The Zen Center of New York City – Fire Lotus Center is located in Brooklyn, New York and is a center associated with the Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO). This Western Buddhist order was founded by Daido Loori Roshi in 1980. Even though they are an American order, they hold onto historical traditional practices that were part of ancient Chinese and Japanese Zen culture. This creates a backbone based on traditional Buddhism, as the community passes the dharma down, generation by generation. The founder, Daido Loori Roshi, was trained in the Zen Center of Los Angeles, where he was given the goal to spread and share the dharma, obtaining the “Inka (seal of approval)” by other Rinzai teachers. Once given this approval, Daido Roshi established the Mountains and Rivers Order which acquired its name due to Daido’s favorite sutra – “Mountains and River Sutra.”

Diving in deeper to the beginnings of the MRO will help give insight on how the Zen Center of New York City – Fire Lotus Temple came to be. Once Daido Roshi was given the opportunity to spread the dharma, he established the Zen Mountain Monastery (ZMM) in 1980. As claimed in the title, this monastery was located towards the bottom of a mountain and practiced many traditional Buddhist training methods. First founded on the basis of Daido Roshi’s love for art, he named it the Zen Arts Center. Once the order was well established and grew a sense of community, the majority expressed their true interest in the traditional Zen practices, and therefore agreed to change the center name to Zen Mountain Monastery. 

In this establishment, Daido Roshi taught his Eight Gates of Zen which gave followers a set way of life that could be encompassed in these eight gates. He wanted to emphasize the importance that whether living a life outside of the monastery or within, these behavioral practices are crucial to take part in. These 8 gates include: Zazen, study with a teacher, Buddhist study, liturgy, right action, art practice, body practice and work practice. Zazen is a form of seated meditation that focuses on intense concentration and breathing patterns. Through this practice, one can “realize the unity of the self with the ten thousand things, which has the potential to transform our lives and those of others.” The second gate emphasizes the importance of students and teachers being intentional with personal study, as the dharma is transmitted through one’s mind to another. To keep the ancestry of the Zen practice alive, students and teachers are encouraged to have strong relationships. The third gate claims that learning and reading about Buddhadharma, even though it will not fully depict the tradition to its fullest. At least reading the words will provide a basis to further understand the beauty of the religion. The fourth gate recognizes the uniqueness of Buddhist liturgy than other Western religions. Liturgy allows members to understand their nature, as they are hoping to understand their own self and its connections to ten thousand things. The fifth gate is called Right Action and is an educating practice on Buddha’s moral practices and teachings. These ethical ways are all focused around the idea that there is no self and we are striving to achieve that realization. The sixth gate opens up the training to art practices, as it encompasses many different forms to prove that “creativity is an inherent human process.” This can be through painting, drawing, and more. The seventh gate allows followers to feel their physical body movement and use that to our benefit of reaching self-knowledge. From simple movements like brushing your teeth to more intense activities, the connection with our bodies and mind is powerful in self-realization. The eighth and final gate is work practice which encourages followers to perform some type of labor activity to help benefit our world. These tasks can range from small chore-like activities to longer, more thought-provoking activities. The idea of allowing your mind to understand and take on a task will help us understand how to adapt to mental challenges. 

These Eight Gates of Zen aim to educate and reform the way these people understand our world, as it hopes one can come to the realization of self-enlightenment. The MRO has these locations, Zen Mountain Monastery and Zen Center of New York City – Fire Lotus Center, to continue to spread the dharma. The difference between these two areas is that ZMM is a retreat center that allows followers to be separated from the busy world and invested in Buddhist tradition and practices. The Fire Lotus Temple is a center that holds events and services weekly, allowing those who live in the area to be a part of a community. 

In the Fire Lotus Temple community, there are artists, doctors, teachers, students and many other groups of people dispersed throughout New York City. Many different backgrounds of people come together for their one common belief: “To live a life that cultivates generosity, wisdom and morality.” There are a few practitioners that live in the Fire Lotus Center alongside the ordained monastics. When considering how this community practices the dharma, it can be expressed in many different manners. This includes meditation, art lessons, academic study, and liturgy, as well as very close student teacher relationships. Throughout all practices within this community, they all tie back to how the MRO perceives training in the Western Zen Buddhism culture. The Fire Lotus Temple is located in one of the fastest moving cities in the nation. Having a central location for followers to meet weekly can be a way to separate themselves from the distractions. New York City is full of a range of different kinds of people, which the center encourages in their population of followers. No matter the differences among these followers, they all come together in unity for one common goal. 

