Month: November 2020

The Cambodian Buddhist Society, Inc. – A Study of Khmer Buddhism in America

By Annabel Richter

General Introduction

The Cambodian Buddhist Society’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The tradition of Buddhism practiced in Cambodia – a small country embedded in the Indochina Peninsula and bordered by Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam – is a rich and longstanding one. Known as Khmer Buddhism, it aligns most closely with the Theravadin branch of Buddhism, which records indicate was imported to the region by Pali-speaking monks around the 13^th century. Prior to this influx of Theravadin practices, Cambodia was largely dominated by a mix of Mahayana Buddhism (established in the area around 791 C.E.) and local religions, which commonly postulated the worship of ancestral, elemental, and animal spirits. Though the ruling powers of ancient Cambodia were actively promoting the practice of Buddhism – albeit a more Brahmanic and hierarchical version of the tradition perpetuated by contemporary Cambodians, over 90% of whom identify as Buddhist – Buddhism did not begin to flourish in Cambodia until the late 16^th century after continual border conflicts with Thai and Vietnamese forces led to the religion infiltrating the country. From its initial introduction to Cambodian society, Khmer Buddhism quickly began to evolve as an independent branch of Buddhism consisting of two sects: the Tharavadin Thommayut and Mahanikay orders, practiced respectively by the aristocracy and the Cambodian common people. After nearly 400 years of peaceful dominance over the region and people of Cambodia, Buddhism was almost completely erased with the rise of the Khmer Rouge, a radical Communist group which overthrew the Khmer Republic and took power in the 1970s. Approximately 1.7 million Cambodians (over twenty percent of the population) perished in the ensuing violence as the Khmer Rouge sought to eliminate anti-Communist sentiments and supposed “instrument[s] of exploitation” like Buddhism. More than 50,000 monks died during the Khmer Rouge’s regime with thousands more enduring torture in “reeducation camps.” By 1979, only a single set of Buddhist scriptures, or Tripitaka, remained intact, and the monastic population had been reduced from 60,000 to less than 3,000 bonzes (monks). The widespread destruction of thousands-of-years-old wats (Cambodian temples), pagodas, stupas, and scriptures over the course of the Khmer Rouge’s reign led to fears that Khmer Buddhism and its strong ties to Cambodian culture would be entirely wiped out.

Three monks approach Angkor Wat, the oldest Buddhist temple in Cambodia. (Credit: Google Images)

While it might seem strange to give a historical overview of the Cambodian genocide in a report on Buddhism in America, I believe it is vital to understand the context and background that drove thousands of Cambodians – thousands of Cambodian Buddhists – to abandon their home country and the religious protections once offered by Cambodia’s insulated society to seek refuge in the unwelcoming arms of the West. While the Khmer Rouge was officially dissolved in 1999, the people of Cambodia and the unique strain of Buddhism they practice have been heavily impacted by their forced relocation, the persecution of their religion, and the concessions they have made in order to preserve their culture and spiritual beliefs as immigrants in the United States.

Khmer Buddhism (Location, Beliefs, Affiliations)

The Cambodian Buddhist Society, photographed during Lunar New Year celebrations in 2018.

Today, Khmer Buddhism is still primarily practiced by ethnically Khmer Cambodians and Cambodian-Americans in the U.S. Even within large congregations, such as the Cambodian Buddhist Society of Silver Spring, Maryland, it is rare to find a non-Khmer amongst the regular attendees of services; with the initial reestablishment of Khmer traditions and culture in the U.S. came a sense of tentative exclusivity, a sentiment that delegates most Cambodian wats to serve dual purposes as both places of worship and Cambodian-American community centers. This is true at the Maryland-based Cambodian Buddhist Society as well, where events like a beauty pageant to elect a “Miss Cambodian-American” from the temple’s congregation and free health screenings for the elderly are held in the same halls as the far more somber Festival for the Ancestors (Phchum Ben).

Members of the Cambodian Buddhist Society gather to hear prayers and chantings during New Year ceremonies in 2018.

The Cambodian Buddhist Society itself was initially organized in 1976 by members of the Cambodian populace of Oxon Hill, Maryland who were seeking a way to revitalize their culture and religion after being displaced to the West by the Cambodian genocide. Prayer practice, readings of sutras, blessings, rituals, and small ceremonies were originally held in “a converted, single-family residence… with the sanctuary in one part of the house and monk quarters in another” (Mortland 90). The congregation was later able to purchase a larger property in New Carollton, and in 1987, transferred activities to their current location in Silver Spring. As a center for Buddhist worship, CBS’ headquarters consists of two major buildings: a replica of a traditional Cambodian wat called Vatt Budhikarama that houses a ceremony hall as well as a residential area for monks and a vihara, or “Buddha Hall.” As of November 2020, a stupa is also being constructed, which, when completed, will house Buddha relics and the ashes of monks. The six monks who reside at the temple serve the community dharma teachers, counselors, achars (masters of ceremonies), and instructors of Khmer language, culture, folklore, dance, and music. Beyond performing these duties and maintaining the condition of the temple, it is also common for the monastics of CBS to visit lay households to offer blessings at birthdays, weddings, funerals, memorials, and house warmings.

