A contemplative Buddha in my back garden.

By Carolyn Parker

I was all set to write this column about favorite and indispensable garden tools, until my garden designer friend, Mary Knowles, invited me to lunch yesterday. She said, "I have a great story for you, Carolyn."

With our ritual Hungry Hunter Chinese chicken salads in front of us, she began her tale about sightseeing in San Francisco's Chinatown. She played tour guide there this past Sunday with visiting relatives.

When they entered Canton Bazaar on Grant Street, Mary was immediately drawn to a bronze Buddha from Thailand. The standing figure was placed in the middle of the store among many other statues, pottery and knickknacks. The statue's beautiful face had a familiar quality that captivated Mary — and its serene peacefulness made her linger in its presence.

I asked, "Did you buy it?"

She said, "No, it was a fairly big-ticket item and I really don't have a place for it."

Serendipity

She went on to tell me that on Monday, she met with a prospective client who wanted help with creating an inviting space on her condo deck. The woman, Karen Wells, told Mary she longed for the atmosphere of a Zen garden. Mary asked her what else she had in mind for the space.

"Well," Karen said, "I can picture a Japanese maple and a statue of Buddha. However I've been looking for my Buddha for years and haven't found him."

Pleasantly startled, Mary described to Karen the Buddha she'd seen the day before. After Mary left, Karen thought a moment, realized she had no commitments, spontaneously called her husband, Pete, who was at work in the city, and asked him to meet her at Canton Bazaar. She hopped on BART and the rest is history. They both fell in love with the Buddha figure, and purchased the sculpture in celebration of their 34th wedding anniversary, which was that very day.

Siddhartha Gautama, recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha, lived around 400 B.C., and yet his image and presence is flourishing in both gardens and interiors in 2008. This ancient figure seems to have universal appeal.

Multiple Buddhas

We have two Buddhas in our back garden. Like Karen, it took me awhile to find the one I connected with — a sculpted terra-cotta head that I found at AW Pottery. My husband, Leroy, discovered a seated bronze Buddha at the same place that he liked. They both have an unmistakable presence of peace and serenity. A glance at one of the Buddhas in our garden setting has a way of centering me, if only for a moment.

My friend Susan acquired a large granite Buddha head at the same AW Pottery with the intention of selling it at Florali, her Walnut Creek flower shop. The Buddha soon became a soothing mascot of sorts, one that she won't part with. It's beautiful in the store and sometimes receives an offering of rose petals.

Buddha outside Pamela Temple's ceramics studio.

Pamela Temple, another friend, placed a 4-foot-high seated Buddha in the rose garden outside her ceramics studio. After a rigorous artistic workout, she wanted a calming effect to comfort her upon leaving her studio.

Universal appeal

During the recent Olympics coverage, I was stunned to see immense, magnificent Buddhas carved into the sides of cliffs in China. Even though I'm an art history student, I'd never seen these figures recently caught by cameras from the air. And I can't find their pictures on the Internet. I wonder if they're new discoveries for the West, not found in history books?

Yes, Buddha really gets around these days. At the San Francisco airport in the Virgin Atlantic lobby, I recently saw an extensive exhibit of Buddha figures from Thailand. All were elegant, many ancient, yet of the moment. They seem a great fit in Western contemporary life.

If you like a serene healing atmosphere in your garden, an inviting silence, a meditative presence — seek out your own Buddha.

I'll get to great garden tools next month —— October weather will be much more conducive to gardening.

COLUMN ARCHIVE