As stated prior, there are a few practitioners who are residing within the temple. These residents are immersed in a Zen culture living with this spiritual community yet also are able to have other obligations outside of the center. The schedule of a resident consists of daily zazen, liturgy, community work and retreats. This opportunity of immersing oneself in this community allows followers to have a scheduled routine of spiritual practice. The duration of one’s stay is not rigid, as many can decide for themselves how long they desire to live this lifestyle. This great sense of community all with one common goal can allow followers to really spark their own personal growth. The implementation of certain practices within residency adds to one’s own individual experience with their growth within the religion. 

Due to COVID outbreaks, the center had to shut down in person gatherings. Recently this September, the center was reopened for fully vaccinated members. This allowed people to come in for services, still required to wear masks. For those who are not vaccinated, the center tries to make specific accommodations. One very common type of in person gathering is zazen which is seated meditation. These occur during the nights on weekdays and as well as a few sessions in the morning on the weekdays as well. If a member is unable to attend, the sessions are also live streamed for those to watch. In regards to accessibility of this community online, they are on many social media platforms, have their own podcast, hold online zoom meetings for sangha practice groups, and also have many ways to contact teachers at the Temple online. This allows individuals to learn more about the community virtually. While adjusting to this new hybrid way of life, the Lotus Fire Temple emphasizes their efforts towards accommodating personal needs. Whether a member can come in-person or virtually, the center wants to create a welcoming community to all followers. 

For the regular Sunday programs, since September this year they are no longer requiring pre-registration. Current members as well as newcomers are welcome to the programs. For those looking to learn more about the community and are considering becoming a part of the sangha, the center has an orientation session that can give them more knowledge about the Mountains and Rivers Order. The Sunday programs start at 9:30 but the doors open at 9 for those to gather and find seating. The schedule of the program goes as follows: liturgy chanting, zazen, walking meditation (kinhin), and a talk by a teacher or senior student. The program concludes around 12:30 and the center asks that everyone participating in the service stay for its entirety. These weekly programs, as stated prior, can be experienced in person without any pre-registration, or virtually on a livestream. 

This center is a very welcoming Buddhist community that strives to spread the dharma to many followers. Having multiple ways to perform practices, the Zen Center of New York City – Fire Lotus Temple tries to make their traditions accessible. Whether in person or virtually, this Buddhist community is welcoming to all different practitioners and hopes to be a center of traditional Zen practices.

Sources

ZCNYC

How To Meditate: Zazen Instructions

“We have no restrictions with regard to the race, caste, language, colour or religion. The truth revealed by Gautama Buddha is open to everyone … May you all be blessed by the Buddha, the noble Dhamma and Sangha, good noble Dhamma friends and all deities!” The words of Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero, founder of the Sri Lankan Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center, are the aspirations of the Lone Star Buddhist Meditation Center, located in Tomball, Texas.

In 1999, Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero founded the Mahamevnawa Monastery at Waduawava, Polgahawela. At the age of 17, he was ordained under Dambagssare Sumedhankara Thero and Dikwelle Pannananda Thero at Seruwavila in March of 1979. He received a Buddhist education at the University of Sri Jayawardenpura, but his dissatisfaction with academic education led him to drop out and pursue meditation at different centers and hermitages. In this period of his life, he developed a unique Theravada philosophy. In addition to translating the Pali Canon into modern Sinhala, he has published over 90 books on the discourses of the Buddha, with hundreds of recorded discussions. Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero’s words in the Mahamegha Dhamma magazine and Shradda TV also propagate his knowledge to followers worldwide.

Mahamevnawa means “Great Cloud Monastery,” and the name is shared with the first monastery in Sri Lanka, where Arahant Mahinda Thero brought Buddhist teachings to the island. Mahamevnawa’s unique efforts to present the Dhamma in its original form distinguish it from other Buddhist traditions. A main focus is the emphasis on increased accessibility and equity of the Buddhist teachings, as distinctions of race, nationality, or otherwise are strictly forbidden. However, gender distinctions are still enforced through the gender separation of monastics, as is the practice of the Theravada tradition. Views about women and whether or not they can attain enlightenment are a point of debate and contention in the community.

Monks are trained in Polgahawela, and every six months the monastic order gathers and is reassigned to new monasteries. Within the branch, there are over 650 monks and 100 Anagarika nuns, with thousands of lay disciples. Over 70 branches exist in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. In 2016, the Lone Star Buddhist Meditation Center was established in Houston, joining seven other branches of the Mahamevnawa Monastery in the United States.