 

The monks of the Cambodian Buddhist Society.

Before diving into the day-to-day activities that occur at the Cambodian Buddhist Society, it is necessary to understand some of the basic differences between Khmer Buddhism and the branch of Buddhism it technically falls under: Theravada, the “Way of the Elders.” As in all Buddhist traditions, Cambodians acknowledge the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the sangha (the combined lay and monastic community) as key components of a spiritually-wealthy life, and believe that adhering to the moral instructions set out by the Buddha’s life and “good-doing” (known as bon in Khmer) will earn them good kam (karma) while evil-doing (bap) will result in karmic deficits. The sum total of an individual’s actions will then determine the nature of their rebirth. As in the Theravadin tradition, most lay practitioners of Khmer Buddhism do not believe they will achieve enlightenment within their own lifetimes, and adhere to a stricter set of rules for earning good merit than other offshoots of Buddhism. However, there are several unique components of the Khmer tradition that set it apart from Theravada Buddhism and, in some ways, Buddhism as a whole. Belief in reincarnation rather than rebirth (e.g., the existence of an infinite soul, or praelong), the necessity of certain rituals to preserve the souls of the deceased, and the vestiges of several indigenous Cambodian spirit religions in the form of stiff superstitions differentiate Khmer Buddhism from other Buddhist paths. The majority of Khmer laity “know little about Theravada doctrine” and are more interested “in finding comfort and practical ways to improve their lives” than becoming masters of scripture (Mortland 17). Additionally, the tradition is focused on merit-seeking and largely ignores meditative practice, with the end result of accumulating good karma (e.g., nibbana or, in Khmer, neek pean) conversely described as a combination of the Christian afterlife, Buddhist heavens, and atheistic predictions of nothingness following the death of the body. Khmer Buddhists believe merit can be obtained in a number of ways, but especially by obeying the precepts for a good Buddhist life laid out in the Tripitaka, attending ceremonies, praying to Buddha altars, which are present and very prominently displayed in all Khmer temples; chanting verses, observing Holy Days, reading doctrine, and, most importantly, making donations of food and money to monks and temples.

Lay members of the Cambodian Buddhist Society wait in line to offer food to newly-ordained monks after a ceremony, a merit-making activity they hope will bring themselves and their families good kam in years to come.

Cambodian Buddhists cling fiercely to their religion as an integral part of their culture, with a common sentiment echoing among them: “to be Cambodian is to be Buddhist” (Mortland 77). In this sense, Western life has not impacted Khmer Buddhism as much as it has other branches of Buddhism. The insular nature of the tradition as a whole has excluded it in some ways from the “Westernization” that has somewhat overtaken Zen philosophies and yogic practices. Changes have come over time, at least to the Cambodian Buddhist Society of Silver Spring, in the form of altered schedules – contemporary workweeks do not always allow practitioners to observe holy days as often or as strictly as they may in Cambodia. However, one major aspect of Khmer Buddhism that has been almost entirely preserved is the relationship between the lay and monastic components of the sangha (the Buddhist community). Western and Eastern understandings of reliance, interdependence, and religious commitment seem to differ greatly, forcing monks at the Cambodian Buddhist Society to avoid making door-to-door visits for food donations, but this means that offerings provided directly by temple members are the sole sustenance of these dedicated monastics, a practice which has actually only served to strengthen the Khmer bonzes’s tradition of ascetism in the West.

The Cambodian Buddhist Society: Current Activities, Day-to-Day Schedule, Rituals, Festivals, Cultural Classes, Celebrations of Cambodian CultureA traditional Cambodian folklore dance being performed by members of the community.

The foundational tenets of Khmer Buddhism can be seen in action at the Cambodian Buddhist Society, which is incidentally the oldest and one of the largest Khmer temples in the United States to date. It is considered a primary contact point between government agencies and the Cambodian refugee community of the East Coast. According to the Society’s website, its core objectives are to conserve the Cambodian Buddhist religion, to conserve Cambodian culture, to provide monastic training, and to provide humanitarian assistance. The temple conducts organized religious services on all Buddhist holy days, hosts ancestral rites and weddings on special occasions, and regularly organizes celebrations related to Cambodian culture like Chol Chnam Tmey (Lunar New Year) and Phchum Ben (Festival for the Ancestors) as well as ceremonies practiced in the Theravadin tradition, such as the Offering of Robes (Ben Kathin), the End of the Rainy Season Retreat (Cheng Vossa), and the Last Sermon of the Buddha (Meak Bochea).

Offerings for newly-ordained monks are neatly arranged in this picture taken at a Robe Offering Ceremony (Kathina) in 2016.

