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."

[Beck_isright]

Government loan to build the wheel coming soon to a taxpayer near you.

[Guillermo]

Oh that figures.

[Petronski]

Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion....and paganism.

[Beck_isright]

After all, it was Buddhists who suffered the most on 9-11. Right?

[Beck_isright]

"Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion....and paganism."

Which reminds me. I have to ask my preacher tommorrow, er later today, why he isn't more tolerant and why he doesn't have 8 arms.

[Windsong]

Would prefer a giant cross, with Jesus attached, but I know that would never fly with the libbies. Sigh..

[Beck_isright]

"Would prefer a giant cross, with Jesus attached, but I know that would never fly with the libbies. Sigh.."

Bigot!!!! (just kidding)....

You don't know how true that statement is.

[mercy]

Oh yeah, lets put a demon magnet right on top of the tallest building in New York. Whatayawannabet the city of NY will think this idea is just peachy.

[TheAngryClam]

What's wrong with paganism?

[Beck_isright]

"Whatayawannabet the city of NY will think this idea is just peachy."

Bloomingidiotberg will sign off on it, finance it and then play the role of the gerbil running in it.

[jaime1959]

Sounds like a cool idea to me.

[TheAngryClam]

What exactly is the problem if they manage to incorporate a Buddhist memorial into the purely functional wind turbines?

Would you be equally upset if, say, they had an antenna on top that was also in the shape of a cross?

Or is it that you're pissed because it's Buddhist, and, as we all know, America is a CHRISTIAN NATION and ONLY CHRISTIANS died on 9/11, and ONLY CHRISTIANITY should be allowed a memorial?

[Guillermo]

No, actually, it was Islam that suffered the most (they actually do claim this).

[WackyKat]

Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion....and paganism.

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

[Blue Scourge]

Nice gesture by the Buddhists but if you even where to mention putting a Cross up there the ACLU would personally fly a pair of plains into the new building.....

[F16Fighter]

I support the new Buddhist 'prayer wheel' -- just as long as the proposed turbines are powered by gerbils instead of wind.

[Petronski]

pa·gan ( P ) Pronunciation Key (pgn)
n.

1. One who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, especially a worshiper of a polytheistic religion.

[Beck_isright]

"What exactly is the problem if they manage to incorporate a Buddhist memorial into the purely functional wind turbines?"

None. The city of New York can offend 80% percent of the US population if it wants. It's none of my business nor problem.

"Would you be equally upset if, say, they had an antenna on top that was also in the shape of a cross?"

No. Unless of course I couldn't get the stock results and sports scores when I'm near there (I'd never visit) because the cross was not engineered properly.

"Or is it that you're pissed because it's Buddhist, and, as we all know, America is a CHRISTIAN NATION and ONLY CHRISTIANS died on 9/11, and ONLY CHRISTIANITY should be allowed a memorial?"

Wow. You hate Christians? I guess we should forgive you. I'm sure that most of the Christian and Jewish firefighters who died would.

[FairOpinion]

Next they'll want to put the Muslim crescent on top too.

Maybe Bin Laden's picture too? (/sarcasm)

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

[Beck_isright]

"No, actually, it was Islam that suffered the most (they actually do claim this)."

I can believe that....I really can...