The Lone Star Buddhist Meditation Center strives to fulfill the mission of spreading the Buddha’s teachings and cultivating spiritual community. All services are free and open to the public, regardless of religious affiliation. Additionally, the LSBMC is not taxed by the IRS because it is recognized with church status before the government. Among the services provided are biannual blood and food drives, monthly youth programs for children, weekly Dhamma teaching programs, and meditation programs twice a month adaptable for beginner and advanced practitioners of meditation. The youth programs focus on mindfulness through meditation as well as the development of honesty, generosity, compassion, and respect. These programs are separated for older and younger children. Followers may also choose to have funerals and weddings officiated by the LSBMC.

LSBMC is a very casual and approachable experience, as there is no dress code and children are encouraged to attend. On some occasions, attendees are encouraged to wear white ceremonial clothes. Some services are conducted in Sinhala, but many are for English-speakers. In keeping with the Mahamevnawa tradition, the LSBMC encourages those who are not Buddhist to attend just to learn what Theravada Buddhist teaching is truly about. As much as it serves as a spiritual experience, the accessibility of services also functions to educate non-Buddhist Texans. The Center believes that Buddhist teachings benefit people of all backgrounds and comport with other major religions and secular moral values. As the Buddha taught all who expressed sincere interest in hearing him teach, the Center’s doors are similarly open to all people. On popular reviewing sites like Yelp, the Center has sometimes received poor reviews from Euroamerican visitors based on controversial teachings about the spiritual standing of women, however the Center itself makes no statement about gender separate of the Theravada teachings. In general, the community promotes equity, inclusion, and acceptance at every opportunity. Many other reviewers espouse the hospitality, openness, and inclusivity they experienced while visiting the center as a spectator. Visitors also find usefulness in mindful meditation practices, which have applicatons for religious and secular parts of life.

The monks are ordained in the Theravada tradition, but LSBMC pointedly notes that no visitor will be pressured to join the community or convert. The people of Houston provide the monks with robes, food, shelter, and medicine. Additionally, the center makes use of digital mediums for teaching, community networking, newsletters, and more. The Center’s website frequently posts transcribed sermons or discussions for people who did not attend. The monastery and center are located in a private home, so guests must schedule appointments to visit outside of predesignated services. During COVID-19 related lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, the LSBMC continued services according to the health guidelines, encouraging mask usage, social distancing, and outdoor practices to ensure safe worship could resume as soon as possible.

Dhamma programs at the LSBMC typically begin with chanting, in both English and Pali. Readers may read along on the printed version. Flowers, candles, and sweet drinks are then offered in the Buddha’s memory, followed by the recitation of the qualities of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Last, the program concludes with guided meditation. The Saturday Dhamma Program takes place on the first, second, and fourth Saturday of every month, including Buddha Vandana, Meditation, Dhamma sermon, and Dhamma discussion. Programs in Sinhala include the full day Sil program every third Sunday. The Sil program includes observing the eight precepts, dhamma sermons and discussions, meditation, Buddha Vandana and otherwise. Holidays and special ceremonies are also celebrated, including the Sacred Stone Placement Ceremony and the Ground Breaking Ceremony.

Meditation programs begin with a short period of chanting, although practitioners are welcome to stay silent. Those keeping the five precepts are able to take them again, and it appears that most devotees adhere to the precepts. Then, monks lead the visitors in instructed meditation, which can last anywhere from 10 to 35 minutes at a time depending on the program length. A meditation program is held on the first of every month for all regardless of ability. Meditation is a central focus of the LSBMC as a means to cultivate inner peace and mindfulness while balancing and managing your life.

The constituency of the LSBMC is primarily South Asian, and while the website provides English information, social media posts are typically written in Sinhala. The ethnic Sri Lankan community in Houston comprises many of the followers at the Center. The community is small with approximately 200 regular attendees, but the LSBMC actively encourages people to attend their programs even if it is their first experience with Buddhism. Donations are the primary form of funding, and there are ways to donate in person and online for the livelihoods of the monks. In 2018, the LSBMC received $170,000 in donations for administration, redirection to the needy, and the future temple construction. Events or meals are often provided through members decorating and cooking themselves.

A major 2021 fundraiser is the LSBMC’s call for donations to support the construction of a temple, monk’s residence, and meditation hall. The land is already purchased, and at the end of 2021, 34% of the $150,000 cost of construction was reached. The temple will include a stupa and shrine room; a video rendering of what the final construction will look like is available on the website. A statue will serve as the relic in the stupa, and funds are accumulated in increments for each item’s purchase to make fundraising more manageable.

