″, $5.85 Ea,

This drawing depicted Fo-Guang Buddha with the Mudra of Turning the Dharma Wheel (the teaching gesture). The majestic Fo-Guang Buddha statue is 48 meters (about 158 feet) in height, and a major feature of the Buddha Memorial Center located adjoining Fo-Guang Shan (or the Buddha’s Light Mountain), Da-Shu (or Giant Tree) district, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Fo Guang Buddha statue was made with 1,872 metric tons of bronze and is the highest bronze sitting Buddha statue in the world. For decades, Venerable Master Hsing-Yun has been planning to establish a center that would perpetually propagate Buddhist culture and art. In 1998, Venerable Master Hsing-Yun started building plans for the Buddha Memorial Center. This huge project will encompass approximately 100 hectares (about 247 acres), and include the Central Complex, the Memorial Plaza, and Vulture Peak. The Central Complex will house both the main exhibition area and the Buddha Tooth Relic Shrine. It will be surrounded by four Indian style stupas that symbolize the Four Noble Truths. In front of the Central Complex will stand eight 7-story Chinese style pagodas, which signify the Noble Eightfold Path. On Vulture Peak, a majestic Fo-Guang Buddha statue including the throne and foundation will measure 108 meters (about a 36-story building) in height and reflect the Buddha’s greatness and benevolence. The Memorial Plaza will be able to accommodate more than ten thousand people. The Buddha Memorial Center will enable people from all walks of life to deeply appreciate the profound spiritual nature of Buddhist education, culture and art. And, it will become a spiritual focal point for many in the world. After more than 10 years of planning and construction, the beautiful Buddha Memorial Center has been completed. And the extremely auspicious opening ceremonies for the entire Buddha Memorial Center were held during December 25, 2011 – January 1, 2012.)