Buddha statue, broken but powerful by Lisette Rijkers

About "Buddha statue, broken but powerful"

by Lisette Rijkers

About the artwork

This picture of Buddha exudes strength and tranquillity. As far as I am concerned, the image also symbolises determination, perseverance and not giving up easily.
There is a story behind this Buddha statue. The statue is broken and weathered. There are several fracture lines in the statue and the Buddha is missing his right arm. Mosses grow on the statue and small animals like to crawl into the crevices of the fracture lines.
This powerful Buddha statue is in my garden. I got it from my parents, both of whom have since passed away.
Close to the house where my parents lived was once an interior design shop. When this shop went bankrupt, the premises were emptied and eventually demolished. Even before the demolition, this Buddha statue stood lonely and abandoned against the outer wall of the closed shop. People had probably forgotten to clean up the statue.
My parents knew that I thought it was a shame that this Buddha was standing there like that. They then took the initiative, without my knowledge, to go and save the statue. In old age (both now in their eighties!) my father climbed over the fence that surrounded the shop. Together with my mother, he hauled the statue home that way and they donated it to me.
Determination, perseverance and not giving up easily, that characterised my parents in their lives!
Therefore, for me, this Buddha statue symbolises these powerful traits, especially since, despite the damage, this statue is still there!