Chanting sessions, which include recitations of verses like “Homage to the Buddha” and “The Prayer to Spread Merit to all Sentient Beings,” takes place every morning and evening, and on Sundays, classes for the instruction of Khmer language, dance, and music are held for young members of the temple. The majority of donating practitioners at CBS appear to be ethnically Cambodian Khmer Buddhists, with tourists of various nationalities often making the short trek from Washington, D.C. to get a glimpse of the impressive shrine housed on the grounds.

The vihara, filled with visitors hoping to pay homage to CBS’s famed Buddha shrine.

Within the vihara sits an imposingly huge Buddha statue, its gold exterior juxtaposed by the oil paintings of famous scenes from jatakas as well as the life of Siddartha Gotama and well-lit by two crystal chandeliers, ceiling spot-lights, and a stained glass-window. The “Buddha Hall” of CBS is greatly revered by its members, with the money for its construction almost entirely raised by the Society’s most beloved abbot and its technical founder: the Venerable Preah Sumedhavong Oung Mean Candavanno.

The Venerable Preah Sumedhavong Oung Mean Candavanno (Writings and Philosophy)

The Venerable Preah Sumedhavong Oung Mean Candavanno.

Ven. Oung Mean was born March 13, 1927 near Cambodia’s capitol city of Phnom Penh. He entered monkhood at the age of 14, and after his ordination, studied religion, Pali, and Sanskrit at Buddhist schools in Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, India, and England. Besides maintaining his knowledge of his native language of Khmer, Oung Mean also became fluent in Hindi, French, English, Pali, Sanskrit, Thai, and Burmese over the course of his travels, allowing him to gain insights into the traditions – Buddhist or otherwise – of cultures across Southeast Asia and beyond. In 1947, he departed for England to pursue a doctorate in Religious Studies at Manchester University in England. However, civil war broke out in Cambodia in 1975, and once learning of his countrymen’s struggles as newly-displaced refugees, Oung Mean was motivated to help revitalize the Khmer tradition in transplanted Cambodian communities in the States, and traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1978. Throughout the 1980s, he attracted attention as a traveling representative of Khmer Buddhism, “holding ceremonies wherever he went and advising Cambodians on conducting rituals, obtaining monks, and setting up temples” (Mortland 84). For a scattered populace desperate to find connections to their country, culture, and religion in a strange new land, Oung Mean’s presence was a welcome one, and after repeated requests from the board of directors of a nascent temple in the Washington, D.C. area to join their administration, he agreed to lend his efforts to help build up the organization. This organization is known today as the Cambodian Buddhist Society.

In a written work of his available on the Cambodian Buddhist Society’s website, “Buddhism in Few Words,” Oung Mean discusses the practice of insight through water-based metaphors.

“[Buddha] said that his teaching is a gradual path and he compared it to the seashore, which is different from the bank of the river. The bank of a river is so steep that man falls into the water suddenly and can be drowned, while the seashore is like a gradually descending floor; just as one walks into the deepening water step by step, so one depends one’s practice and understanding of the Buddhist religion step by step. This means that Buddhism should be practiced in the proper order – from the beginning, through the middle, to the end. The beginning of Buddhism is moral conduct or Sila; the middle is concentration or Samadhi; and the end is wisdom or Panna.”

– Ven. Preah Sumedhavong Oung Mean Candavanno, “Buddhism in Few Words”

A separate meditation on “Buddhism and Human Society” dissects the idea of Buddhism as a self-centered and self-fulfilling practice, aligning the beliefs of the Cambodian Buddhist Society with “applied” or humanitarian Buddhism.

“For Buddhism, ultimate happiness must be based on moral and spiritual principles, but these principles can only be practicable in the right social, economic and political environment. If poverty, repression and injustice prevail, it is difficult for men to devote themselves to spiritual development. Therefore material security and social harmony have to be achieved. However… material welfare has to be recognized as a means to a further end, that is, moral and spiritual development.”

– Ven. Oung Mean Candavanno, “Buddhism and Human Society.”

Oung Mean served as the Cambodian Buddhist Society’s first abbot until his death in 1993 at age 66. During his tenure, he “raised more than $2 million to build its new headquarters and the adjoining Wat Buddhikarma [Vatt Buddhikarama]” (“Oung Mean, 66, Dies”), sponsored the immigration of Cambodian monks from refugee camps in Southeast Asia, conducted Buddhist services across the United States, organized English, Pali, and Khmer literacy classes at CBS, trained new monks in the Khmer tradition, and above all else, strove to revitalize the Khmer tradition in America. If he were to see the continuation of traditional Cambodian cultural practices, Khmer Buddhist rituals, and community togetherness that occurs within the walls of the temple, I am sure he would agree that Khmer Buddhism is alive and well in America.

Contact Information

The Cambodian Buddhist Society, Inc.