The community members represent Buddhism in a unique, accessible way, because they are located in a populated area and interact with the larger Houston community. The Center recognizes that a major misconception is the idea that Buddhist monasteries must only exist in remote forests or nature areas, but the LSBMC and its monks are embedded in a metropolitan area of Texas, and Houston residents are able to see and interact with monks and Buddhist practitioners in their daily lives. Additionally, where Western conceptions of Buddhism can commonly be conflated with East Asian or Mahayana ideas, the LSBMC represents the often-overlooked Theravada tradition and South Asian forms of Buddhism.

 

Although the LSBMC practices Theravada Buddhism, it still recognizes other forms of Buddhism. Although Theravada monks do not follow other Buddhist leaders like the Dalai Lama, they still respect wise leaders and humanitarian efforts of all religious leaders. The Mahamevnawa sect still holds respect for other Buddhist traditions.

The Lone Star Buddhist Meditation Center is a welcoming, thriving place of spiritual activity and a cornerstone of the Sri Lankan-American community in Houston Texas. At the LSBMC, the devotees strive to bring the ancient teachings of Theravada elders to a modern age where they can benefit attendees of all religious, national, and racial backgrounds.

By Abby Matusek

Below: The link to the video rendering of the vision for the temple after construction.

http://http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbpraxZzAcA

Reporter: Matthew Grayson

Chosen Monastery for Report: Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple

Link to source: https://www.greattreetemple.org/about

Address: 679 Lower Flat Creek Rd, Alexander, NC 28701

Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple is located a short 20 minute drive from Asheville in the Appalachian Mountains. It fosters a community of adherents to the Soto Zen School that offers meditation opportunities in the form of daily practice to month-long retreats. The Temple was founded by Reverend Teijo Munnich who “began to envision the establishment of a residential center for women in 1983.” While the vision centers on offering a safe communal environment for women devoted to following the Soto Zen School, the Temple offers classes to all sexes with the only exclusion being residential stays at the temple being exclusive to women. The explicit purpose of the Temple is “to provide opportunities to enter more deeply into the practice of self-reflection in order to learn to live in peace and harmony with all beings.” The Great Tree is an image that brings to mind a beacon of growth, stability, and life that branches out to nourish all living beings. 

Reverend Teijo Munnich is the disciple and dharma heir of Dainin Katagiri Roshi, a master whom she studied with for 15 years while also receiving formal training in “Hokyoji (Catching the Moon Zen Mountain Center) in Minnesota, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in California and Hosshinji in Obama, Japan.” “Dharma heir” refers to the concept of dharma transmission, by which a Zen (or Chan) master brings about the true awakening of a disciple through tutelage designed for that specific student. It is this concept which is traced back through history to determine the legitimacy of the teachings of each master in the chain, with each later master deferring for authority to each prior master. One can see the significance of Rev. Munnich’s vision when one recalls that, historically speaking, Zen masters have been to a significant degree largely male. When tracing the lineage of Zen practice and thought into modernity it makes clear sense that it should spread to be available to both sexes (and, one hopes, all genders), and Rev. Munnich’s vision is a noteworthy step in this direction. (For more detail, see an interview with the Rev. here: https://www.greattreetemple.org/teijo-s-vision.)

Great Tree Zen is associated with other monasteries both in terms of its lineage as well as in regards to its founder, who has had a hand in establishing or teaching at two other centers for Buddhist practice. These communities include one in Asheville, called the Zen Center of Asheville (ZCA), and one in Charlotte called the Charlotte Zen Meditation Society. Dainin Katagiri Roshi, Rev. Munnich’s master, founded a monastery in Minneapolis in 1972 where Rev. Munnich studied and received recognition as a dharma heir. This is a source of historical relation between Rev. Munnich and her former community as well as a basis for tracing the lineage back to Dogen, the founder of the Zen Soto School. Beyond this, the Temple shares relationships with the ZCA as a basis of connection for those interested in pursuing meditation further, in particular the elderly and women.

The Temple identifies “the main focus of [their] spiritual practice” as (seated) meditation, referred to as zazen. Specifically, Shikantaza, or “just sitting,” is a form of meditative practice “without technique or expectation” that draws explicitly from the Zen master Dogen’s thought that to access one’s Buddha nature one must forgo both the body and the mind, allowing them to “drop away” so that one’s buddha nature remains. Within Zen thought, we are all buddhas. As Dogen offered: “only Buddhas become Buddhas,” meaning that the idea of enlightenment as one becoming a Buddha is not quite right. Rather it is the case that the buddha nature within, as that which is already present within us, must be shown. It is the case, however, that our buddha-natures are hindered by our minds and bodies that provide distractions and cover up the radiant expression of the buddha nature. Regarding the Great Tree Temple itself, they explicitly endorse the view of Dogen and preserve their lineage in the school he started but do not offer an immense amount of detail as to the distinct nature of the Dogen’s Zen Soto School (as opposed to other traditions). 

