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Photo Of Buddha with 1000 hands.

The Golden Buddha statue with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes held court at a Buddhist Temple in Kai Feng. Known as the Da Xiang Guo Buddha Statue, Guanyin, Goddess Of Mercy, the statue holds the central place of a hexagonal hall, more than one side of which could be opened. Each of the thousand hands of the Golden Buddha statue has an eye in its palm. It is said that for many people, the eye on the palm symbolizes protection from evil. Another interpretation is given as 'all seeing all helping' as far as the Buddha is concerned.

A different stone Buddha was seen at Longzhou, but this is of a Laughing Buddha that holds court in a cave. During a time of conflict, this Laughing Buddha was removed from the cave and buried elsewhere for safe keeping. When peace was restored in the country, the Laughing Buddha was returned to the cave, satisfying the needs of the local people. There is another cave near Longzhou that has a Buddha Shrine that becomes a place of pilgrimage during special days, such as Ancestors Day or the Spring Festival. This Buddha Shrine is located at the 'Little Wall', and reached by many flights of stone steps. On the roof of the cave, swallows have built nests, considered by many as a symbol of good luck.

Buddha statues of one type or another are found in many places, in public parks and halls, in Buddhist Temples, and in the homes of the followers of Buddha. In Dazu there is a grotto that has many Buddha carvings in the rock face, including a reclining Buddha entering Nirvana. The Buddha Grotto is on one side of a valley and the approach is made from the opposite side of the valley. A visit to the Buddha Grottos in Dazu is a very rewarding experience, and during our morning visit, the whole Grotto was bathed in sunlight, so there was a panoramic view of a remarkable site. It was only when we stood in front of the reclining Buddha did we have an appreciation of its immense size.



Buddha Statue of Guanyin with 1000 hands and 1000 eyes in octagonal hall at KaiFeng Buddhist Temple. Da XiangGuo.
Is Buddhism a religion? Probably not, but for many people Buddha is worshipped in the way of a god. When they kowtow with lit incense sticks before a Buddha shrine they gain comfort from the belief that their silent prayers have been heard by Guanyin. The Buddha Shrine does not need to be in a Buddhist Temple, or other public place, it can be the Prayer Box many Buddhist families have in their homes, and before which they pay respects to their ancestors. In times of remembrance, in times of celebration, in times of stress, the Buddha, in whatever form, satisfies the needs of many people.

For more information about Buddhism, you may wish to use the 'Wikipedia' link below.

'''''
In Buddhism, a buddha is any being who has become fully awakened (enlightened), and has experienced Nirvana. In the Pali Canon and the Theravada tradition, the term 'buddha' usually refers to anyone who has become enlightened (i.e., awakened to the truth, or Dharma) on their own, without a teacher to point out the Dharma, in a time when the teachings on the Four Noble Truths or the Eightfold Path do not exist in the world. By comparison, those who awaken due to the teachings given by a Buddha are known as Arahants, a title also applied to Buddhas. Arahants and Buddhas are the same in the most fundamental aspects of Liberation (Nirvana), but differ in their paramis. Src: Wikipedia.com. '''''

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