Pacific Hermitage Preaching Buddha

Set within the stillness of the Columbia River Gorge, Pacific Hermitage is a small Theravada forest monastery shaped by the quiet discipline of the Thai Forest Tradition. Established in 2010 as a branch of Abhayagiri Monastery, it was created as a place of solitude where monks devote themselves to meditation, study, restrained living, and daily alms rounds in the surrounding community. Its significance does not lie in ceremonial scale or architectural grandeur, but in the spiritual clarity of its purpose — a life grounded in renunciation, inner cultivation, and the living continuity of Dhamma practice.

That identity gives the place its rare depth. Pacific Hermitage is defined by its quietness and presence. It is a monastery where simplicity becomes strength, where few possessions and disciplined living support the contemplative life, and where the relationship between monks and followers remains direct, personal, and alive. In this sense, the atmosphere of the Hermitage remains deeply faithful to the heart of the forest lineage itself.

For such a setting, BMG was entrusted with the creation of a Preaching Buddha in red sandstone — a sacred work of profound doctrinal and spiritual significance. This is not merely a Buddha image in a teaching gesture. It is a form rooted in the First Sermon at Sarnath, where the Buddha first set the Wheel of Dhamma in motion. Through the Dhammacakka mudrā, the image recalls the opening proclamation of the Four Noble Truths and the beginning of the path as it has been transmitted across generations. Created specifically for the Hermitage’s Monks’ Retreat House, the work was conceived as a focal point for contemplation, teaching, and living Dhamma.

What makes this project especially meaningful is the way it unites the place, lineage, and material. The Buddha is described as the twin of a Buddha created for Wat Pah Boon Lorm in Ubon Ratchathani, linking the Hermitage directly back to its Thai Forest roots. The red sandstone itself deepens that continuity, carrying with it a sense of origin, memory, and devotion. In this context, the Buddha becomes a bridge between Thailand and Pacific Hermitage Temple itself.

Through material, form, and reverence, BMG sought to give lasting presence to a sacred moment in Buddhist history while honoring the life of practice that continues to sustain it today.

Stone: Red Sandstone Size: 2.3x1.2x0.9 Client: Pacific Hermitge Tools Used: 5-axis CNC carving and Hand Refinement Purpose: To connect the Temple with its Thai Origin Location: Pacific Hermitage, White Salmon USA