One thing that is strikingly clear, however, is the significance and frequency of meditative practice. Examining a daily schedule for retreats held at Great Tree Temple reveals 5 zazen meditation sessions taking 3 hours as well as 4 kinhin (walking) meditation sessions which take place each day interspersed among Temple maintenance work, meals, chanting the Heart Sutra (a central Mahayana sutra), and dharma talks (meetings in which the master gives insight into dharma). This doesn’t cover the youth and family monthly activities and retreats, the opportunity for practice sessions which last 3 months, summer internships which last 1 to 2 months, the daily open zazen meditation practices, as well as the numerous guest lectures, study groups, discussions, and other miscellaneous activities occurring throughout the many months the Temple is open. In addition to these activities the Temple also celebrates Dogen’s birthday, the (western/Gregorian standard calendar) New Year, and a memorial all-day sitting ceremony for Dogen and Keizan (the “second founder” or “Great Patriarch” of the Soto Zen School). The Temple is a very active space that draws from its founder and other teachers as well as outsiders to the community in an effort to spread its vision of the dharma year-round.

The community’s constituency is a little hard to get a firm grasp of. It would be very surprising to find an intensive study or analysis of any temple, let alone one that publishes a well documented and up-to-date report of its constituents. As this is expected, the best thing we have to go off of is a collection of photos used to increase the aesthetic appeal of the website which do not include large-scale shots of those in the community and are rather designed to show usually one person at a time for specific purposes. Further investigation brings one to their youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh9iFQatg7bFoXN6AW8swjw/videos), which contains more information about the demographics of those operating at the temple. It seems, in short, that the body of people most likely to appear in their published media are older white women. There is diversity amongst the staff at Great Tree Temple, but this is also in part due to the very small number of people running the space (not counting the rotating board of directors). Beyond this there is a presence of children in a handful of photos, indicating the temple to be a welcoming space for all ages and those already dedicated to a life beyond the practice of the teachings of Soto Zen.

This constituency is expected and seemingly the target audience for Great Tree Temple. While it does embed ritual and a sense of formality into its more intensive retreats, it prepares the inexperienced ahead of time with youtube tutorials explaining certain customs (i.e. the use of Oryoki bowls for dining: https://youtu.be/n5avmXnVhIU) as well as papers and materials to be aware of before spending time at the monastery (which can be found here: https://www.greattreetemple.org/ritual-chanting-the-sutra). It focuses on providing resources for those well outside of the practice of the tradition (as well as a more informal one-of-the-community type of feeling) while aiming to maintain a certain level of custom that respects the origin of the practice and tradition within that context.

The community seems to be funded largely by donations, opportunities for which are provided on their website. It does seem, however, that they tend to ask for somewhat reasonable amounts of money for their time and provision of expertise, food, and shelter to those who wish to partake. A message on bringing kids to the annual youth summer retreat says: “we want to make sure that all who want to participate will have the opportunity.” It charges $75 for the first child and $25 for each following. Prices for most activities seem to be reasonable (to my knowledge) and can be found here for more detail: https://www.greattreetemple.org/fee-schedule. The last thing to note is that there are clear plans to more fully develop the land on which the Temple rests, and I (without any reason beyond my intuition) suspect that the standard donations for retreats will not suffice. Perhaps donations are offered specifically for this end, or they are covered by community labor efforts as well as the general intake of donations.

A last item of interest to explore here is the depiction of this particular sangha as a Buddhist community. As discussed before, the constituency of this community and its appeal to an older, inexperienced audience demonstrates a particular leaning towards Buddhist thought being teaching accessible to all who seek it. The dharma, one could say, has no boundaries of accessibility, and so all those willing to come and learn (and, of course, come and sit) are welcome. It portrays Buddhism in a very accessible Americanized format, offering programs to cater to students leading lives beyond the Temple as well as welcoming shifts to zoom and other modern influences. As opposed to Buddhist sanghas that outsiders could see as representing a statistical minority’s religious expression, the Great Tree Temple is oriented not towards the expression of an established sangha’s identity, but rather to the broadening and collection of new community members into a new sangha—one that happens to draw from the statistical majority of its surroundings. This community represents Buddhism as an expression of a great teaching that manifests itself in practice and is fundamentally accessible to all who seek it.

