26 November 2009
Blazing Gloriously Like A Mountain of Gold:
Seating the Lotus Garden Buddha
Securing the Buddha
But more work remained for the monks and the karma team as concrete was mixed and passed upwards in the style of a bucket brigade. Some was used to secure the statue to the lotus seat and the remainder was poured through the opening in the back filling it approximately to the knees. Overnight the concrete would set. The following morning the support straps would be removed and the crane would rumble away, leaving the statue standing entirely on its own.
Photo Credit: Lama Phuntsog, assisted by Britton Bosarge, Jessie Hercules and Gordon Ryan, applies concrete to the base of the Buddha to secure it to the lotus throne ©2009 Mindrolling International
Photo Credit: Members of the karma team mixing concrete for the Buddha statue
©2009 Mindrolling International
Photo Credit: Attaching plastic to protect the Buddha during the pouring of concrete
©2009 Mindrolling International
Photo Credit: Lama Riga and members of the Karma team pour concrete into the hollow of the Buddha statue ©2009 Mindrolling International