By Sam Witmer
The Buddhist Association of Colorado is a Buddhist community located just outside of Denver. It is a newer community, having been established in 1991. Its founder, the Late Reverend Fat Leong had been living in Hawaii when he made the decision to purchase the current location in Denver. His contributions, along with the donations of lay followers, allowed for the establishment to be built, which is known today as The Denver Temple. The temple focuses on laying the foundation of Buddhist culture for the local Chinese community in the area, as well as promoting Buddhism through education.
A majority of these efforts can be attributed to the temple’s current abbot, Rev. Jie Jing, pictured above. Jie Jing was born in 1953 in Diantou, Fuding county, Fujian province, China. He became a monk at the Linfung Temple at Qinyu town, Fuding county, in December 1971. From there, he passed his entrance exam in 1980 and became a student at the Buddhist Academy of China in Fayuan Temple, Beijing. After graduating in 1984, he became the superintendent of Hui Ji Temple in Putuo Mountain, Zhe Jiang province. In 1986, he became a Buddhist instructor at the Buddhist Academy of Min Nan in Xia Men, Fujian province. He then immigrated to the United States in January 1989 at the invitation of the Young Men’s Buddhist Association of America, and together with several others founded the Mid-America Buddhist Association in 1995. In 1997, he was invited to give a talk on the dharma at the temple. His talk was well received, and he was asked by Rev. Fat Leong to be superintendent of the temple. The following year, he became abbot and president of the association.
The temple predominantly focuses on the Mahayana school of Buddhism and Chan meditative practices. They seek to combine the practices of the Pure Land school of Mahayana Buddhism with the practice of Chan meditation. The Pure Land school of Buddhism focuses on rebirth into the “Pure Land”; persons reborn into this land will achieve enlightenment without fail. It is believed that those who invoke the Buddha Amitabha’s name with true devotion will be reborn into the Pure Land. The school itself was born in China, but has large followings as well in Japan. It is noted as an appealing form for those unable to practice more rigorous devotions, making it a widely popular form of Buddhism. Additionally, Jie Jing places emphasis on the idea of equal stress on farming and meditation, as is traditional in Chinese Buddhist monasteries. He keeps up with hoeing, seeking to keep this balance of farming and meditation in an expression of the traditional Chan style. This unique balance and perspective provides an interesting take on Buddhism, as is reflected in his writings.
On the website, Jie Jing has published a self-written article on the nature of Buddhism, outlining his own personal beliefs on what it means to be Buddhist, which warrants further examination, as it is central to his personal beliefs, how he specifically teaches and Buddhism’s place relative to other religions. The article starts by distinguishing Buddhism from “blind faith,” instead indicating that Buddhism is more about the right faith. Whatever one’s personal goals, they all require the “right belief” of Buddhism. He then goes into the four distinguishing traits of Buddhism, the first of which is unity of passion and reason. For Buddhists, he posits that faith means believing with a unified body and mind, an establishment of a central goal and the strength to pursue it. He states that Buddhist truth applies to any time or space; since it is all encompassing, it satisfies the prerequisites of a true reality. Thus the strength of Buddhism lies not in the passion of belief, but in the reasoning behind it. The very foundation of Buddhism is not blind faith, but a series of personal investigations cultivated by wisdom that in turn deepen and reinforce one’s faith. Philosophy and religion become intertwined, and are purely based in the rational. The external is impermanent, and thus the truth can only be obtained from the pursuit of knowledge and rational thinking.
The second trait is that faith is a means in Buddhism to study and cultivate enlightenment from the beginning of the journey to the end. Faith is the first entrance of learning Buddhism, and Jie Jing points to the vehicle of the Bodhisattva, which said “Belief can let in, wisdom can let cross over.” Essentially, faith is a necessary prerequisite in Buddhism to attain enlightenment. Additionally, as a process of continual improvement and advancement, faith is continually required to fortify one’s beliefs on the way to enlightenment, and is increased as time goes on through the process. In order to confirm one’s faith, it is necessary in the Buddhist tradition to confirm the Buddhist doctrine, that is to say, have no doubt in its authenticity.
He then talks briefly of enlightenment in both the Zen tradition and the Mahayana tradition, and their roles in achieving this pure faith. In the Zen tradition, there are four objects of unfailing faith; in Theravada, the Buddha, dharma, sangha and Holy precepts all assuring purity, are pure faith. In Mahayana, the arising of the intent to achieve enlightenment is faith. It is required that one has faith in the dharma of Mahayana Buddhism in order to fulfill Mahayana faith. Specifically, one must believe in the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and Suchness, achieved through study and cultivation, in order to reach pure faith.
The third trait is that belief is an inner realization. Under the belief of everyone having a Buddha nature, Buddhism promotes the individual’s character to the highest possible point. Essentially, one must look inward in order to realize their Buddha nature. The essence of one’s body and mind are the true dharma and nirvana. By practicing, one becomes unified with these principles and the Sangha. He states that the three jewels are not separate from the body, but rather what one can accomplish and manifest, and that ultimately the goal is to realize these attributes within ourselves.
The fourth trait specifically outlines Buddhism relative to other religions, that is to say, that Buddhism by nature is tolerant of others and fosters interfusion. While Buddhist belief is exclusive, it does not actively seek to repel heresy, promoting peace and as a result benefitting society as a whole. In Buddhist history, no holy war has ever been started due to missionary work. Instead, Buddhists invite people from other religions through reason, as a peaceful and intelligent religion. Jie Jing specifically cites Chinese Buddhism, stating that it has it has a unique ability to promote integration and guidance through teaching, expediting the process of absorbing other religions. Additionally, Buddhism is not an absolute belief in that it negates the value of other religion. While Buddhists might believe through reason that the value of Buddhism is above all other religions, they will not discriminate or revolt against other religions, and therein lies where Buddhism excels in this specific trait. The author concludes by stating that Buddhism not only holds the same aspects as other religions, it holds these unique traits which allow it to particularly excel.
Rev. Jie Jing also publishes a semi-annual journal that reflects his beliefs in Chan meditation. However, the journal is written in his native Chinese, thus requiring knowledge of the language for analysis. This is also a reflection of the types of people he wishes to reach out to, members of the Chinese community in the United States. An interesting addendum at the end of these journals are statements written by local high schoolers, who appear to periodically visit the temple. This is an example of the temple’s outreach not just within the Chinese community, but also a commitment to educating others within the greater Denver community.
In terms of general practice, the temple holds special ceremonies year round, but its primary functions are its weekly meditation practices. There is a Sunday chanting and meditative service from 10:30-12 and a Chan meditative class from 8-9PM every Wednesday and Sunday. It is noted that these classes are not for everyone, as Chan meditation is a difficult practice, and not for those looking for a relaxing meditative session.
Overall, for how young the community is, the Buddhist Association of Colorado has a rich tradition, with an experienced and intelligent leader at its helm. Its focus on outreach within the local Chinese community as well as educating others seem to be serving well towards seeing its continued success. More information on the temple can be found on their website: http://baocden.org/Baoc/english/index.htm
Works Cited
Pure Land schools. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. http://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/eastern-religions/buddhism/pure-land-buddhism. Accessed 26 Nov. 2016.
Buddhist Association of Colorado: The Denver Temple. Buddhist Association of Colorado, http://baocden.org/Baoc/english/index.htm. Accessed 26 Nov. 2016.