Ben Dieterle’s heart sank when he first saw the scene: Someone had thrown a large rock into his Sugar House shrine, destroying a large terra cotta statue of Buddha.
Dieterle, with dozens of friends and well-wishers attending, had dedicated the neighborhood sacred space on his front lawn, at 1917 S. 900 East in Salt Lake City, just six weeks ago.
He was initially stunned, bewildered and hurt, but credits his Zen Buddhism for helping him cope. “Oh, I’m still disappointed this happened, but, oddly enough, I’m rather serene about it all now.”
Dieterle, who makes his living delivering organs for transplants, said he had a premonition immediately after six months of work ended with the shrine finished and statue in place — just a few feet from the sidewalk outside his home.