13800 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20904

Tel: (301) 622-6544, (301) 602-6612

Website: http://www.cambodian-buddhist.org/index.html

References & Works Cited

1. “Cambodian Buddhist Society, Inc.” The International Buddhist Society, http://www.ibcdc.org/temples/cbs.htm.
2. Harris, Ian. Cambodian Buddhism: History and Practice. University of Hawai’i Press, 2005. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wqjc1.
3. Mean Candavanno, Oung. “Buddhism and Human Society.” The Cambodian Buddhist Society, Inc., http://www.cambodian-buddhist.org/buddhism_and_hs.html.
4. Mean Candavanno, Oung. “Buddhism in Few Words.” The Cambodian Buddhist Society, Inc., http://www.cambodian-buddhist.org/buddhism_few_words.html.
5. Mortland, Carol A. “Cambodian Buddhism in the United States.” SUNY Press, 2017. EBSCOhost, http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=c9876243-46a3-4168-ba66-72e48e575455@pdc-v-sessmgr04&vid=0&lpid=lp_1&format=EB#AN=1563434&db=nlebk.
6. “Oung Mean, 66, Dies; High Cambodia Monk.” The New York Times, 24 Mar 1993, Section B, Page 7. The New York Times Archives, https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/24/obituaries/oung-mean-66-dies-high-cambodia-monk.html.
7. Ross, Russell R. “Buddhism.” Cambodia: A Country Study, U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) for the Library of Congress, 1987. Country Studies, http://countrystudies.us/cambodia/48.htm.

Unless stated otherwise, all photos come from the publicly available gallery of the Cambodian Buddhist Society, Inc.

Origins and Founders

The Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery is located at 16201 Tomki Road, Redwood Valley, CA 95470, about 16 miles north of Ukiah, CA. The name “Abhayagiri” means “Fearless Mountain” and this monastery is named after the ancient Abhayagiri Monastery in Sri Lanka, which was famous for welcoming practioners and teachers from many different Buddhist traditions, much like its American counterpart. The monastery was first conceived as an idea in the 1980s by the British Buddhist monk, Ajahn Sumedho. Ajahn Sumedho is the foremost western disciple of Ajahn Chah, the famous Thai Buddhist monk who is known for establishing Theravada Buddhism in the West. The Abhayagiri monastery is the first monastery in the United States to be created by followers of Ajahn Chah. Though it was first conceived in the 1980s, it was not built until 1995. While the monastery was thought up by Ajahn Sumedho, it was built by Ajahn Amaro. Six months after the monastery’s establishment, Ajahn Pasanno came to join Ajahn Amaro as co-abbot. Ajahn Amaro is known as the most senior Western disciple of Ajahn Chah in the United States. In 2010, Ajahn Amaro left for England to become an abbot at the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery he had helped set up with Ajahn Sumedho, and to take over for Ajahn Sumedho as the sole abbot. In 2018, Ajahn Pasanno left for a year long-sabbatical, leaving the monastery in the hands of two new co-abbots: Ajahn Karunadhammo and Ajahn Naniko. When Ajahn Pasanno returns, he will return as the Guiding Elder and not as an abbot. As of the summer of 2018, there are two co-abbots, 13 fully ordained monks, two novices, and four postulants. Based on the monastery’s website, the monks are a mix of Caucasian and Asian men.

The chief priorities of the monastery are: “teaching of Buddhist ethics, together with traditional concentration and insight meditation (also known as the Noble Eightfold Path), as an effective way of completely uprooting suffering and discontent.” The Abhayagiri Monastery is open to both men and women. While it is forest dwelling, the monastery exists in many dimensions. It acts as a dwelling place for the community that resides there year-round, as a place of meditation for those who visit regularly, and as a welcome place for visitors and the greater community. At the monastery, there are monks (bhikkhus), novices (samaneras), postulants (anagarikas), and laypeople (upasaka and upasika). The sanghas at Abhayagiri Monastery live their lives according to the Vinaya. The monastics are alms-mendicants and live lives of celibacy. They carry only a set of robes and an alms bowl and eat only one meal a day, only take medicine when they are ill, and live in a secluded sheltered dwelling for meditation and rest. The residents of the monastery are dependent on the laypeople.

Theravada Buddhism and the Thai Forest Tradition

The Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery is part of the Thai Forest Tradition, which is part of Theravada Buddhist monasticism. So, let us start broadly with Theravada Buddhist monasticism. Theravada Buddhism means “the Way of the Elders.” Theravada claims to come from the descendant of the original disciples of the Buddha and claims to be the orthodox form of Buddhism. It is grounded in the teachings recorded in the Pali Canon. Theravada Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka c. 210 BCE and then to Thailand. There are two monastic paths to Theravada Buddhism: village temples and forest retreats. The Abhayagiri Monastery follows the forest retreat path (specifically the Thai Forest tradition). Forest temples are mainly secluded places (note that the Abhayagiri Monastery is located 16 miles from the nearest large town). Monastics at forest temples are always in meditation, in pursuit of Enlightenment. The Thai Forest tradition is a lineage of Theravada Buddhism and was started/rebirthed by Ajahn Mun at the beginning of the twentieth century. It strictly upholds the original monastic rules that the Buddha had laid out. Buddhist monks under this tradition practice meditation at all times, in order for their minds to become aware and to reach Enlightenment. Laypeople are very important parts of the Thai Forest tradition. Monastics rely on the laypeople for food and the materials they need to live their lives, such as their robes and alms-bowls – though they live with very few possessions. The forest monks follow the prescribed 227 rules of conduct – which includes celibacy and limits on eating.

