posted January 13, 2009 08:18 AM            

The Maitreya Project aims to construct a huge temple dedicated to the Buddha in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. The project will also build free hospitals, schools servicing tens of thousands of poor, and also be a huge catalyst for infrastructure and tourism development efforts in one of the most economically backwards parts of India.

The project is a joint religious collaboration by organizations representing the various sects and faiths that revere the Buddha: from Mahayana to Vajrayana to Hinayana to Hindu to Jaina.

The Project was funded by Buddhists and Hindus in India, Tibet, Japan, Korea and the West. The conceptualizer of the Maitreya Project is an Nepalese-Tibetan spiritual leader, Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Through this project, India once again shows that the ancient arts of massive devotional architecture continues to thrive.
===========================================
"Maitreya Project is based on the belief that inner peace and outer peace share a cause and effect relationship and that loving-kindness leads to peace at every level of society — peace for individuals, families, communities and the world.

The Maitreya Buddha statue is being designed to last for at least 1,000 years. Through this entire new millennium and into the next, it will effect positive change within the hearts and minds of people all over the world and benefit the people of India through its social and economic activities.

Maitreya Project’s vision includes schools that focus on ethical and spiritual development as well as academic achievement, and a healthcare network based around a teaching hospital of international standard to provide healthcare services, particularly for the poor and underprivileged.

Maitreya Project is working with local, regional and state governments in Uttar Pradesh, India, where the Kushinagar Special Development Area Authority will support the planned development of the area surrounding the Project.

The Maitreya Buddha statue is being built to bring as much benefit as possible, for as long as possible, so that loving-kindness will eventually arise in the hearts of all beings. "
============================================

posted January 13, 2009 08:31 AM            

The statue will depict a future incarnation, the Maitreya Buddha, in a seated position.

It will be three times higher than the 46.5m (151-foot) Statue of Liberty.

Local officials say it will be the world's biggest statue and that a 17-storey temple building with huge prayer halls will be housed inside it.

* The Ceremonial Gateway & Maitreya Statue Sanctuary will lead visitors to the 500ft/152m Maitreya Buddha statue.
* The Maitreya Buddha Statue will sit on the Throne Building containing temples, prayer halls, exhibition halls, a museum, library and audio-visual theatre
* The Hospital and Healthcare Centre will be the hub of Maitreya Project’s public healthcare programmes. The development of these programmes will begin with primary care clinics in the communities of the Kushinagar Special Development Area. Over the years, the medical services will be developed and expanded to meet the needs of many communities. A complete healthcare network will be developed to provide medical services that are centred around a teaching hospital of international standard. The healthcare system will primarily serve the poor and under-privileged, even in remote parts of the area.
* The Centre of Learning, will eventually serve students from primary to university levels of education.
* The Meditation Park will be a secluded area next to the ancient Mahaparinirvana Temple, which commemorates Buddha Shakyamuni’s passing away from our world, the ancient Ramabhar Stupa, commemorating the Buddha’s holy cremation site, and monasteries and temples belonging to many different traditions of Buddhism that include both modern facilities and ancient ruins.

posted January 20, 2009 10:49 AM            

I heard a Hindu say that they build statues of bronze and other metals because they last thousands of years. You and I may die in 70-100 year but the life of these statues are longer. I think its a great way to preserve knowledge this way for the future generation. Buddha was significant in the fact that he achieved enlightenmen in his own unique way (very negative for some people especially hindus because he used negative words like nirvana etc to describe enlightenment).

Psst, the Talibans must be shrugging their shoulders. Fcuk them, ******** who destroyed great sculptors of Buddha in Afghanistan. some of the indian muslims I know are great. They know how to live in peace with their neighbors. It is that quality of religiousness that is desired than borrowing egoistic principles from some major religion prevalent on earth to this day.