One Pillar Pagoda: A lake “lotus” and a miracle
Sitting in the heart of the Half Moon Lake on the campus of Ba Vang Pagoda, One Pillar Pagoda houses a statue of Thousand-armed and Thousand-eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva carved from red padauk wood. His one thousand eyes and one thousand hands symbolize his compassion and willingness to reach out to and help miserable beings. Especially, those who are infertile or yearn for a son or daughter can seek a miracle from the Bodhisattva. If they sincerely prostrate themselves, make offerings, and pray to him, their prayers will be fulfilled.
Modeled after the original version in Hanoi, Vietnam, the One Pillar Pagoda stands firmly and elegantly like a lotus in Half-Moon Lake.
The enshrinement of the Bodhisattva statue at One Pillar Pagoda is a miraculous happening.
It was crafted by a jewelers family who intended to worship it themselves. However, when the statue was completed, they found it so magnificent that they wanted to offer it to a pagoda, but could not decide which one. Afterwards, the wife dreamt about a certain pagoda that her family should offer the statue to. A while later, she and her family visited Ba Vang Pagoda and found One Pillar Pagoda strikingly resembling the one in her dream. Coincidentally, this pagoda had just been completed, and Bhikkhu Thich Truc Thai Minh, the abbot of Ba Vang Pagoda, was looking for someone to carve a statue of Thousand-armed and Thousand-eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
Then, the familys statue was offered to Ba Vang Pagoda and placed at One Pillar Pagoda.
Any family that wishes to conceive a child can come and pray to the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva at One Pillar Pagoda.
