Statues of Faith in the Desert

In the high desert north of Los Angeles, a Buddhist monk is building a meditation center. Monk Thich Dang "Tom" Phap's routine starts with early morning meditation and yard work. When 11 a.m. rolls around, there he is, sandal-shod and in orange robes, a gold shoulder clasp gleaming in the desert sun as he stands in prayer before the 60-ton white marble statue of Quan yin. Donations from Southern California's Buddhist community determine how quickly the construction will progress. Video Journalist John Vandewege.

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News & Politics

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• Buddah
• monk
• meditation
• adelanto
• quan
• yin
• statue
• mojave
• desert
• los
• angeles
• times
• visual
• journalism