Written by Connor Yu

Background

The Insight Meditation South Bay (IMSB) is a fairly young community, founded in January 2006, and functions in the Silicon Valley and South Bay area of California. As of November 2021, they do not currently have a permanent building that they operate out of. Instead, the community gathers in churches, community buildings, private homes, and conference rooms, though they are currently trying to get a more permanent location. Due to this, they meet in many different local areas throughout the South Bay and have offered a variety of online programs since 2014. 

When looking into IMSB it is almost immediately evident that it is not a ‘traditional’ Buddhist community, with the founder Shaila Catherine putting a more American spin on traditional Theravadan practices. Instead, IMSB focuses on the teachings of mindfulness meditation, or Vipassana, with their goal being to support the development of ethical living (sila), meditation (samadhi), and wisdom (panna). All in all, they take a meditative approach to spiritual awakening, and largely ignore the religious beliefs of Buddhism. 

This uniquely American approach is prevalent in Convert Buddhism. IMSB has adopted the meditation practices of Buddhism to cultivate mindfulness in modern life while largely disregarding its religious practices. [1] That is not to say they completely ignore Buddhist teachings, IMSB has a large amount of material on traditional Buddhist subjects, such as the Three Refuges, the Four Noble Truths, the Five Aggregates, and much more. [2] However, the IMSB has a more western take on these ideas. Instead of viewing them from a perspective of achieving enlightenment over many lifetimes or world cycles, IMSB uses them as topics to meditate on to cultivate mindfulness solely in this lifetime. For example, when discussing the Noble Eightfold Path, IMSB interprets each of the steps as leading to the cessation of suffering. Traditionally, this means Nirvana and the cessation of suffering of all future lives. However, this interpretation is never discussed, and instead of followers reaching Nirvana after the cessation of suffering, it is implied that the cessation of suffering is the final step. IMSB uses the meditative aspect of Buddhism to help modern-day Americans cultivate mindfulness, detaching them from a fast-paced world. Though it does not completely ignore the historical teachings of the Buddha, it has reinterpreted them through a new unique lens. 

Founder

The founder, Shaila Catherine, is the main teacher at IMSB, and teaches the vast majority of lessons, though there are a large number of guest teachers that have taught at IMSB. [3] From her profile, it is almost immediately evident that Catherine is not a Buddhist in the purely traditional sense, as she has not shaved her head as most Theravadan nuns do. She has been practicing for a very long time, though, starting to meditate in 1980. Following this, Catherine would later travel throughout Asia, studying under various teachers including H.W.L Poonja, a Hindu teacher in Northern India, and Buddhist masters Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche in Nepal. Afterward, she studied at a Theravadan monastery in Thailand. Throughout her travels across Asia, Catherine became most interested in insight meditation, later studying and teaching at a few western meditation centers in 1996. She started training under Pa Auk Sayadaw, a Burmese Theravadan master, in 2006 and founded IMSB. She has written two books on mastering meditation and now teaches both in the U.S. and internationally.

 

Practices & Events

The most frequent program of IMSB is a weekly meditation group on Monday and Thursday evenings. [4] This is interesting as it highlights the nature of the community’s demographic. IMSB mainly serves to teach regular workers about meditation, starting their practices after the majority of workers are done with their job. It does not expect them to practice meditation every day of the week and instead accommodates the average American worker’s schedule. This emphasizes the Americanization of Buddhism. IMSB has removed most of the religious dogma from traditional Buddhism and lowered the barrier to entry for the community, making it as accessible as possible for everyone, even hosting a beginner meditation session every month. On top of this, IMSB offers a monthly day of meditation, which involves an entire day of different kinds of meditation and optional consultation with Shaila Catherine. [5] All in all, IMSB is very much Convert Buddhism. It has lowered the barriers to entry and commitment required to practice traditional Buddhism and instead offers a way to cultivate mindfulness in modern life. 

While IMSB has changed many aspects of traditional Buddhism, the community still participates in a few of the traditional events of Buddhism. Traveling across the country and sometimes internationally, Catherine leads retreats with the goal of further deepening concentration and insight. [6] These normally involve sitting and walking meditations as well as dharma talks and meetings with the teachers. They have modified traditional Theravadan practices to fit their American community, providing them with an escape from their daily routines and immersing themselves in their meditative practices. Generally, they occur every two months and last one or two weeks. This does diverge a small amount from the traditional rains retreat of Theravada Buddhism, which occurs once every year and lasts three months. Again, IMSB has modified existing practices to better fit American culture. 

The most interesting modification that Catherine has created is the online format that IMSB provides. [7] Called the Bodhi Courses, Catherine has offered an online classroom format since 2014. This is what has expanded the reach of IMSB to an international level, as Catherine can teach interested practitioners around the world. These lessons involve lectures, sutta readings, discussions, and assignments, meeting once a month. This shows another way that American Buddhism has adapted to the modern era, widening its reach through an online format to better spread its practices. 