The Physical Monastery

Under the leadership of co-abbots Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno the monastery has greatly expanded in its facilities. The creation of the Abhayagiri Building Committee also contributed to the expanding of the monastery over the years since its conception. 25 monastic huts were built under their leadership, as well as the Dhamma hall, a kitchen, office spaces, a laundry room, bathrooms for lay women and men, and the infrastructure for the forest dwellers. They have also built the Monks’ Unity Building (MUB) which offers the monks access to bathrooms, meeting rooms, a laundry room, a kitchen, and a storage room. After Ajahn Amaro left in 2010, a Reception Hall was built – a two-story complex that was officially completed in 2018.

View from the MUB (picture by Reginald White)

 

A Typical Day at the Monastery

A typical day as a monastic at the Abhayagiri Monastery is quite rigorous. There is a very consistent pattern for the day-to-day schedule. The day typically starts at 3-4 AM for the community members who live in their own dwelling places in the forest of the monastery. This time in the morning is meant for general clean-up of the facilities, individual meditation and chanting, study, and yoga. At 5 AM the morning puja begins in the Dhamma hall or on a meditation platform in the summer. The morning puja consists of chanting in English and Pali and followed by an hour of silent meditation. At 6:30 AM the chore period commences, followed by breakfast at 7 AM. From 7:30-10:30 AM, the planning of the day’s three-hour work period happens, as well as the three-hour work period. The monks’ mealtime is at 11 AM, where they are offered food by the laypeople. The monks cannot accept or eat any food after midday. Around 1 PM, after their meal and subsequent clean-up, the monks return to their individual dwelling places for individual practice. 5:30 PM is evening teatime followed by the evening puja at 7 PM, which includes chanting in Pali and another hour of silent meditation. On Saturday evenings, the puja is followed by Dhamma talk.

Each week, there is an Observance Day called Wan Phra. The schedule is less rigorous on this day, allowing time for individual, quiet contemplation. After the evening puja, the community remains together from 10 PM to 3 AM until the morning chanting at 3 AM. On the following day, there is an open schedule to make time for rest and individual contemplation.

The Monastery in the Community and Women

The Abhayagiri Monastery has many connections in its community, both local and international. Abhayagiri has 22 associated monasteries in 11 different countries. The monastery has guest teachers come from forest monasteries in Thailand, England, and other countries in Europe and Australia. Their closest neighbor is the Pacific Hermitage in the Columbia River Gorge in the state of Washington. The Pacific Hermitage is a branch of the Abhayagiri Monastery and was established in the summer of 2010. The Buddhist monks of the Pacific Hermitage rely on the laypeople in the town of White Salmon, Washington for their food and act as a spiritual source to the town. The current abbot of Pacific Hermitage is Ajahn Sudanto, who was previously a monk at Abhayagiri.

Abhayagiri also has associate lay groups along the Pacific Coast in the United States and Canada. Most of the lay groups are focused on meditation, but also include Dhamma discussions, yoga classes, and retreats. These lay groups are less about providing the monastics of the Abhayagiri Monastery with their necessities and more about the Abhayagiri Monastery provided the lay community with spiritual support and guidance.

The Abhayagiri Monastery is not a facility for ordained women, though there are accommodations for nuns and laywomen. On their website, they offer a variety of other monasteries for women who are interested in joining the monastic community.

Coronavirus Pandemic Response and Changes

On the Monastery’s website, they offer a variety of virtual events and resources for those who want to stay engaged but cannot because of the current coronavirus pandemic. They offer a daily YouTube livestream for chanting and meditation, video teachings from several monasteries in England, Dhamma teachings, and Dhamma talks to help those struggling with the ongoing pandemic. These talks include mindfulness exercises, how to deal with distressing situations, and how to address doubts in troubled times.

Sources:

https://abhayagiri.org

Introduction

Associated with Buddhist Association of the United States (BAUS, founded in 1964), Chuang Yen Monastery is located on Route 301 in Carmel, NY.   On both official sites, the two organizations share the same address.

