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Friday 28 October 2011

Daytripper: View more than 90 colorful statues at Stockton's Cambodian Buddhist Temple



Top: There are more than 90 colorful and giant jewel-encrusted statues at the Buddhist Temple. (Lauren Nelson/News-Sentinel)

Top: The Stockton Cambodian Buddhist Temple features Buddha displays to view. (Lauren Nelson/News-Sentinel)

Posted: Friday, October 28, 2011
By Lauren Nelson lodi living editor

Destination: Stockton Cambodian Buddhist Temple (Wat Dharmararam)

What is the attraction? More than 90 colorful and giant jewel-encrusted statues that tell the life and story of the Cambodian Buddha. The largest statue is a 50-foot-long recumbent Buddha.

What to do there: The temple off of Carpenter Road, between Stockton and Manteca, is a wonderful place to wander around for an hour or two. Even if you are not a Buddhist, the statues are so colorful and intricate that you can't help but appreciate the art.

Start at the entrance, and wander through the stories told through paint and stone. You can walk around by yourself, or the monks are very friendly, and willing to speak with you and answer any questions.

One of the most intricate displays is Buddha sitting on a platform, teaching his first Dharma to his five Acetic friends. It takes you through images that appeared in his mind before he became very calm, like a pond of water that surrounds him.

The largest statue is 54 feet long and 12 feet high. It represents a closed-eye Buddha in an orange robe, his head resting on a green pillow structure, as he leaves the earth for Nirvana at the age of 80. It is the most important statue on the temple grounds.

When you look around, you will see statues of goddesses holding real gems and wearing real earrings.

When to go: Visitors are welcome daily during daylight hours. My friends and I went at sunset, and it was the perfect time as we could see the moon rising behind some of the statues.

How to get there: The Stockton Cambodian Buddhist Temple is located at 3732 Carpenter Road in Stockton. Exit Highway 99 at Mariposa Road.

Cost: Entrance is free, but donations are accepted.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This status look like female or gay.

Anonymous said...

The real Buddha was bald and wore no lipstick just like every other monks. As a small young prince he was so absent minded (actually he was in deep meditation) that the court teacher didn't know how to help it but resorted to yank his ear lobe to wake him up from time to time and that's why his ear was so elongated. He wowed that some day he would prove those teachers were useless. Later on by himself and alone (not quite,there was presence of Braddhavy the Mother Earth) he attained Enlightenment without "Gru acharya na braw dao preah angg loeuy".

Anonymous said...

11:10 PM
The status is a women and is the mother of Buddha.