Buddhist literature indicates that during the final stage of Buddhism in this era, all that will remain of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings will be in the form of symbols (Patrul Rinpoche [1998], 27). Precisely where we are in the present cycle of teachings is a subject of debate among scholars who study the course of time and how it is measured. Certainly, though, it has been found that a Buddha image can have a transformative effect on the environment. A recent article in the San Francisco Gate has brought to light just such a marvelous indication of the power of the Buddha’s form.
Devotees praying at Buddhist street shrine.
From Paul Chinn, the Chronicle
In Oakland, California, a city known for its violence and difficult environment, there is a neighborhood named Eastlake which, until quite recently, was challenged by social unrest, drugs, violence, graffiti, prostitution, and theft. Then, a man named Dan Stevenson decided to take matters into his own hands. Although he does not consider himself a Buddhist, or for that matter even spiritual, in 2009 he went to Ace Hardware and bought a two-foot-high statue of Shakyamuni. With the hope of making a difference, he took it to the corner of 11th Avenue and East 19th Street, where he glued it down on a traffic median. What followed is, in a word, “miraculous.”
It started with a few small offerings, some incense, some food, flowers, and candles. Then, it grew. By 2012, daily prayer rituals were being observed at the statue. A little prayer house was built around it, with a shelf to hold the offerings. A statue of a reclining Buddha was added, as well as an image of the bodhisattva of compassion, Guanyin. More and more people came to pay their respects. What effect did this have? According to local residents, the prostitution and violence went away, theft and graffiti disappeared, and the neighborhood became more peaceful. Even the police department has acknowledged that, for reasons they are at a loss to explain, since people began to pray at the shrine in 2012 the neighborhood’s crime rate has dropped by 82 per cent.
Buddha images at shrine's altar grew around a single statue from a non-Buddhist.
From Paul Chinn, the Chronicle
Attempts have been made to remove the statue on two occasions. The first time, a thief tried to steal it, but it was too well glued down! The second time, after an uptight neighbor with little foresight lodged a complaint about it, the Oakland Public Works Department decided that the placement of the shrine was a violation of city ordinance. However, when they came to remove the statue, the neighbors, having seen what benefit it had brought to the neighborhood, protested and successfully lobbied for it to be allowed to remain. The city began to look into the matter, and the case is now long since forgotten.
Now, sometimes up to a dozen people of all nationalities visit the statue to pray and make offerings. Regular offerings are made at 7 a.m. daily, accompanied by chants and bells. The place has become a holy spot, and its emanations have clearly affected the land and people around it. Where once there was trash and crime, there is now the Buddha’s radiance, melodious chanting, flowers and ever-expanding offerings, and peace. The form of the Buddha itself has brought an enormous change to a neighborhood in dire need. The Buddha’s blessings are indeed miraculous.