"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. . ." Proverbs 9:10
Today I celebrated the 4th of July atop Ngong Ping plateau on the Hong Kong island of Lantau. It is where the largest Buddha statue in the world sits.
It was something else. Two questions: "Why?" and "Why does he have a swastika on his chest?"
I quickly moved on to the "Wisdom Path", which is a replica of the Heart Sutra displayed on wooden pillars placed in the form of the sign for eternity. The Heart Sutra is a prayer revered by Confucians, Buddhists and Taoists (I copied this part from a brochure - it wasn't my knowledge). It is written in Chinese, so I'm not sure what it says. What I did appreciate is the awesome creation that surrounds it.
I'd like to think the eternity symbol represents God's eternal presence with us which never changes. That part of God's character actually came to mind as I walked up the path.
I could have spent hours enjoying the beauty, praising God for His amazing creativity. . .
. . . as I sat upon a rock, but it started raining. 
In the distance, I could see the world's largest Buddha looking rather small. 
Today I celebrated the 4th of July atop Ngong Ping plateau on the Hong Kong island of Lantau. It is where the largest Buddha statue in the world sits.It was something else. Two questions: "Why?" and "Why does he have a swastika on his chest?"I quickly moved on to the "Wisdom Path", which is a replica of the Heart Sutra displayed on wooden pillars placed in the form of the sign for eternity. The Heart Sutra is a prayer revered by Confucians, Buddhists and Taoists (I copied this part from a brochure - it wasn't my knowledge). It is written in Chinese, so I'm not sure what it says. What I did appreciate is the awesome creation that surrounds it.I'd like to think the eternity symbol represents God's eternal presence with us which never changes. That part of God's character actually came to mind as I walked up the path.I could have spent hours enjoying the beauty, praising God for His amazing creativity. . .. . . as I sat upon a rock, but it started raining. 
Happy 4th of July!
1 comment:
I believe that before the swastika was hijacked 80 years ago, it was actually a respected symbol in Buddhism. Nonetheless, I am sure that it is disturbing to see it, given our modern context for it.
N.
ps: I love your photos and your journals of your trip.
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