Mosaic of Mindfullness

Well there you are. I was beginning to wonder. Just completed the red 'landing zone' circle on the floor near the coffeepot so you can glide down safely from cyberspace for your daily mug of coffee and virtual treat... plus a little conversation. Speaking of 'wonder', take a look at this brand spanking new attraction just completed in the Kingdom of Thailand's Nakorn Ratchasima province.  

The magnificent handcrafted Thep Witayakom Vihara in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand celebrates the very core of Buddhism

IT'S TAKEN three years and a virtual army of artists and Buddhist faithful but at last Asia's largest ceramic mosaic shrine is finally complete. Towering over the Nakhon Ratchasima countryside, the 42-metre-high, four-storey Thep Wittayakom Vihara is designed to educate people about Buddhist teachings through the universal language of arts - architecture, paintings, and sculptures.

Initiated by revered monk Phra Thep Wittayakom or Luang Poh Koon Parisutho as he is often called, this extravagant and beautiful shrine was started in 2011 at Wat Baan Rai. a 30-rai dharma park in the province's Dan Khun Tod district.

What makes the mosaic shrine all the more remarkable is that it has been hand-made by more than 200 artists and faithful villagers who carefully and mindfully affixed more than 20 million pieces of ceramic, weighing a total of 180 tons. It was a slow process: One person could attach no more than one-square-metre of ceramic per day.

"The key to this building is the absence of discrimination. We gave everyone the opportunity to help put together the ceramic mosaics. Their collective faith has brought about the completion of this interdisciplinary Buddhist art project in honour of Lord Buddha," says artist Samphan Sararak, who served as the project's designer and architecture consultant.

Surrounded by water, the shrine relates the Tripitaka, Buddhism's sacred texts, in an artistic way that's easy to understand.

"Of course, I had to read the Tripitaka first in order to understand the meaning and to create art pieces that would correctly illustrate those stories. This project was a good opportunity for me to work on the things I like and also to understand the teachings more thoroughly," Samphan adds.

"Ceramic has its own unique charm. The beauty lies in how the small, glossy pieces are laid next to one another in such a way that the resulting sculptures look special and gentle under the sun," says ceramist Thitipong Tubtim, one of the five ceramic supervisors attached to the project.

"What's more, it came out even more beautifully than we expected. This will be a great place for people to learn more about the teaching of Lord Buddha and even if visitors take home no more than one lesson, that will suffice."

The exterior of the Thep Wittayakom shrine starts with the Naga bridge, which serves as the bridge of faith. This is where visitors cross from the human world to the world of dharma.

Two naga sculptures decorated with mosaic form the rails. Each has 19 heads, representing the 38 steps towards enlightened living. The naga coil around the shrine and the tails of both naga meet and coil three times to cover the ever-glowing wishing crystal, which symbolises the "three practices" - sila (virtue), samadhi (concentration) and panya (discernment).

Passing through the wishing crystal, visitors come to the Maha Baramee arch. The four lintels or pillars are dedicated to the keepers of the world. The Indra arch represents the powerful god; the Phra Yom arch is named for the god of justice who decides who one can go to heaven. The Phra Piroon arch honours the god of water, abundance and tranquillity and the Phra Kuvane arch (Tao Vessuwan), represents the god of fortune who protects Buddhism and the earth.

Pillars around the building support the Erawan roof and are each illustrated with one of 523 previous lives of Lord Buddha. The mural on the exterior wall of the building presents 10 Jataka tales and was painted on ceramic before being fired at high temperatures. Samphan, Paramat Luang-On, and Jintana Piemsiri are among the artists behind each of these wonderful pictures.

"Thep Wittayakom Vihara was built without an architectural plan. We only had the structural plans to work with," says structural supervisor Somyos Phaephueng.

"Some sections were moulded at a factory in Bangkok and then adjusted to precise size and design on site. They mostly required a series of adjustments before perfection was achieved. No air conditioning is provided on the first level as the breeze provides the cooling. All that remains to be done is the development of the surrounding elements, which include rest areas and an artist's village."

Stepping into the first floor of shrine, visitors learn about the life of Lord Buddha from his birth to his Parinirvana (death). Six murals have been meticulously painted by six artists, with the lotus symbolising Lord Buddha. In the hall, the Wishing Bodhi tree represents the meaning of Buddha - the enlightened, awakened and brightened one - and people are invited to make a wish.

The second floor presents the Vinaya Pitaka (discipline) and the evolution of Buddhism after the Parinirvana of Lord Buddha and includes the 227 precepts and the history of different sects.

The third floor features Dharma Pitaka where the dharma of Lord Buddha is divided into 84,000 categories based on the listeners' behaviour. The display takes turns exhibiting these categories.

The roof enshrines the seven-metre-tall Buddha image in walking posture and the five-metre tall metal statue of Luang Poh Koon Parisutho, which symbolises the Lord Buddha teaching dharma to the monk so that he can in turn teach Buddhists. The basement is home to the souvenir and amulet zone.

It's not always that a new Wonder of the World is created so if you are in Thailand or have a chance to visit, this is one 'Wonder" you won't want to miss.

See ya, eh!

Bob