The name of the monastery, Chuang Yen means “Majestically Adorned” and reflects the size of the monastery’s largest statue—Buddha Vairocana.  In fact, the Buddha Varirocana statue housed at Chuang Yen Monastery is the largest of its kind in the Western hemisphere.  The statue at the Great Buddha Hall measures 37-feet in height and is surrounded by 10,000 smaller buddhas all sitting in a lotus terrace semi-circle.

The “Adornment” refers to the adornment of the Buddha’s teachings. Traditionally, Buddhist Monasteries not only served as a focus for religious services and festivals, they were also community centers of learning and activities – both religious and secular. Carrying on that tradition, Chuang Yen Monastery extends an invitation to the public to view the religious services and festivals held here, and be a place to cultivate awareness to develop wisdom.

Founding story

Shen Jiazhen (Dr. C.T Shen, or Chia-Cheng Shen) couple[and his wife?] initiated the foundation of this Buddhist community.  Based on an interview, Shen Jiazhen encountered a huge Buddha in a dream.  He bowed to the Buddha and asked the Buddha whether he should build a temple.  The Buddha in his dream responded that “I have already reserved an apartment here.”  The couple subsequently donated a piece of land they owned to BAUS, on which Chuang Yen Monastery now stands.  10 years later, in 1985, construction of the monastery’s Kuan Yin Hall was completed.  Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei designed the hall after the great hall style of the Tang Dynasty.

In November 1975, the Buddhist Association of the United States (BAUS) leased 125 acres of land in Putnam County from Dr. C.T. Shen (one of the co-founders of BAUS and late Vice President of BAUS) for the development of Chuang Yen Monastery. According to the temple, the lease was for ninety-nine years with an annual payment of one dollar. As suggested by the local government, Dr. Shen donated the land to BAUS in 1989.  The ground-breaking ceremony for the monastery was held on May 23, 1981.

The Great Buddha Hall was completed and unveiled on May 24, 1997.  Elder WuMing, Elder JingXin and the Dalai Lama attended the ceremony along with approximately 7000 believers from around the glove.

 

Sponsor and Founder

Shen Jiazhen (1913.12.15—2007.11.27) was a Chinese-American industrialist.  He was born in Hangzhou, China.  He retired as the chairman and CEO of American Steamship Company.

In 1960, Shen Jiazhen attended a lecture by Buddhist scholar Zhang Chengji (1920.8.28—1988.5.24) in New York City.  Inspired by his old acquaintance, Shen Jiazhen dedicated himself to the spreading of Buddhism in America.  

In 1964, Shen met Elder Ledu in San Francesco.  Together they founded the Buddhism Association of the United Sates, with Elder Ledu served as its first president. 

Elder Ledu 1923—2011.9.2) studied under Master Tanxu, a Chinese Buddhist monk and a 44^th generation lineage holder of the Tiantai school.  Elder Ledu is regarded in the Chinese world as the third figure bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States in the 20^th century, with the first and second respectively being Miao Feng and Hsuan Hua.  The statement above is also mentioned in BAUS’ Chinese language site.

 

Organizational Affiliation

Chuang Yen Monastery is affiliated with the Buddhist Association of the United States.   BAUS lists the Temple of Enlightenment in the Bronx together with Chuang Yen Monastery under their “Visit Us” tab.  Bhikkhu Bodhi, president at BAUS on his LinkedIn site states “BAUS (founded 1964) comprises two major institutions, Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, NY, and the Temple of Enlightenment (Da Jue Si) in the Bronx, NYC. The abbot of both is Ven. Sak Dhammadipa.”

On the site stands Woo Ju Memorial Library, founded with a $400,000 donation from Shen Jiazhen’s wife upon her death in 1988.  The library contains 100,000  books in 24 language and 200,000 microcopies of Buddhist scriptures.  The library spearheaded scripture digitalization.

 

Ethnic composition and relationship with other communities

Based on a phone call interview with someone active in the Chinese community in Chinatown, New York City, Chuang Yen Monastery is also a tourist attraction for both Buddhists and travelers.  It is among a list of destinations that the Chinatown Buddhist community visits/tours or attends circuit religious functions (attending lectures, meditation activities or religious ceremonies).   Temples include Mahayana Temple Buddhist Association, Eastern States Buddhist Temple, True Buddha Temple-Chinatown, Grace Gratitude Buddhist Temple, Cheng Chio Buddhist temple.

Ethnic composition is predominantly Asian, but Chuang Yen Monastery welcomes and accepts visitors from all over the world.

 

Practice

The introductory video of BAUS/Chuang Yen Monastery does not specifically mention its religious affiliation.  The author sees a heavy presence of meditation among the listed activities.

The monastery has an emphasis on education.  Activities listed include meditation class ranging 7 to 21 days, Pali language, Vipassana meditation, group scripture study on Aṅguttara Nikāya, Amitabha’s Pure Land Retreat, Kuan Yin Retreat, Kan Huatou Meditation Retreat, and so on.  Practices and activities offered here embrace practice from different groups of Buddhism.

