What Would Buddha Displace?

"In the middle of an unlit village square a few kilometres from the place the Buddha died almost 2,500 years ago, dozens of semi-literate, poor villagers...rally against plans to construct the largest statue of Buddha anywhere in the world - three times the height of the Statue of Liberty - a few kilometres from their village of Kushinagar."

"An international Buddhist organization called the Maitreya Project (maitreya comes from Sanskrit and means loving-kindness) has chosen the fourth-holiest site in Buddhism - where the Buddha took his last sip of water, delivered his last sermon, died and was cremated - to plant its beacon of compassion and understanding."

"But the struggle to construct the statue and surrounding parks and facilities on roughly 280 hectares of fertile land has set the plans by devoted Buddhists against the interests of poor villagers who make their living growing rice, sugar cane and wheat on small plots of land that have been in their families for generations. The farmers are angry, afraid and adamantly opposed to the construction of the giant symbol of love and compassion."

"Costing roughly $250-million (U.S.), the 150-metre-tall (500-foot) bronze statue of Buddha will be the world's largest statue. It is being designed to last more than 1,000 years."

"Manicured parks and 100,000 stupas (small Buddhist devotional structures) will surround the statue. The website of the Maitreya Project describes the eventual construction of a world-class teaching hospital, museum, audio-visual centre, schools, libraries and more. Maitreya Project funds come from private donations as well as through individual or group sponsorship of the Buddha's giant bronze head, left or right hands or legs."

"Inside the bronze Buddha, relics and the remains of the original Lord Buddha's many disciples that have been collected by the Maitreya Project's spiritual leader, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, will be on display. Those relics are currently on a 150-city world tour, raising money for the structure."

"Farmers have accused officials at the Maitreya Project of operating in a clandestine, non-transparent manner, and of trying to force them off their land."