garden of one thousand buddhas

a beautiful sacred place set outside of Missoula (Arlee). this is an impressive statue garden with literally 1,000 Buddha's and various shrines for prayer and meditation. the surrounding hills of the valley area add to the sense of peace and quite. It is a self guided tour, with plaques for reading.no fee required: donations accepted. there is very minimal facilities (outhouse at entrance)

We read about the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas in the travel section of the Oregonian. Glad we did, because there are no signs directing a traveler to the spot. A more beautiful, serene location is hard to imagine. Our young grandson enjoyed counting the buddhas (yes, there were 1,000!) and we all enjoyed walking around the garden and the small pond. I wish the gift shop had been open because I wanted more information about the site.If you are traveling north on Highway 93, watch for White Coyote Road just after Arlee and turn right to get to the garden.

Ewam Garden of 1000 Buddhas is located on Flathead Reservation land in Arlee, Montana (near Missoula). As you can see from this photo, it is laid out like a wheel with spokes which represents the Buddhist concept of "The Eightfold Path". At it's center is a statue/shrine of Yum Chenmo, the Great Mother of Transcendent Wisdom.From their website, the stated purpose of the garden is: "Dedicated as an International Peace Center, the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas supports people in cultivating inner peace and in preserving the ancient culture of Tibet. The mission of the Garden is to provide visitors of all faiths with an opportunity to generate profound merit, to reduce global negativities, and to bring about lasting peace. Through the use of the ancient symbols of Buddhism, the Garden awakens one’s natural inner qualities of joy, wisdom, and compassion."Sitting atop the walls, is or will be, 1000 Buddha statues, and there is a large Buddha statue at the point of each spoke in the wheel. What might be harder to tell from this picture is that there are large gravel paths throughout and around the wheel for walking and meditating or just enjoying the peace and quiet and the beauty of the land, the mountains and the gardens. The gardens are still, very much a work in progress and plans to plant 1000 trees are being undertaken.We visited on April 2, 2014 and in Montana, this is not yet spring, and not much is growing. However, it is a beautiful space with something to offer in any time of year. Check the website for times and days visitors are welcomed. I would love to return when things are in full bloom. I can only imagine the beauty then too. However, I was not at all disappointed. There is also a small gift shop on the grounds where yes...I bought the t-shirt.I am not Buddhist and this will not deter your enjoyment of the gardens. Buddhists are very tolerant of all beliefs which is something I very much appreciate. The gardens are located at 34574 White Coyote Road in Arlee, Montana and their phone number is 406-726-0555. I leave you here with way too many photos, but a lot of beauty. You can also find several videos about the location on YouTube.

A beautiful serene place. Places to walk and contemplate. There is large area for walking meditation and a small walking meditation path bordered by lavender... lovely. A small gift shop rounds out the site.

Para quem curte, é um lindo lugar para visitar. Ainda em construção, mas de uma paz incrível. Bem cuidado e zelado pelos que ali residem e praticam o budismo. As imagens sobre os muros, que devem chegar a 1.000, estão sendo feitas por essas pessoas.