           

Teaching

The teaching embraced by the organization focuses on Dharma Discourse.  The following are listed: The Development of Wisdom; Constant, Bliss, Inner Self and Pure; The Noble Eightfold Path-the Way to the End of Suffering; Clear Comprehension Dharma Is a Way of Life; Pure Mind and Solemn Realm; Mindfulness: The Practice and Application—A Skill of Mental Training; Aspiring for Peace in the New Year; Sitting at the Buddha’s Feet.

Sources:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/new-yorks-chuang-yen-monastery

https://www.baus.org/tc/%E5%8F%83%E8%A8%AA%E7%BE%8E%E4%BD%9B/%E8%8E%8A%E5%9A%B4%E5%AF%BA

https://www.baus.org/en/baus-groups/cym/cym-intro/introducing-chuang-yen-monastery/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhVvN8mtGNM&feature=emb_logo

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Chengji

https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B2%88%E5%AE%B6%E7%A6%8E

https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B9%90%E6%B8%A1%E6%B3%95%E5%B8%88

http://chamshantemple.info/messages/news/index.php?channelId=2&sectionId=188&langCd=CN&itemId=82

 

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Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery

Written by Leeann Soyka

 

Introduction

The Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery is a Buddhist community that is now located in the Sierra Foothills of California. Initially, the monastery was located in San Francisco, California but once they gained enough resources to purchase the land for a forest monastery, they relocated to Placerville, California. The word Aloka is derived from Sanskrit and means “vision, sight, appearance, glimmer, or aspect” and the word Vihara means Buddhist monastery. It is a women’s monastery designed to be a place where women can train as nuns and lay visitors can serve and practice. The nuns who are currently living in the monastery are all caucasian. The Aloka Vihara nuns are a community of bhikkhunis and samaneris, and their practice is based on the Buddha’s teaching style in the Theravada Forest tradition. In this practice, an emphasis is placed on renunciation, service, and simplicity, as well as learning from the natural world. The nuns also integrate contemporary societal issues into their practice. The founding nuns are Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta who lived and trained with the Siladhara Order at Amaravati and Chithurst Buddhist monasteries in England from 1992 to 2009. These types of forest monastery communities were founded by Venerable Ajahn Sumedho. Sumedho was a disciple of Venerable Ajahn Chah, a teacher and meditation master of the Thai Forest Tradition. The Siladhara are a ten precept order of nuns with a high standard of training akin to the Bhikkhuni discipline. After Ayya Santacitta and Ayya Anandabodhi received full Bhikkhuni ordination, they developed the Aloka Vihara Monastery in 2011 along with other nuns who joined and supported the monastery. There are currently five resident bhikkhunis at Aloka Vihara; Anandabodhi Bhikkhuni, Santacitta Bhikkhuni, Ahimsa Bhikkhuni, Niyyanika Bhikkhuni, Dhammadipa Bhikkhuni.  

Vision and Mission

The vision of the Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery is “together support awakening” and their mission is to be “a training monastery of forest nuns living the teachings of the Buddha and the Earth for the benefit of all beings.” Anandabodhi and Santacitta wanted to start a monastery just for women because in their past training they had been put in secondary positions below the monks. The role of nuns in the Buddhist community has been a point of contention throughout history. Because of this, the Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery has a strong focus on equity and inclusion, and they hold workshops and trainings in eco dhamma, undoing racism, and gender identity. They welcome all women to monastic life and also allow interested lay people of all genders to visit their monastery, as well as to practice, serve, and take part in every day monastic life. Lay people can also get involved by offering meals to the nuns, volunteering to help at the monastery, or offering financial contributions. 

Ayya Anandabodhi

One of the founders, Ayya Anandabodhi, first encountered Buddhist teachings in her teens and became very interested in the Buddha’s path of awakening. She trained as a nun in the Forest Tradition at Amaravati and Chithurst Monasteries in England from 1992 to 2009. In 2009, she moved to the United States to help establish Aloka Vihara as a training monastery for women. Her practice and teachings are guided by early Buddhist scriptures and through nature’s Dhamma (universal truth/teaching of Buddhism). She took full Bhikkhuni Ordination in 2011, joining the growing community of women who are reacquiring this path given by the Buddha. 

Ayya Santacitta

The other founding nun, Ayya Santacitta, was born in Austria and studied Cultural Anthropology in graduate school with a focus on dance, theater, and ritual. In addition, she worked in a dance theater as a costume designer and performer. She met Ajahn Buddhadasa in southern Thailand in 1988 who fostered her interest in Buddhist monastic life. She trained primarily in Ajahn Chah’s lineage in England and Asia from 1993 to 2009. She has practiced meditation for over thirty years and has also received teachings from the Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche lineage. Since she moved to the United States and co-founded the monastery, she has followed the guidance of Khenmo Konchog Nyima Drolma and Bhikkhu Analayo’s teachings on Early Buddhism. She is primarily interested in creating a sanctuary close to nature and bringing wisdom traditions to the environmental movement. She also offers Buddhist teachings in German, her native language.

