A Buddha for Europe -
at home in Bremen
Namaste and welcome to this page with the still imperfect, exciting and multifaceted story of the European Peace Buddha.
Imperfect because this wonderful statue is still missing its own house as a worthy frame. To build this is the next goal.
Here you can contribute to it.
The Idea of Peace Buddhas
The basic idea behind the Dalai Lama's idea is to place a large, gold-plated Buddha statue on every continent on earth. It is considered a sign of peace and international understanding. And: it is a gift from His Holiness the Dalai Lama!
In search of a suitable location for this statue in Europe, Bremen was asked in 2009 if the city would accept the gift of the European Peace Buddha.
One demand was: the Buddha statue must be placed in a suitable location, e.g. a public park, people from all walks of life should be able to visit it free of charge during opening hours to reinforce the Buddha's message of the togetherness of all sentient beings, of peace and harmony in the world.
The statue, consecrated in 2017, is a gift to the people of Europe and is located in the botanika, the green science center in the Rhododendron Park in Bremen.
At botanika, the need to preserve global biodiversity is brought to life together with humanities topics such as religions and the idea of fair and equitable benefit sharing.
For cost reasons, the Peace Buddha is currently located in a greenhouse. A new and dignified building could not yet be financed. In order to create this the circle of friends has been founded.
We want to present the whole story to you by means of the following chapters in words and pictures:
The Asian Peace Buddha
Why the Dalai Lama had the idea for a golden Buddha statue in New Delhi and how it all started.
Why actually Bremen?
It is a wonderful idea of H. H. the Dalai Lama to give a golden peace Buddha to every continent on earth. Europe, too, of course. But why Bremen of all places?
Who or what is the botanika?
How did the idea of botanika come about and what does the Biodiversity Convention mean?
A thrilling story
Why it took so many years for the European Peace Buddha to arrive, the drama experienced by those involved, and the feelings of happiness that rewarded them in the end:
The interior cleaning of the statue
Unexpectedly and surprisingly, the statue arrived in Bremen only outside golden and shiny. Therefore, before filling it must also be cleaned and painted inside. But how does that work?
Filling the Buddha statue
The two-day filling ceremony ended with the tricky erection of the statue. Would it survive this unscathed?
The consecration of the European Peace Buddha
Finally everything is done and in front of a large audience the European Peace Buddha is consecrated. The Dalai Lama's wish has come true.