As I drove down a side road in Arlee, Montana last summer, off to my left was one of the most unique sites you'll ever find sitting on the landscape of western Montana — A 23-foot statue of the Great Dharmakaya Mother, Yum Chenmo. Surely this was not something seen every day. I had taken the half-hour drive north from Missoula to photograph the Magadha Garden of 1,000 Buddhas located on the grounds of a Tibetan Buddhist School called Ewam Sang-ngag Ling. Started in 2001, I would soon learn that the impressive undertaking of creating the garden has become an exercise in patience.

When Gochen Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche was a child, he had a dream. Upon awakening, he told his father he would one day teach in the West. Years later, in 1999, he was driving through the Arlee area while on a trip to visit friends in western Montana and recognized the landscape as that of his childhood dream. At that moment he knew that he was destined to establish a school of Tibetan Buddhism in the area.

Some 2,500 years ago, it was foretold of this aeon's 1,000 fully-enlightened Buddhas. It is the Rimpoche's vision to create a garden on the grounds of the school which will be a center for peace where all are welcome. The completed garden will be the most unique pilgrimage site in the West and will radiate positive, peaceful energy out into our troubled world. The idea being that if you put good out into the world, that good will multiply.

The garden will be laid out with foot paths in the shape of an eight-spoke wheel. (See an artist's rendition) Lining each of the paths will be 1,000 statues symbolizing each of the foretold Buddhas. In addition, the garden will contain 1,000 stupas which are architectural representations of the Buddha. In each of the four compass directions, four of the first ten Buddhas will sit at the end of a path. Finally, 1,000 trees will be planted around the grounds.

The real story here though is the monumental task of actually seeing the vision to fruition. The project is funded purely by donations and all work is performed by volunteers. Even though the first mold was cast back in 2001, less than 350 of the 1,000 Buddha statues have been completed to date.

The going has been slow - and at times completely halted - due to lack of money. "I calculated a rough estimate at the start of the project. It would have been roughly $500,000 back then.", says Chris the project coordinator. As she speaks, she indicates the need to practice patience and non-attachment. But it is clear in her voice that she is painfully aware that costs will continue to balloon the longer the project takes. Since its inception, the true cost to complete the project has likely doubled or more.

One of the toughest challenges was finding just the right mixture of cement to withstand the harsh Montana climate. Summer temperature swings can be 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day down to the 40s at night. Winter temperatures can drop to -20. Out in the yard, there are many examples of failed mixtures where the statues made from test castings have cracked under the tough Montana conditions. It took years just to develop the correct mixture. Now comes the painstaking task of mold-making, casting and finishing.

The statue molds are created from a bronze Buddha statue brought back from the East many years ago. However, due to the special mixture of cement, the soft molds are slowly eaten away with each statue cast. As a result, each mold is only good for about 50 statues before it is no longer usable. Once a statue comes out of the mold, it must then go through a process of hand grinding to smooth out rough spots and filling in of any pits or bad spots.

And don't forget about the 1,000 stupas statues that also must be cast. So far, Chris hasn't even devised a way of creating a mold for those. The molds will be created from a wooden stupa (see photo at right) also brought back by the Rinpoche while on a trip to the East. When asked about those, she says that while deceivingly simple looking, it is actually much more complex to create a mold for it than for the Buddha statues due to its shape. Fortunately, Chris appears to have much more patience than most and she trusts that the universe will provide her the right solution at the right time - or someone with the right skills to help devise that solution.

Already, she has benefited from that philosophy. When stymied with the need to move the large stone bases for the four statues marking the compass directions, she came across a local with a tractor willing to help. And when in need of volunteer labor to work on statues, a young man visiting his grand parents who live in the area happened to stop by to look at the statue of Yum Chenmo out in the field. Since he was going to be staying in the area for an extended period, he offered his help.

It is quite something to see the pallets lined with beautiful Buddha's waiting to be laid out in their future garden (see photo at right). I personally felt very relaxed and at peace while there. There is a definite energy about the landscape there that can only be experienced in person. So, I highly recommend visiting and experiencing it for yourself.

If you are interested in more information, possibly volunteering while in the Arlee, MT area, or donating to the project, please visit the Garden's page on the school's website.