The Daibutsu (‘Great Buddha’) statue at the Kotoku-in temple at Kamakura, Japan is one of the most beloved statues of the Lord Buddha in the world. Sri Chinmoy had a special love for this statue, and visited it every time he came to Japan. In this 1997 clip we see Sri Chinmoy reverently meditating in front of the statue, before accompanying the head priest to a tree that Sri Chinmoy had planted there on a previous visit.

Sri Chinmoy first visited the Daibutsu Buddha in 1969, and was moved to compose this poem:

Buddha, the mightiest Height;
Kamakura, the sky of His Feet:
Kamakura stole the Buddha
In the brooding hour of darkest night.

India’s Buddha Indian
Homeless!
Behold, here at Kamakura
The Homeless Soul
Triumphantly becomes
The Home of awakened mankind.

From My Salutations to Japan

Camera and edit: Mridanga Spencer