Buddhist prayer wheel to top new WTC?

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | 01.10.04 | WorldNetDaily.com

[Beck_isright]

An engineer working on plans for the 1,776-foot-high replacement for the World Trade Center in New York wants the wind turbines at the top to serve as Buddhist prayer wheels, "cycling through mantras of peace."

Guy Battle, who's overseeing the wind farm for the planned Freedom Tower, calls it a spiritual gesture to replace the same airy reaches filled with death on Sept. 11, 2001, reports the Village Voice.

The paper explained Tibetan Buddhists write the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" many times over on thin papers and enclose them within cylinders called mani, which are also inscribed with the mantra.

"These spin on an axle, continuously repeating the prayer," writes the Village Voice's Erik Baard. "The words aren't directly translatable, but they invoke blessings from Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion."

Battle's proposal has not been ruled on yet by Architect David M. Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, master planner Daniel Libeskind and developer Larry Silverstein, the paper said.

The turbines are expected to provide a fifth of the building's needed electricity.

"They are simple generators, but they can be somehow linked with the memorial," Battle said. "People could even put prayers on the propellers."

Baard writes: "A reflection of mourning, forgiveness, and hope open to all faiths and ethical traditions would give real meaning to the skyscraper's somewhat stilted name. Imagine if, from miles away in any direction, you could look to that skyscraper and know that within its ethereal, translucent summit was a testament to our better selves, our shared prayers."

The Village Voice writer continues: "That is the architecture of who we are as a people. And coincidentally, the northwesterly winds turning those prayer wheels would follow the same glinting line of the Hudson River that the planes of 9-11 used as a flight path to murder. It's the kind of gentle defiance that would drive al-Qaida mad."

[Petronski]

Link.

[Zeroisanumber]

(shrug) Sure, why not?

[Beck_isright]

"But I bet if anyone wanted to put a Christian cross on top, there would be a major uproar."

Bling, bling, bling...we have a winner!!! And for even mentionting the cross, you'll be getting a call from an ACLU attorney tommorrow, I'm sure.

[F16Fighter]

"What's wrong with paganism?"

Wait -- let me go and ask Yoda...

[BykrBayb]

"...all faiths and ethical traditions..."

That's got to be a daunting task. How many faiths and ethical traditions are there? Do I get to have my own personal faith and ethical traditions represented? They are unique to me, but then again, aren't everyone's? In order to honor my faith and traditions, the top of the building will need to have a cross. And that part of the building cannot be shared with any other religious symbol.

Anybody know how many Buddhists were killed on 9-11?

[reed_inthe_wind]

Unlikely. A big corporate logo that generates lots of revenues will light up Mayor Bloomberg's eyes.

However, it would be nice of visitors could get free fortune cookies.

[Happy2BMe]

In New York, it will fit right in.

Get Howard Dean to say the first mantra. After all, he is a Buddhist you know.

[Beck_isright]

I just want a Zoroastrian flame up there. It's only fair.

[Beck_isright]

"After all, he is a Buddhist you know."

Until he gets to South Carolina. Then's he a converted Southern Baptist.

[Zeein]

No, just because Buddah is no match with Allah. We need someone who is much more powerful than Allah!

[TheAngryClam]

It's been around a lot longer than Christianity.

[TheAngryClam]

Brian Boitano?

[reed_inthe_wind]

I would like to apologize for that last comment. For one moment, I didn't think of the trajic deaths associated with this effort.

[Beck_isright]

"It's been around a lot longer than Christianity."

So has Zeus. Should we put a temple up there too?

[cyborg]

I like the idea of prayer wheels. I like buddhist chant (and not because I think Richard Gere is cute).

[Cultural Jihad]

Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion. But it does have a religious context. I think it's a great idea.

[proust]

Those wheels are a trip.. no doubt they would thwart another plane attack and give the pilot vertigo.

[Petronski]

Of course you would say that, you're just trying to build good Karma.

[Happy2BMe]

For the sake of good Karma - for Allahs' sake - please do NOT put the TEN COMMANDMENTS anywhere near that building!

We don't want to draw more terrorists.