Saranaloka Foundation and Community Support

The Saranaloka Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was created by a group of Buddhist lay practitioners to support the Theravada Buddhist nuns who were moving to the United States for the purpose of teaching and establishing a training monastery for women. In order for the founders to teach Theravada Buddhist practice, they had to take full ordination and leave the lineages of which they were a part. With the help of the Saranaloka Foundation, the nuns received full bhikkhuni ordination at Spirit Rock Meditation Center on October 17, 2011. The lay people and nuns have a very symbiotic relationship because the monastics could not live and practice without the support of their community. The community contributions allow the monastery to grow and flourish. In return, the monastery welcomes lay people and shares information about their insights and practice. Some of the events they offer for the lay community are meditation and chanting, meal offerings, sutta contemplation, dhamma sharing, and meditation retreats. To make accommodations during the pandemic, they offer online dhamma talks and meetings. They want to offer simplicity and renunciation as a model that people can live by. Anandabodhi mentioned that she wants people to recognize that you can still have joy in your life without having a lot of personal belongings, and that generosity and compassion can be much greater wealth. The founders of Aloka Vihara, Anandabodhi, and Santacitta wanted to establish their own monastery to be a place of respect and opportunity for Buddhist nuns. 

Friends of Aloka Vihara was established in 2015 by Emily Carpenter and Mindy Zlotnick to help support the development of the Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery. The organization is composed of lay practitioners who help to organize the annual Aloka Viahra’s Kathina Ceremony. This ceremony is an opportunity for lay people to reflect on the interdependent relationship between monastic and lay communities, and transform that reflection into action. Lay practitioners are given the opportunity to help the Bhikkhuni Sangha survive and thrive. During the Kathina Ceremony, the lay community can express their support and gratitude by making formal offerings of material and financial support to the monastics. Due to the pandemic, they are taking donations and holding the Kathina Ceremony online.  

History of Bhikkhunis  

Women are an integral part of the Buddha’s vision of the four-fold-sangha. Due to political and cultural decisions, a strong female monastic presence disappeared for almost 1,000 years. The revival of the bhikkhuni sangha began around thirty years ago and has spread throughout the world. The beginning of women’s role in Buddhism began with Mahapajapati, Buddha’s aunt and stepmother, who wanted to become a Buddhist nun. Mahapajapati was the first strong bhikkhuni leader and brought many women into the sangha. There was, and still is, a lot of controversy over the stance on the position of women in spiritual life. The Buddha said in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta “I will not pass away…until I have bhikku disciples…bhikkhuni disciples…layman disciples…laywoman disciples who are accomplished, disciplined, skilled, learned, expert in the dhamma.” When King Ashoka ruled in 304-232 BC bhikkhus and bhikkhunis were well established in India. The bhikkhuni sangha also spread to China and Sri Lanka, with the trip from China to Sri Lanka and back taking four years. In 1017 CE, both the bhikkhu and bhikkhuni sanghas died out in Sri Lanka due to the Cholian invasions. Women continued to practice Buddhism in Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and England. In 1984, East Asian bhikkhunis helped revive the Theravada bhikkhuni sangha. In 1988 twenty nuns were ordained at the Hsi Lai monastery in Orange County, California. In 1996, Theravada bhikkhunis were re-established in Sri Lanka and ten Sri Lankan women were ordained in Sarnath, India. In 2009, Ajahn Brahm who ordained bhikkhunis at a monastery in Australia was delisted from the Ajahn Chah lineage for doing so. The ordination of bhikkhunis continued to expand and in 2011 the samaneri from Aloka Vihara and Canada were ordained in a dual ordination. Over 350 people, including 50 monastics representing the major branches of Buddhism, attended the ordination.

The Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery is poised to be a training ground for the next generation of bhikkhunis and a place where the four-fold sangha can practice together. So far the support from the community has been consistent and they have supported creating gender equity in the sangha which is what the Buddha had envisioned. There are now Theravada bhikkhunis world-wide in Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam. Some of the bhikkhuni monasteries that Aloka Vihara is affiliated with are the Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project, Aranya Bodhi Forest Hermitage, Dhammadharini Vihara, Karuna Buddhist Vihara, Mahapajapati Monastery, Sati Saraniya Hermitage, Santi Forest Monastery, and the Tilorien Monastery. 

Works Cited

“About.” Friends of Aloka Vihara, https://friendsofalokavihara.org/about/. Accessed 7 October 2020.

Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery, https://alokavihara.org/. Accessed 31 October 2020.

Alliance for Bhikkhunis, https://www.bhikkhuni.net/. Accessed 31 October 2020.

“Kathina Ceremonies at Aloka Vihara.” Friends of Aloka Vihara, https://friendsofalokavihara.org/kathina-ceremony/. Accessed 7 October 2020.