Our Buddha Statue Takes Shape in Nepal

We’re delighted to share an exciting update on our Buddha statue project.

A successful casting was completed in July in Patan, Nepal, following a second attempt. The first casting did not meet the exceptionally high quality standards required for a Buddha statue destined for a Buddhist temple, so the artisans returned to the process to ensure the finished image would meet the standard we are seeking.

The statue is now moving into the next stages of its creation: cleaning, polishing, carving, welding and finishing. We hope to welcome the completed Buddha to Dechen LA before Christmas or early in the New Year.

From wax to copper

The process of creating a traditional Nepali Buddha statue is remarkable.

First, a highly detailed wax model is created. A mould is then made by carefully packing the wax figure in a special clay. This mould must dry completely, a process that takes several months.

Once dry, the mould is heated so that the wax melts and runs out. Molten copper is then poured into the mould — the crucial casting stage. After the copper has cooled, the clay mould is carefully removed, revealing the newly cast figure.

But the work is far from finished. The statue then undergoes painstaking cleaning, polishing, carving and welding, followed by the detailed finishing work that will ultimately prepare it for gold plating.

We’ll be sharing photographs of these early stages from the artisans’ workshop in Nepal.

A new shrine for Dechen LA

Here in Los Angeles, we are also preparing for the Buddha’s arrival.

We plan to rebuild our shrine in November, creating a more spacious and beautiful setting for the new statue. The shrine will be positioned more centrally within the room and carefully designed to accommodate our existing statues while providing additional space for our growing collection of Dharma teachings.

The new Buddha will become a magnificent centrepiece for the shrine room and, we hope, a source of inspiration for our community and for everyone who visits Dechen LA.

Thank you

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has already contributed to this project. Your generosity has made it possible for us to commission this extraordinary sacred image and bring this vision closer to reality.

The appeal remains open. Further contributions are warmly welcomed and will help us meet the costs of shipping and installing the Buddha, as well as constructing the new shrine.

Thank you for helping us create a lasting offering to the Dharma and a beautiful home for practice at Dechen LA.