Search Buddhist Channel
Crews lift 40-ton statue into place at Buddhist Center
by Greg Pallone, CFNews13.com, July 20, 2013
Mims, FL (USA) -- It took a massive crane to lift a 40-ton, 35-foot-long statue of Buddha into place Friday at the Brevard Buddhist Center.
<< Crews lift 40-ton statue into place at Buddhist center A crew carefully lifted the granite statue depicting religious figure on his death bed, moving it a few feet at a time.
The 'Nirvana' Buddha was created in Vietnam and shipped to the White Sands Buddhist Center in Mims, just a couple of miles from the Brevard-Volusia County lines.
"I think it's interesting that it's here in Mims, it's not something people would expect to find here," said Morris Sullivan, of the Volusia Buddhist Fellowship.
It was a daunting task -- imagine precisely lifting the weight of 20 cars, and then inch-by-inch, lowering it onto a large concrete platform, about the size of a backyard swimming pool.
As the crane operator brought it to rest, 10 men helped guide it to the right spot.
But this latest granite statue, in a way, dwarfs in comparison to two other ones already on the property.
The first was installed on the grounds in February 2012.
It is 32 feet long and weighs 60 tons.
The largest statue was put in six months ago. It weighs 200 tons, but it takes an additional 200 tons of concrete to support it.
The Henric-Mac Corporation concrete company has put in all three statues for White Sands.
It's a delicate process dealing with tons upon tons of concrete and steel.
"They aren't really designed and they don't give you any engineering for lifting. They give you rough weights, no bearing points. You have to figure it all out by looking at the design," said Richard Hendrickson of the Henric-Mac Corporation.
The 200-ton Buddha took two days to put in.
"Trying to get that last 190,000 piece on the top, that we had to put in within an eighth of an inch," Hendrickson recalled.
It took about a day for the 60-ton statue.
Friday, the crew spent about three hours nestling the last one in place near the reflecting pool.
The project is set to be completed in 2015, the tenth anniversary of
the monastery.
The group is expecting some 2,000 people to attend the
dedication.
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)
For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:
Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118
Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.
Dear Friends in the Dharma,
We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.
Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:
One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.
How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.
For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:
Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118
Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.
Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.
Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.
Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.
Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.
Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!
May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,
With deepest gratitude,
Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team
Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau
We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.
If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv