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."

[kingu]

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.

Or ACLU attorneys, or invite activist judges to give us their vaunted opinion.

[ppaul]

How many Catholics lost their lives that infamous day?
Placing this pagan "prayer wheel" atop the new structure pollutes the sacred ground upon which their blood was shed.
What a blasphemous mockery!

[ppaul]

They might as well put a crescent up there.

[ppaul]

Buddhists are Pagans? You're confusing two very different religious traditions

Maybe.
But they following either will take you where you really don't want to be.

[Destro]

Buddhisim is not paganisim. There is no god of any kind in Buddhist thought.

[Floratina]

There is a virulent minority in this country that has succeeded in using the Constitution to obliterate any representation in the public square of the religious majority in this country. I don't understand what it is about Christianity's message that they find to be so intimidating. Their litigiousness extends beyond Christianity into any mention of G*d at all (the Pledge of Allegiance).

Am I wrong, or do most people believe in a higher power? It appears that, to the miliant antireligious minority, there exists an evil spritual hegemony that must be defeated. I guess I will call them religious hegemenophobes (new word?). Will their objections extend to a Buddhist symbol on the WTC?

Hmmm...I guess things could have gone the other way. Perhaps the Wiccans or Santerians could have sued and prevailed instead of the athiests, saying that their celebrations have gone unfairly underrepresented in community spaces. Then we would have to lend yardage to EVERYBODY'S religion on the lawn of the City Hall. That could get pretty messy! Faced with that choice, I myself would rule in favor of "Nothing" instead of "All"!

ANYWAY, I have to say, as a conservative and a Christian, I wouldn't have any problem entering the new building with a Buddhist prayer wheel on top. I have found that there is a good deal of wisdom in the Buddhist philosophy. I don't know a lot about Buddhism, but what I have learned hasn't posed conflict with my Christian beliefs.

[tbpiper]

Oh yeah, lets put a demon magnet right on top of the tallest building in New York.

Who ya gonna call? (paging Dr Vinkman)

[I_dmc]

Buddhism is not paganism by any means.  Buddhism (from the Sanskrit, meaning "enlightened one") is a world religion founded in India by Siddharta Gautama Buddha (ca. 563 - ca. 483 B.C.)

The four noble truths preached by Buddha are:-

(i) There is sorrow and suffering in the world.
(ii) The cause of sorrow and suffering is craving
(iii) Craving can be overcome
(iv) The way to overcome craving and attain nirvana is by following the eight fold path of
        (a) Right beliefs
        (b) Right speech
        (c) Conduct
        (d) Right means of livelihood
        (e) Right of mind
        (f) Right meditation
        (g) Right aspirations
        (h) Right effort.
 

[Jason_b]

Buddhists are Pagans? You're confusing two very different religious traditions


I thought the same thing. Could you please give a brief explanation?

[I_dmc]

Also, you might find this link interesting reading.  A topic mentioned, "A Lasting Legacy: Traces of Paganism in Irish Christianity".  I'm not Buddhist, but not into denigration of anyone's belief system.

UCC Press Release: [short title here]

[Beck_isright]

"Ahhhh, the Tower of Babel."

Well said.

[Beck_isright]

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

Ten Commandments? What is that? Wasn't that banned about 30 years ago?

[Beck_isright]

"However if the building is owned by a public corporation I doubt they would go for that particular religion given it represents about 0 percent of this particular population. Oh ok .... 0.0001 %."

A large portion of this project is being done with taxpayer (state and federal) dollars.

[Beck_isright]

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

I disagree. I want the Oracle at Delphi moved from Greece to the top of the buildings.

[Beck_isright]

"The words "gerbil" and "Richard Gere" will forever be part of the same sentence for SOME reason..."

I always wondered where PETA was on that issue...

[Beck_isright]

"I have another idea. Let's top the new building with an Aztec alter."

What's wrong with that idea? The 20 plus million Mexicans in the process of sneaking illegally into the U.S. might appreciate that.

[Beck_isright]

"As a Buddhist, I wouldn't support this unless all religions were represented."

In all seriousness, that is the response that I would expect from a Buddhist. Thank you.

[Beck_isright]

That picture in #76 looks like a DNC convention hospitatlity suite.

[Dave S]

I just hate their demon spawned pollytheistic garbage religion.

I bet many of them would wonder what your beef is given that Christianity has a triune God and if I recall correctly so do the Buddhists. If you can explain the triune God and how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct but one God (other than saying its a mystery) than I will forgive your bigotry against polytheistic religions.

[ChadGore]

I prefer the violent kind of defiance that drives al-Qaida to surrender.

AGREED: