Hsi Lai Temple

Coordinates: 33°58′33″N 117°58′04″W / 33.9757°N 117.9679°W / 33.9757; -117.9679
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Hsi Lai Temple
The mountain gate of Hsi Lai Temple
Religion
AffiliationBuddhism
SectHumanistic Buddhism
Location
Location3456 South Glenmark Drive, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
CountryUnited States
Hsi Lai Temple is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Hsi Lai Temple
Shown within the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Hsi Lai Temple is located in California
Hsi Lai Temple
Hsi Lai Temple (California)
Hsi Lai Temple is located in the United States
Hsi Lai Temple
Hsi Lai Temple (the United States)
Geographic coordinates33°58′33″N 117°58′04″W / 33.9757°N 117.9679°W / 33.9757; -117.9679
Architecture
FounderHsing Yun
Completed1988
Website
www.hsilai.org
Hsi Lai Temple
Hanyu Pinyin
Fóguāngshānxīláisì
Wade–GilesFo2-kuang1-shan1-hsi1-lai2-ssŭ4
IPA[fwǒ.kwáŋ.ʂán.ɕí.lǎɪ.sî]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJHu̍t-kong-san-sai-lâi-sī

Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple (Chinese: 佛光山西來寺; pinyin: Fóguāngshān Xīlái Sì) is a mountain monastery in the northern Puente Hills, Hacienda Heights, Los Angeles County, California. The name Hsi Lai means "coming west".

Hsi Lai Temple is a branch of Fo Guang Shan, a Buddhist organization from Taiwan. It is the order's first overseas branch temple and serves as the North American regional headquarters for Fo Guang Shan. Hsi Lai Temple was the site of the founding of Buddha's Light International Association, established in 1991. The temple, like its mother temple in Taiwan, practices Humanistic Buddhism.

History

Hsi Lai Temple and its surroundings

In 1976, Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the order, represented a Buddhist group from Taiwan to participate in America's bicentennial celebration. Master Hsing Yun was asked by American friends to build a monastery in the United States. Therefore, Fo Guang Shan asked the Venerable Tzu Chuang (who, upon the inception of the temple, became the founding and first abbess of Hsi Lai Temple) and Yi Heng to plan and organize the construction of the temple in the Greater Los Angeles area. It was officially registered under the name of International Buddhist Progress Society. Until the temple was complete, Ven. Tzu Chuang bought an old church building, which was to be Hsi Lai's temporary headquarters. The original temple, located in the city of Maywood, was called the Bai Ta (White Pagoda) Temple.

The planning and construction of the temple in the 1980s was met with suspicion and resistance from local communities, many of whom knew little about Buddhism and had unfounded fears of Buddhist practices. Many residents felt that the project was too big for a neighborhood of single-family homes and that the traditional Chinese architectural style would not fit in. The main reasons for resistance to the building of the temple were the impact of weekly services, heavy traffic, noise, and concern about environmental damage.[1]

Originally, the organization had planned to build the temple in Gardena, California but was blocked from acquiring land. They also tried to acquire the historical Pyrenees Castle in Alhambra, California, but also met opposition from the community.[2] The building of the temple at its current location survived six public hearings and more than 100 community meetings. In 1985, the temple was finally granted a building permit. The groundbreaking ceremony was held the following year, and the temple was completed on November 26, 1988.

Negative feelings about the building of Hsi Lai have since diminished, as the general level of awareness has been raised and as the temple and its residents have proven to be good neighbors. In addition, most of the original complainants of the temple project moved out of Hacienda Heights.[1]

Immediately after its opening, Hsi Lai Temple was the venue of many major events. The 16th General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists and the 7th conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth were held from November 19 to 26, an international Triple Platform Full Ordination Ceremony for monastics was held for over a month, and a Land and Water Dharma Service was held prior to the temple's opening.

In 2008, in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the opening of Hsi Lai Temple, another international Triple Platform Full Ordination Ceremony for monastics and a Land and Water Dharma Service were held.

In the summer of 2011, Hsi Lai Temple was the starting location for The Amazing Race 19.[3]

On September 4, 2012, Hsi Lai Temple abbot Hui Chi was elected to the post of head abbot of the Fo Guang Shan order, succeeding Hsin Pei.[4]

University of the West

Main article: University of the West

In 1990, following the completion of Hsi Lai Temple, Master Hsing Yun founded Hsi Lai University, one of sixteen Buddhist colleges and universities operated by Fo Guang Shan. The university relocated to Rosemead, California, in 1996. It is one of the first Buddhist colleges in the United States.

Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctorate in Buddhist studies, comparative religious studies, and a Master of Business Administration are available at the university.

In 2004, the university changed its name to the University of the West and appointed Dr. Lewis Lancaster, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and longtime member of Fo Guang Shan, as president. Dr. Roger Schmidt became Lancaster's successor in 2006, and was replaced by Dr. Allen M. Huang a year later.

Sites

The Arhat Garden in the temple
The Main Shrine of the temple, set up as a temporary memorial hall following the death of founder Hsing Yun in 2023

Retreats and education

A bell within the grounds of Hsi Lai, traditionally used to mark the start or end of daily activities at a monastery

The temple offers a wide variety of retreats and classes in English and Chinese to promote Humanistic Buddhism and has started an extended retreat program for those who want to experience monastic life for a longer period of time. The retreats generally consist of classes, meditation, mindful eating through the traditional practice of formal Buddhist dining, and communal chores.

