McCandless, Pennsylvania (Associated Press)-The main branch of Buddhism is often referred to as the "carrier," or method of spiritual practice.

Therefore, when the monks of the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center needed a major restoration of their outdoor Buddha statues, they turned to a car repair shop that specializes in classic cars, which is very appropriate.

This partnership of ancient Asian spirits and modern American craftsmanship has recently borne fruit when the newly refurbished gleaming white statue was reinstalled in the central temple.

Sitting in the lotus position with his eyes closed, the Buddha worked hard for several weeks at Exoticars in McCandless, north of Pittsburgh. The statue sits in the middle of a series of vintage cars, from Bentley and Corvette to Porsche and 1951 Ford pickups.

The workers peeled off multiple layers of aged paint and primer-this task required sophisticated tools as they worked on the Buddha's hair, depicting them with fine curls.

They also repaired the cracks in the fiberglass, added a metal strip to strengthen the base of the statue, and painted a new white body paint to give it a glass-like luster in the sun.

According to Dave Ley, co-owner of Exoticars, the repair work attracted customers and also classic car enthusiasts who brought their old hot rods and sports cars to the store for Friday night fun. Time.

"There is always something here for people to follow progress," Ley said. The Buddha was "very popular" in the weeks of this fall.

The Pittsburgh Buddhist Center practices the common Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist vehicles. The monks are from Sri Lanka, where the statues were made. The Buddha was paid by donors and was first installed in 2006 in another suburb of Harrison town before the temple.

The abbot of the temple, Bhante Soorakkulame Pemaratana, said that after the original paint began to deteriorate a few years ago, the monks applied a new coating on it as a temporary measure.

But when they moved to their current location in West Deer, north of Pittsburgh, earlier this year, they began to seek a more durable solution. A carpenter who had done some work for the temple before recommended this car shop.

Pemaratana said that the result was unveiled at the temple on October 24, which was "very good" and "exceeded my expectations." He thanked Ley and his staff for peeling off the paint with their hands instead of using an electric sander that could damage the statue.

"I also appreciate his courage to accept this job," the abbot said. "This is beyond his comfort zone."

Buddhists use statues like this to help focus their dedication and contemplate the virtues of religious founders.

According to Pemaratana, this particular work depicts the Buddha in a posture that symbolizes samadhi or stillness. The monks regularly bring it to the annual Buddha's Birthday, a gathering of various Buddhist groups in Pittsburgh.

Pemaratana's appearance at Exoticars during one of the happy hours on Friday made many people who he said had never met Buddhist monks face to face before.

"They have seen monks in the movies, but they are not real monks," the abbot said. "I am very happy for the relationship we have established."

"We think we got some good karma," he said.

Ley also tried something that could become the store's slogan: "We are committed to everything from Bentley to Buddha."

The Associated Press’s religious report received support from the Eli Lilly Foundation through The Conversation US. The Associated Press is solely responsible for this content.