KUALA LUMPUR – Now that the Sakyamuni Cave Monastery is facing eviction by a cement company, it is letting out a secret – it owns a one-of-a-kind golden Buddha statue that can only be found at the temple and nowhere else in the world.
There are many golden Buddha statues, but the one found at the monastery is the only one in the world where Siddharta Gautama, known as Buddha, has his hands on his knees, palms facing down.
This posture is known to devotees as the “perfect meditative stage of the enlightened and compassionate Buddha”.
The history of this statue dates back to when Thudong monks from the caves and forests in Thailand ventured into Malaysia more than a century ago.
The Thudong tradition is a deeply respected discipline of meditative isolation featuring enigmatic, wandering ascetic practitioners known to dwell in the forests of Southeast Asia.
Among these practitioners was Master Lao Shi Fu, who travelled to Gunung Kanthan in Perak. He used the place to meditate and rest.
It was inside a cave on this century-old mountain that he constructed the golden Buddha statue, which at that time was only 1ft-tall.
However, the temple’s devotees increased in number in the early 2000s, and the monks constructed a bigger and grander version of the Buddha, which weighed five tonnes and measured 3m-tall.
As the monks prefer a peaceful and serene lifestyle, they decided to not reveal the history of the statue.
But now that the Associated Pan Malaysia Cement Bhd (APMC) is seeking to evict the temple, the Sakyamuni Cave Monastery wants the world to know that it holds a unique artefact.
Placed in geopark, but not protected
According to court documents filed at the Ipoh High Court, APMC, a subsidiary of YTL Cement, possesses a lease to the land in which Gunung Kanthan is located.
The company presented a land title document showing that it holds a 30-year lease, as well as a map outlining the area in which it seeks to evict the settlers.
However, its plot of land is located in a geopark – specifically the Lembah Kinta Geopark, which is administered by the Perak State Parks Corporation (PSPC).
Geopark officer Ain Maisyara Yazrol said they have been in touch with the monastery, explaining that the area in which it is located, as well as Gunung Kanthan, does belong to APMC.
“From the geopark office’s perspective, APMC has rights to the land, and rights to perform their industrial activities.
“However, after discussions with the monastery, we have asked them to make an application to us to be designated as a cultural and heritage site.”
Unfortunately, despite Gunung Kanthan being located in a geopark, it does not have the same protection as state parks under the law, explained Ain Maisyara.
“The geopark is under PSPC’s purview, but we lack enforcement and laws that exist for state parks.
“So, the geopark is still subject to the owner of the land.”
Right now, the geopark can only advise APMC to reconsider its activities at the site, and the temple to make an application to be designated as a historical and cultural site, she added.
The Vibes reached out to Hulu Kinta assemblyman Muhamad Arafat Varisai Mahamad, who said he has yet to be contacted by the monastery but is more than willing to help.
“We haven’t received a complaint from them, but when we do, we will get involved and look for a justifiable solution.”
When informed that the monastery is looking to have itself designated as a heritage site, he urged the monastery to get in touch with him.
“If it is true, they can be designated as a heritage site or they have been there for a long time, I can discuss with the menteri besar to do something.
“However, we have to look at all facts, documentation and information first.”
In addition to battling the eviction application in court, the monastery has also initiated an online petition to save both the temple and Gunung Kanthan.
Those interested in viewing or signing the petition can do so here. – The Vibes, June 2, 2021