Recurring retreats

  • Eight Precepts Retreat (八關齋戒): A weekend retreat for participants to get a taste of monastic life.
  • One, Three, and Seven Day Meditation Retreat (一/三/七日禪修會): A retreat focusing on meditation for varying lengths of time.
  • Short-term Monastic Retreat (短期出家修道會): Offered annually for children and bi-annually for adults. It is roughly one week long and allows for laypeople to temporarily be a monastic, including taking on the vows of a novice monk or nun.
  • Five and Bodhisattva Precept Retreat (五戒菩薩戒戒會): Held bi-annually, this retreat confers the five precepts and Bodhisattva precepts to participants to observe for lifetime after lifetime.
  • Hsi Lai Buddhist Cultivation Program (西來佛教書苑): An extended retreat ranging from six weeks to three months for participants to have a fuller understanding of monastic life.

Dharma services

Dharma services are held in Mandarin, but the chanting books have English pinyin phonetics and translation. Each service is accompanied a Dharma talk by the presiding venerable. Monks and nuns who reside at the temple speak a variety of languages besides Mandarin, primarily English, Taiwanese, and Cantonese.

Main Hall

Annual ceremonies and services

Monthly ceremonies and services

  • Weekly Dharma Service (共修法會): Regular Dharma services are held on Sunday mornings, usually chanting various
    Amitabha Sutra
    .
  • Great Compassion Repentance Service (大悲懺法會): Monthly service held in the evening on the second Friday of each month. A popular service at Hsi Lai, it involves the recitation of the Great Compassion Mantra, bowing, offering, and circumambulations.
  • New and Full Moon Dharma Service (光明燈法會): On the new and full moon, a service consisting of the Universal Gate Chapter of the Lotus Sutra is also held as a dedication for benefactors who made lamp offerings that year.
  • Land and Water Dharma Service (水陸法會): The most elaborate and largest service in Chinese Buddhism, which involves inviting beings from higher realms to help beings in the lower realms escape from their suffering. Held once every ten years.

Hsi Lai Temple offers community service to a variety of people in need of hours. Jobs range from cleaning and sweeping around the temple to serving lunch in the dining room.

1996 campaign finance controversy

A campaign finance controversy centered on Hsi Lai Temple erupted during the

Maria Hsia solicited $55,000 in donations for the Democratic National Committee the following day, which were later reimbursed with money donated by the temple.[5] Non-profit groups such as Hsi Lai Temple are not allowed to make political contributions. Hsia was eventually convicted by a jury in March 2000 of making five false statements to the Federal Elections Commission and sentenced to 90 days home detention, a fine, and community service.[6] The Democratic National Committee returned the money donated by the temple's monks and nuns. Twelve nuns and employees of the temple, including then-abbess Venerable Yi Kung who would later resign from the abbotship because of the scandal, refused to answer questions by pleading the Fifth Amendment when they were subpoenaed to testify before Congress in 1997.[7]

Following Hsia's conviction, Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson said, "it's time to get beyond the small fry and take on the major players (in the scandal) like Al Gore."[8] No other players in the controversy were ever convicted.

Past Abbots and Abbesses

The first abbess, Tzu Chuang. Behind her is Venerable Tzu Jung, the fifth abbess.
  • 1978–1989: Ven. Tzu Chuang (慈莊法師) (1st term)
  • 1989–1993: Ven. Hsin Ting (心定和尚)
  • 1993–1994: Ven. Tzu Chuang (慈莊法師) (2nd term)
  • 1994–1995: Ven. Yi Kung (依空法師)
  • 1995–2000: Ven. Tzu Jung (慈容法師)
  • 2000–2003: Ven. Hui Chuan (慧傳法師) (1st term)
  • 2003: Ven. Yi Heng (依恆法師) (acting abbess)
  • 2003–2005: Ven. Hui Chuan (慧傳法師) (2nd term)
  • 2005–2013: Ven. Hsin Bau (心保和尚)
  • 2013–present: Ven. Hui Dong (慧東法師)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Pan, Philip P. (1993-08-08). "Good Neighbor : Hemisphere's Largest Buddhist Temple Wins Over Residents". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^ http://www.cityofalhambra.org/community/castle.html Archived 2007-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Pyrenees Castle
  3. ^ "CBS Announces The Cast For The New Season Of "The Amazing Race," Premiering Sunday, Sept. 25 - Ratings - TVbytheNumbers.Zap2it.com". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  4. ^ http://www.bcc.com.tw/news/newsview.asp?cde=1884040[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Campaign Finance Key Player: Maria Hsia". The Washington Post. January 31, 1999. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  6. ^ "2 Nuns at Fund-Raiser Are Indicted After Flight". The New York Times. April 6, 2000. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  7. ^ Abse, Nathan, "A Look at the 94 Who Aren't Talking", Washington Post, June 9, 1998
  8. ^ Eskenazi, Michael, "For both Gore and GOP, a guilty verdict to watch", CNN.com, March 3, 2000

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hsi Lai Temple.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hsi_Lai_Temple&oldid=1187525205"