IMSB Buddhism

It is evident that Catherine’s teachings, and by extension IMSB as a whole, are contributing and creating a new form of Theravadan Buddhism in America. They disregard some of the religious aspects, such as karma, rebirth, and samsara, and recontextualize the rest as topics to meditate on to cultivate mindfulness, which is becoming more relevant in our modern lives. Not requiring their constituents to fully integrate Buddhism into their modern lives, they instead lower the barriers to entry and accommodate the general American public. This shedding of the spiritual aspects of Buddhism could be due to a number of factors, such as Christianity being prevalent throughout the U.S., or there not being a real spirit religion in place when Buddhism made its way over. These changes have created a type of practice at IMSB that is distinctly American, and different from any other form of Buddhism we have seen in any Asian country so far. 

That is not to say that IMSB is not tied to other traditional Buddhist communities. Pa Auk Sayadaw has taught Catherine since 2006, and IMSB is still close to all of the Buddhist communities and masters that Catherine learned from. However, a lot of IMSB’s relationships are with more western communities that have similar practices to IMSB. Though Catherine is the principal teacher at IMSB, many guest speakers from other Buddhist communities teach there as well, with around 67 guest teachers speaking in total. Just looking at the constituency of the teachers, however, we can see that IMSB is mainly comprised of Convert Buddhists. Of the 67 teachers, only 3 of them seem to be of Asian descent, and only 5 have shaved their heads. As mentioned earlier, Catherine herself has not shaved her head, which is typical of Theravadan nuns. This is indicative of the IMSB community. While only around 4.5% of the guest teachers are Asian, around 15.5% of California is Asian, most likely meaning that more devout Asian Buddhists most likely go to other communities. [8]

Another interesting aspect of IMSB is how it is funded. Currently, they are trying to gather the funds to establish a permanent residence that they can operate out of. Most of the programs are free, though they do collect donations during them. What is interesting is that many of the retreats with Catherine, as well as her talks, can range from $225 to $625. This monetization departs from traditional Buddhist practices in that they usually teach for free. Some of her free talks as well only offer a set amount of free tickets, and the rest of the tickets require the attendee to donate some amount to attend. IMSB also has a donation page on their website, and you can donate to the organization or a particular teacher. Furthermore, they accept payments of airline mileage credits, various professional services, and investment assets. This further shows how IMSB has taken a more open approach to donations than other communities.

Conclusion

IMSB is the prototypical example of American Convert Buddhism. Its constituency is generally comprised of those who are most interested in the meditation and mindfulness aspects of Theravadan Buddhism and are not interested in the religious dogma or the spiritual aspects of the religion. Though it is inspired by traditional practices, it has reinterpreted all of the teachings in a way that seamlessly integrates with modern American life. Only 17 years old, the community will most likely continue to grow and further shape modern American Buddhism as we know it. 

Works Cited

[1] https://www.imsb.org/about-us/imsb-overview/

[2] https://www.imsb.org/teachings/buddhist-lists/

[3] https://www.imsb.org/about-us/teachers-2/

[4] https://www.imsb.org/programs/weekly-sitting-group/

[5] https://www.imsb.org/programs/daylong-and-half-day-programs/

[6] https://www.imsb.org/programs/retreats/

[7] https://www.imsb.org/programs/online-courses/

[8] https://www.imsb.org/programs/online-courses/

The image is taken from the IMSB website. There are not a lot of public images of IMSB.

 

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

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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.

 

 

The Dzogchen Meditation Center in Bath, Maine was founded in 2006 in the home of its founder, Tashi Armstrong. Armstrong was a student of both Trungpa Rinpoche and his Vajra Regent Osel Tendzin, beginning his instruction in Buddhism at the age of 21. In 1994, he returned to Maine in order to begin his own Buddhist center, which became the Dzogchen Meditation Center or DMC (“About Us,” DMC website). The DMC is part of the Kagyu tradition, and Armstrong traces the DMC’s Tibetan teachings back to Marpa and Milarepa. Specifically this temple is part of the Surmang Kagyu Order, a “contemplative order” of lay practitioners founded by Tashi Armstrong. The teachings of the DMC note the Buddha nature that is already inside of each person and must only be discovered through a practice of quiet, mind-clearing meditation. Dzogchen meditation, the meditation practice taught by the DMC, is laid out on a page of the DMC website written by Armstrong in which he discusses the four yogas. The meditation practice described by Armstrong includes unbiased observation of the world and of the thoughts that arise in the mind. In the teachings of the DMC, we can see that the goal of meditation is a state of peaceful awareness and acceptance of one’s surroundings. The DMC’s practice also includes deity yoga, though there is not much detailed information on this (“Dzogchen Meditation,” DMC website).

