FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Nestled alongside a state highway in New Jersey lies one of the largest Buddha statues in the United States, astonishingly positioned right in a backyard.
The statue stands at an impressive 30 feet tall amidst the trees of Franklin Township, just near Princeton. It was erected about ten years ago under the guidance of a Sri Lankan monk who was ordained in Theravada Buddhism, which is one of the oldest branches of the faith. His vision was to create a space that would bring together individuals from different religious backgrounds.
Today, the statue at the New Jersey Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center serves as a key location for interfaith initiatives and offers a spiritual refuge for followers of various faiths, including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity. This resonates with the rich tapestry of New Jersey’s religious diversity.
Among the visitors is a professor from Princeton University who grew up in a Korean Christian setting and later embraced Tibetan Buddhism, along with a leader from the local Nepali community who actively organizes interfaith events and maintains a peace garden on the site. There’s also an individual who, after residing near the statue for years, ultimately embraced Buddhism.
“It’s like a focal point where many individuals come together,” remarked Daniel Choi, who instructs writing at Princeton and has been meditating near the statue since 2015.
“It truly feels like a public shrine,” he continued, noting the rarity of such accessible spaces. Many Buddhist centers across the United States tend to be managed by private entities, which makes participation in practices less open and inclusive. “That’s what makes this place special,” he added.
Choi emphasized the distinct atmosphere of New Jersey surrounding the statue. “You can hear the traffic; the rush of cars and the sound of airplanes above… even the noise from ongoing construction,” he shared, chuckling at the unconventional site for a sacred shrine. “Though there are signs that request ‘Please observe noble silence,’ it’s common to hear laughter and conversation as people visit and leave their offerings.”
“The statue is located right on Route 27!” he remarked amusingly about the setting. “And the variety of people here is incredible: Sri Lankans, Koreans like myself, Chinese Mahayanists, and Indians practicing Buddhism, along with newly arriving Japanese and Nepalese Buddhists. It’s an open environment, and that’s very representative of New Jersey.”
The New Jersey Buddhist Vihara is primarily oriented around Theravada practices, commonly observed in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand, but it extends a warm welcome to all Buddhist paths and other belief systems.
Choi mentioned his surprise upon discovering a statue of Kuan Yin, the Buddhist deity representing compassion and significant in Mahayana Buddhism, typically followed in Tibet, China, and Korea. After his upbringing in a Korean church, he practiced Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, and discovering this statue felt inviting to him.
“I realized there was something here that resonated with my beliefs,” he expressed while holding his mala beads and preparing to chant in front of the statue, dressed in a maroon meditation shawl.
He noted that the statue attracts not only devout practitioners but also curious visitors and passersby. “People often settle on benches in front of the statue, taking a moment to appreciate the atmosphere,” he added.
The center’s grounds are adorned with vibrant Tibetan prayer flags that dance in the breeze, next to an interfaith peace mural painted by local students. The mural showcases symbols from a variety of religions, including Baha’i, Christianity, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism—all represented throughout New Jersey.
“Our Somerset County epitomizes the diversity of the world,” stated Tulsi Majarjan, who directs the Friends of Nepal-NJ organization and has spearheaded interfaith projects like the mural and peace garden.
“When I first came to New Jersey 35 years ago, I had to drive nearly three hours to reach a Buddhist temple,” he reminisced. “Now, just ten minutes from my home, there are several temples, including Jain, Sikh, and Hindu, which truly makes me proud of the variety of faiths in central New Jersey.”
“And of course, there’s the Buddha statue at this particular temple,” he said. “Anyone who visits the temple feels an undeniable sense of calm upon seeing that towering Buddha. There’s no trick to it—it’s an experience you must witness to appreciate.”
For Carol Kuehn, that experience is part of her daily life. “It’s the first thing I see each morning,” commented the 76-year-old retired high school teacher.
Every morning, she wakes to the sight of the pristine white brick Buddha seated atop a pink concrete lotus flower from her home located next to the monastery. Her interest in Buddhism sparked after reading Hermann Hesse’s novel “Siddhartha,” leading her to adopt practices of yoga.
However, it wasn’t until the saffron-robed monks moved in next door in 2002 that she fully embraced the Buddhist path. She found that Buddhism provided her with comfort in processing the grief of her husband’s passing.
“The essence of Buddhism is to live in the present,” Kuehn shared. “This principle has significantly shifted my approach to handling grief. Meditation has given me a tool to focus on positivity.”
On a recent chilly evening, she made her way a few steps from her home to the monastery where the center’s abbot, the Venerable Hungampola Sirirathana Nakaya Thero, resides. Together, surrounded by images of Sri Lanka, they chanted sutras in the ancient P?li language at an altar adorned with fresh flowers, which looked out over the Buddha statue in the yard.
“It’s something I can contemplate and appreciate the virtues that the Buddha embodies,” Kuehn reflected. “Those qualities include peace, understanding, compassion, respect for all, and living in the here and now.”
