Audio 0013 English
Amituofo! Welcome to Guanyin Square at Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada.
On the shores of Wisdom Lake in Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden, there are four great Bodhisattvas: Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (as known as Guanyin in Mandarin Chinese), Manjushri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Each Bodhisattva has a small square dedicated to them. The statue on Guanyin Square is none other than the familiar Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Speaking of Guanyin Square, there is also a remarkable story associated with it. It was the summer of 2010 when Venerable Dayi Shi had just raised tens of thousands of dollars. He intended to build statues of the four great Bodhisattvas on the shores of Wisdom Lake, starting with Guanyin Bodhisattva. He found an Italian worker and planned to use twenty thousand dollars to create a foundation and a square platform for Guanyin Bodhisattva's future statue by the lakeside.
It was a scorching summer day with temperatures soaring to 38 degrees Celsius. It was said to be the hottest day in Canada in twenty years. The sun blazed relentlessly, and there wasn't a hint of wind. Under such intense sunshine, people felt like they were melting, but in such weather, working with concrete was surprisingly easy because it dried quickly. So, the workers persevered in the scorching heat.
Venerable Dayi was also present at the construction site and was feeling the onset of heatstroke. Suddenly, dark clouds rolled in the sky, and thunder rumbled deafeningly. After a while, a fierce wind blew, and lightning crackled within the black clouds. Before long, raindrops the size of soybeans began to fall, soaking the grassy lawn and the entire Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden.
This sudden and fierce rainstorm took everyone by surprise. Some workers who couldn't make it back to the workshop were drenched, looking utterly disheveled. Everyone could only stand inside the building, gazing blankly at the downpour.
However, the concrete work had just been completed, Venerable Dayi and the workers thought that their efforts had been in vain. The heavy rain was surely going to soak the newly built cement platform for Guanyin Bodhisattva, which meant that the twenty-thousand-dollar project was also going down the drain. They all felt a sense of regret and helplessness, and could only pray for the protection of Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Watching the rain intensify, one worker lamented, "I'm sorry, Master. The hard-earned twenty thousand dollars you raised will be washed away by the rain. My day's hard work will also be in vain." Deep within, the workers were filled with profound sorrow.
The torrential rain raged for 40 minutes and finally stopped. Several people inside the building looked at each other in dismay. Venerable Dayi said, "Let's go and see the work we just completed!" Everyone approached the new platform foundation for Guanyin Bodhisattva, their emotions indescribable.
To their astonishment, the concrete platform in front of them was completely intact. The rainwater had washed away everything around it, but the platform for Guanyin Bodhisattva was dry. Looking closely, the left half of the platform was entirely undamaged, with only a small part on the right showing signs of being washed by the rain. However, the foundation remained dry. Everyone couldn't believe their eyes and stared at each other in disbelief.
At this moment, Venerable Dayi said, "The Bodhisattvas and Dharma Protectors of Wutai Shan are truly miraculous. Guanyin Bodhisattva sheltered the foundation from wind and rain, preserving the project, demonstrating this to sentient beings."
Later, workers spread this incredible story. As the tale spread to more and more people, the story of Guanyin Bodhisattva's response became deeply ingrained in the hearts of Canadian Buddhists, passing down through generations.
Amituofo! Welcome to Guanyin Square at Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada.
On the shores of Wisdom Lake in Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden, there are four great Bodhisattvas: Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (as known as Guanyin in Mandarin Chinese), Manjushri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Each Bodhisattva has a small square dedicated to them. The statue on Guanyin Square is none other than the familiar Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Speaking of Guanyin Square, there is also a remarkable story associated with it. It was the summer of 2010 when Venerable Dayi Shi had just raised tens of thousands of dollars. He intended to build statues of the four great Bodhisattvas on the shores of Wisdom Lake, starting with Guanyin Bodhisattva. He found an Italian worker and planned to use twenty thousand dollars to create a foundation and a square platform for Guanyin Bodhisattva's future statue by the lakeside.
It was a scorching summer day with temperatures soaring to 38 degrees Celsius. It was said to be the hottest day in Canada in twenty years. The sun blazed relentlessly, and there wasn't a hint of wind. Under such intense sunshine, people felt like they were melting, but in such weather, working with concrete was surprisingly easy because it dried quickly. So, the workers persevered in the scorching heat.
Venerable Dayi was also present at the construction site and was feeling the onset of heatstroke. Suddenly, dark clouds rolled in the sky, and thunder rumbled deafeningly. After a while, a fierce wind blew, and lightning crackled within the black clouds. Before long, raindrops the size of soybeans began to fall, soaking the grassy lawn and the entire Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden.
This sudden and fierce rainstorm took everyone by surprise. Some workers who couldn't make it back to the workshop were drenched, looking utterly disheveled. Everyone could only stand inside the building, gazing blankly at the downpour.
However, the concrete work had just been completed, Venerable Dayi and the workers thought that their efforts had been in vain. The heavy rain was surely going to soak the newly built cement platform for Guanyin Bodhisattva, which meant that the twenty-thousand-dollar project was also going down the drain. They all felt a sense of regret and helplessness, and could only pray for the protection of Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Watching the rain intensify, one worker lamented, "I'm sorry, Master. The hard-earned twenty thousand dollars you raised will be washed away by the rain. My day's hard work will also be in vain." Deep within, the workers were filled with profound sorrow.
The torrential rain raged for 40 minutes and finally stopped. Several people inside the building looked at each other in dismay. Venerable Dayi said, "Let's go and see the work we just completed!" Everyone approached the new platform foundation for Guanyin Bodhisattva, their emotions indescribable.
To their astonishment, the concrete platform in front of them was completely intact. The rainwater had washed away everything around it, but the platform for Guanyin Bodhisattva was dry. Looking closely, the left half of the platform was entirely undamaged, with only a small part on the right showing signs of being washed by the rain. However, the foundation remained dry. Everyone couldn't believe their eyes and stared at each other in disbelief.
At this moment, Venerable Dayi said, "The Bodhisattvas and Dharma Protectors of Wutai Shan are truly miraculous. Guanyin Bodhisattva sheltered the foundation from wind and rain, preserving the project, demonstrating this to sentient beings."
Later, workers spread this incredible story. As the tale spread to more and more people, the story of Guanyin Bodhisattva's response became deeply ingrained in the hearts of Canadian Buddhists, passing down through generations.