Wat Buddhapadipa
Encyclopedia
Situated in Wimbledon
, the Buddhapadipa temple was the first Thai Buddhist
temple
to be built in the UK
. It is home to monks and nuns, but welcomes visitors of any faith to view the grounds and temple as long as they are respectful.
Its white exterior walls are put into contrast by the red and gold colours of the roof and decorations of the frames of the windows and doors.
Inside the temple hall, the walls are covered with paintings showing the life of the Buddha
—from his birth to his death. There are pictures of his birth in Lumbini (Nepal
), his renunciation, his enlightenment
, and finally his death. The murals were painted by artists Chalermchai Kositpipat and Panya Vijinthanasarn in a surreal style using brilliant colors that, at first glance, seems very unlike classical Thai painting. However, they revive the tendency found in traditional Thai mural paintings to situate episodes from Buddhist myth in scenes populated with figures and objects from contemporary life. The murals were started in the 1980s, and among the many figures in the scenes are portraits of Mother Theresa and Margaret Thatcher, as well as the temple's patrons and the artists themselves.
The main doorway leading out from the shine room has a grand painting of the Buddha meditating
to reach enlightenment, directly above it. On the right side of the Buddha are the angry figures of Mara's
army, trying to disrupt the Buddha, and distract him from reaching enlightenment. The name 'Mara' means delusion. On the left side of the Buddha is the army of Mara looking more subdued and respectful. They are like this because the Buddha has reached enlightenment, and they could not distract him. Just above the doorway is the figure of Nang Thoranee, the earth goddess. During the climax of Mara's assault, the Buddha touches the earth with his hand. The earth goddess appears to bear witness to the merit the Buddha has accumulated in his many lives, and the water she squeezes from her hair washes away the armies of Mara.
Also in the room is a great shrine built for the Buddha. There are three statues of the Buddha in it; the back one is black, the middle statue is gold, and the front statue is green and smaller than the other two. These statues are surrounded by candles and other decorations.
Also within the grounds are a house, pond, and several bridges. In the gardens signs are posted, each sign giving a message of wisdom to those who stop to read them.
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, the Buddhapadipa temple was the first Thai Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
to be built in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is home to monks and nuns, but welcomes visitors of any faith to view the grounds and temple as long as they are respectful.
Its white exterior walls are put into contrast by the red and gold colours of the roof and decorations of the frames of the windows and doors.
Inside the temple hall, the walls are covered with paintings showing the life of the Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
—from his birth to his death. There are pictures of his birth in Lumbini (Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
), his renunciation, his enlightenment
Bodhi
Bodhi is both a Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English with the word "enlightenment", but which means awakened. In Buddhism it is the knowledge possessed by a Buddha into the nature of things...
, and finally his death. The murals were painted by artists Chalermchai Kositpipat and Panya Vijinthanasarn in a surreal style using brilliant colors that, at first glance, seems very unlike classical Thai painting. However, they revive the tendency found in traditional Thai mural paintings to situate episodes from Buddhist myth in scenes populated with figures and objects from contemporary life. The murals were started in the 1980s, and among the many figures in the scenes are portraits of Mother Theresa and Margaret Thatcher, as well as the temple's patrons and the artists themselves.
The main doorway leading out from the shine room has a grand painting of the Buddha meditating
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
to reach enlightenment, directly above it. On the right side of the Buddha are the angry figures of Mara's
Mara (demon)
In Buddhism, Māra is the demon that tempted Gautama Buddha by trying to seduce him with the vision of beautiful women who, in various legends, are often said to be Mara's daughters. In Buddhist cosmology, Mara personifies unwholesome impulses, unskillfulness, the "death" of the spiritual life...
army, trying to disrupt the Buddha, and distract him from reaching enlightenment. The name 'Mara' means delusion. On the left side of the Buddha is the army of Mara looking more subdued and respectful. They are like this because the Buddha has reached enlightenment, and they could not distract him. Just above the doorway is the figure of Nang Thoranee, the earth goddess. During the climax of Mara's assault, the Buddha touches the earth with his hand. The earth goddess appears to bear witness to the merit the Buddha has accumulated in his many lives, and the water she squeezes from her hair washes away the armies of Mara.
Also in the room is a great shrine built for the Buddha. There are three statues of the Buddha in it; the back one is black, the middle statue is gold, and the front statue is green and smaller than the other two. These statues are surrounded by candles and other decorations.
Also within the grounds are a house, pond, and several bridges. In the gardens signs are posted, each sign giving a message of wisdom to those who stop to read them.
Further reading
- Sandra Cate, Making Merit, Making Art: A Thai Temple in Wimbledon (2003) University of Hawai'i Press ISBN 0-8248-2357-5