The DMC seems to be focused on the transmission and preservation of teachings from Tibetan masters to western lay practitioners, rather than directing their services mainly to an Asian immigrant community; it appears to be more centered on converts and individuals coming into the sangha rather than a particular preexisting cultural community. The center is heavily focused on retreats and residential programs, as well as intensive meditation practice, as opposed to regular services for the general community, and seems to be structured in imitation of a traditional monastery. In fact, their website asserts that the decrease in residentially-based Buddhist centers in the US “represents a weakening of the Dharma in the west,” and that “authentic” teachings can only be passed on in a residential or retreat context (“Surmang Kagyu Order,” DMC website). The DMC includes housing for residents and offers residential training in which students may pay to reside at the center for one month or a full year. They also offer solitary cabin retreats in which students may rent a cabin for a minimum of one week. Prices for the various types of retreats are listed right in their descriptions, and fall around $700 per month or $50 per night at the center. The website includes a detailed schedule for residents, each hour of the day regimented from wake-up at 6am to lights-out at 10pm. Each day, residents are scheduled for five to seven hours of meditation practice and four hours of work maintaining the center; meals and short periods of free time are also schedules. Residents are expected to leave the center only on days off (“Residential Programs,” DMC website).

Due to their focus on the transmission and preservation of Tibetan teachings, great importance is placed by the DMC upon lineage and the passage of enlightenment from teacher to student throughout time. The DMC emphasizes the teacher/student dynamic and the direct transmission of teachings from an enlightened master to his pupils in the context of a sangha that resides together as a community. Armstrong encourages the notion that the enlightened master is essentially an infallible figure; his argument seems to be that an enlightened Buddhist master is not a moral agent but simply a vessel for wisdom and truth, a holder of enlightenment who must be respected due to the fact that they embody the traditional teachings. This view influences the temple’s response to a scandal that occurred in the late 1980s; the DMC website devotes a significant amount of space to addressing this incident, in which one of Tashi Armstrong’s enlightened teachers, the Vajra Regent Osel Tendzin, contracted AIDS and was accused of infecting a young man within his sangha through unprotected sex without disclosing his diagnosis (“Our Lineage,” Dzogchen Meditation Center website). This resulted in scandal and controversy throughout the Tibetan Buddhist community in the US, creating confusion and stress about how to handle the misconduct of a master. Some chose to disengage themselves from Vajradhatu International due to the actions of the Vajra Regent and some continued to support him (New York Times). The DMC represents the latter position, maintaining that the Vajra Regent is free of blame for the incident and should still be honored as an enlightened master, and that his teachings should still be preserved and passed along. The statement on the matter that is given on the Center’s website claims that they do not believe that it was Tendzin who infected the young man in the sangha. The website also contains a transcript of Kalu Rinpoche’s comments and instructions regarding the incident, a record of students’ questions about the incident and his answers to them. In this record, Kalu Rinpoche, a master from Tibet who spoke on the incident (New York Times) essentially states that Tendzin is not to be held accountable for the incident and that the students should still treat him with the respect afforded to an enlightened master. Armstrong himself claims that “no matter what the conventional appearance may seem the lineage holder is manifesting coemergent wisdom” (“Our Lineage,” Dzogchen Meditation Center website). Armstrong references the deceptive and unreal nature of appearances, using the concept of emptiness to suggest that the actions of Tendzin cannot necessarily be morally judged, and what really matters is the wisdom and teachings held by the enlightened master, who is the source of this wisdom for his students and the vessel through which it is preserved and transmitted across time.

The Dozogchen Meditation Center is an interesting example of a western Buddhist temple that is primarily focused on retreats and residential instruction in meditative practices, and on direct transmission of Tibetan teachings from the earliest days of the tradition, providing opportunities for western practitioners seeking a traditional form of Tibetan Buddhist experience and practice. It is also an intriguing example of one possible way a Buddhist community could respond to allegations of morally questionable behavior on the part of one of the respected leaders within their lineage.

 

Sources

DMC website: http://www.dzogchenmeditation.com/

Zaslowsky, Dyan. “Buddhists in U.S. Agonize on AIDS Issue.” New York Times 21 Feb. 1989 (https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/21/us/buddhists-in-us-agonize-on-aids-issue.html?module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=U.S.&action=keypress&region=FixedLeft&pgtype=article)