In the eastern American state of New Jersey, a large statue of Buddha has become a gathering place for people of many religious faiths.

The nine-meter-high statue has stood among the woods in Franklin Township since 2009. It was built under the leadership of the Venerable Hungampola Sirirathana Nayaka Thera, a Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka. He says his dream is to unite people of all faiths.

The statue is on the grounds of the New Jersey Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center. The center has become a spiritual place for Buddhists, Hindus, and Christians.

Among those who praise the center are a Princeton University professor who grew up in a Korean Christian church and who follows Tibetan Buddhism; a leader of the local Nepali community who organizes interfaith gatherings; and a woman who became a Buddhist after living near the statue.

"It just seems to be a nexus where a lot of people connect," said Daniel Choi. He follows Tibetan Buddhism and teaches writing at Princeton. He has been meditating in front of the Buddha statue since 2015.

Choi said that the center is open to the public. He said that is unlike most Buddhist centers in the U.S. which are run by private organizations, "where you wouldn't be able to go in for open practice," he said.

He also noted that the center is in an unexpected place. Thera built the statue and meditation center behind a house close to a highway.

"You hear traffic; you hear cars rushing by; you hear airplanes flying above...You hear the construction work going on," Choi said.

The meditation center follows Theravada, the main form of Buddhism observed in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. But it welcomes all Buddhist traditions and other faiths.

When Choi first visited, he was surprised to find a statue of Kuan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of compassion. The goddess is important in Mahayana Buddhism observed in China and Korea.

"For me that was very welcoming because I thought: 'OK, so there's something for me as well,'" Choi said.

Local students have painted a wall in the center with images showing different world religions, from Baha'i and Christianity to Sikhism and Zoroastrianism. All of these religions are practiced in New Jersey.

Tulsi Maharjan is director of the nonprofit organization Friends of Nepal - New Jersey. He has led projects involving more than one religion, including the wall painting and a peace garden.

He said that when he first came to New Jersey 35 years ago, he had to drive almost three hours to go to a Buddhist temple. But now, people from all over the world live near the Vihara Meditation center and statue.

"Now, within ten minutes...from my home, I can go to the Buddhist temple. But there are so many others," he said listing nearby Jain, Sikh and Hindu temples that make him proud of the religious diversity in central New Jersey.

Maharjan said that anybody who comes to the temple "feels so calm and collected once they see that big Buddha."

Carol Kuehn is a 76-year-old retired high school teacher who lives next to the Buddhist center. Kuehn said: "It's the first thing I look at in the morning."

Kuehn grew up in a Christian family and became interested in Buddhism after reading Herman Hesse's novel Siddhartha.

She became a Buddhist after the leader of the temple arrived in 2002. Buddhism, she said, helped her deal with grief after the death of her husband.

"The whole point of Buddhism is to live in the moment," she said.

I'm Andrew Smith.