Overview

Bodhi Monastery was founded in 2000 in rural Sussex County, New Jersey. Inspired by Chinese Master Yin- Shun, Bodhi Monastery aims to promote a holistic view on Buddhism and not on a specific, singular sect. Bodhi Monastery stresses the integral teachings of the major divisions of Buddhism, Mahayana and Theravada. The monastery targets to spread the Buddhist values of loving compassion, tolerance, and non- violence to America. To achieve this goal and appeal to a variety of individuals, Bodhi Monastery emphasizes the translation of sacred texts to English. This includes ancient Dharma scriptures and liturgy chanting. This allowed Bodhi Monastery to present Buddhism to Americans of all backgrounds.

Bodhi Monastery is home to a Sangha community of monks and nuns to interpret original Buddhist order. The Sangha promotes the teaching of the Dharma in its entirety, emphasizing meditation, service, and devotion. There is also an emphasis on direct teachings from ancient Pali Buddhism, formulating an unique and spiritually revitalizing domain. Bodhi Monastery encapsulates a contemporary and accepting Buddhist environment.

  

Bodhi Monastery

Founders

The main philosophy of Bodhi Monastery is drawn from the teachings of Master Yin- Shun. Master Yin- Shun was born in 1906 in a village in Zhejang. In 1931, he went to study to ordain at Ming Nan Buddhist Academy. Throughout his study of Buddhism, Yin- Shun was critical of the divisions and discriminations of the different Buddhist sects. He also questioned the discrepancy between the sacred Dharma texts and the realities of Chinese Buddhism. He viewed Chinese Buddhism as superstitious, and blindly devoted. These inconsistencies promoted Master Yin- Shun to study the true Dharma and develop an ideology for a comprehensive Buddhism. Consequently, Master Yin- Shun was not limited to the confinement of any particular sutra, sastra, sect or school. Master Yin- Shun was a revolutionary Buddhist thinker, recognized as the foremost Chinese scholar of the modern era. He captured his ideologies in various books and writings, including his renowned Maio Yun collection.

Master Yin- Shun penned the term “human Buddhism.” This idea is driven by the urge to understand the fundamental truth of Dharma, or Buddhism as a whole. He stressed the “normal” bodhisattva path, including great compassion, practice of the six paramitas, and wisdom of the middle way. Master Yin- Shun’s own wish was to be reborn in the living world to follow the bodhisattva path as a human.

“Although the teachings are varied, all are interconnected. The different teachings start at different places, but each arrives at the others.” -Venerable Yin- Shun

Bodhi Monastery was founded by Master Jen- Chun, disciple of Master Yin- Shun. Master Jen- Chun was born in 1919 in Jiangsu Province, China. He embraced the monastic life only at age 7 and studied at the Ming Nan Buddhist Academy. After moving to Hong Kong in 1947, Master Jen- Chun became a disciple to Master Yin- Shun. Master Jen- Chun was invited by the Buddhist Association of the United States (BAUS) to lead a monastic community in the Bronx, New York City at the Enlightenment Center. After being appointed chairman of BAUS, Master Jen- Chun settled down and founded Bodhi Monastery in New Jersey. Importantly, Master Jen- Chun influenced the creation of the Yin- Shun foundation. The Yin- Shun foundation was created to allow Master Jen- Chun to devote his life to interpreting the work of Master Yin- Shun into English.

“A Buddhist monastery is a place where the path prevails. If one practices diligently in such a place, then when one’s learning and practice reach maturity, one will manifest the path everywhere one goes, even if one is alone. One’s body will manifest the path through one’s actions. One’s speech will manifest the path through one’s words. One’s thoughts will always accord with the path moment by moment. One will then be a truly luminous exemplar of the Dharma.” —Venerable Jen-Chun

Other Spiritual Leaders

Master Bhikkhu Guochung was a disciple to Master Jen- Chun. After receiving a master’s degree in China, he gave up a career to pursue and commit to a Buddhist lifestyle. Master Guochung helped institute Bodhi Monastery, serving as the secretary and editor of Enlightenment Magazine. Currently, Master Guochung resides as the Abbot of the Bodhi Monastery.

Master Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist who studied at Brooklyn College, and abroad in Sri Lanka. He also received his PhD from Claremont Graduate School in 1972. Master Bodhi ordained in Sri Lanka in 1973 where he worked as editor of the Buddhist Publication Society. In 2000, he also gave a keynote speech to the United Nations on the holy day of Vesak, the celebration of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death. Currently Master Bodhi resides at the Chuang Yen Monastery and teaches there, and at Bodhi Monastery.

Monastery Practice and Schedule

The monastery holds daily chanting liturgy and sitting meditation, open to the Sangha community only. On Saturdays, there are Dharma scripture readings in English and Chinese. There is also a devotional service and chanting sessions. This includes Sutta and Madhyakama study. Sutta study focuses on the life of the Buddha, fundamental ethics, meditation and mind-training, and the nature of True Wisdom. On Sundays there is an open meditation session for the public, guided by the monastic community. This involves a sitting period, walking period, and ending with the Sharing of Merits. Also, lay volunteers run a weekly food pantry providing clothing and other necessities for the Sangha community.

Most importantly, all the programs at Bodhi Monastery are created to promote and deeply analyze the Dharma. Bodhi Monastery embraces the wholesome balance of the different sects of Buddhist practice. This ideology is truly revolutionizing and appealing in the contemporary world. There is no constraint or specific boundaries to proper Buddhist practice and meditation. This allows individuals to have the autonomy to interpret  the more controversial debates in the Buddhist world. Furthermore, the implementation of spiritual leaders help guide individuals on their own path to realization.

By: Millan Khadka

Works Cited

“Monastery History.” BODHI MONASTERY, Bodhi Monastery, 5 May 2013.

“Ven. Master Yin Shun.” Buddhist E- Library, 2008.