The Quan Am Buddhist monastery was established on April 15th, 2002 by Ven. Thich Nguyen Tang and the Memphis Vietnamese Buddhist community. The monastery was primarily built as a gathering place for the pre-existing Vietnamese community of Memphis; however, as it has grown and began to take in more Western peoples, its work has shifted towards the development of Vietnamese Buddhist culture in America. The teachings given have a great range from guidance of meditation, yoga, chanting, and tai chi, to services given on the Dharma and sutras. All such teachings are given according to the Mahayana tradition.
The founder, Senior Venerable Thich Nguayen Tang, is of the Lin-chi Zen school. Specifically, the 44th generation of the Lin-chi sect, of the Lieu Quan Dharma School – tenth generation, and of the Order of the Unified Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Australia. He has contributed greatly to the translation of Vietnamese Buddhist texts into English, and he has also written and published several original works. [ed.: Perhaps these works were translated from English to Vietnamese?]
Edited and translated works:
- 2500 years of Buddhism. S. Radhakishnan. Translated by Thich Nguyen Tang.
- 12 ways to create good karma. Lillian Too. Translated by Thich Nguyen Tang.
- World Buddhist Characters. Translated by Thich Nguyen Tang.
- Samten’s Reincarnation story. Translated by Thich Nguyen Tang.
- Dutt, Nalinakasha. (1998) Buddhist Sects in India. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Publications, 1st 1977. Translated by Thich Nguyen Tang.
- William Peiris (1973). The Western Contributions to Buddhism. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publications. Translated by Thich Nguyen Tang.
- Alexandera Eliot (1976) Zen Edge. Thames & Hudson, London. Translated by Thich Nguyen Tang.
- What is Buddhism? Venerable Ajahn Bramavamso. (translated) (2010)
- Die in Peace, Reincarnate Joyfully. (Translated with HT Nhu Dien) (2011)
- A History of Australian Buddhism. Paul Croucher. (Edited) (2012)
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, My Son. (Autobiography of Mother Diki Tsering) (2013-2015)
- Memorial Proceedings of Venerable Thich Minh Tam. (Edited) (2015)
- Proceedings of the 5th Congress of the Australian Cattholic Church. (Edited) (2016)
- Proceedings of Gratitude to the Venerable Thich Huyen Ton (Edited). (2016)
- Proceedings of Gratitude to the Most Venerable Thich Nhu Hue (Edited). (2016)
- Commemorative Proceedings of Venerable Thich Nhu Hue. (Edited) (2017)
Original Works:
- A Modern Religion (1995)
- Questions of Westerners when learning Buddhism (1998)
- His Holiness of Dalai Lama, Herald of Peace (2000)
- Death and Rebirth (Published in Saigon 2000, reprinted in Australia: 2001, in the US: 2002, in Saigon 3 times: 2002, 2003, and 2004)
- International Buddhism (2001)
- Compassion and Personality (2002)
- Master Tinh Khong, The One Who Spreads Pure Land Teachings Through Education (2003)
- The Influence of Buddhism in the Lives of Vietnamese People (2003)
- Indian Buddhist Philosophy (2004)
- Most Venerable Tinh Khong (2004)
- Reincarnation & Western Buddhism (2005)
- The Power of Kindness (2007)
- The Emerald Buddha & the Wish for World Peace (2009)
- Proceedings of the 20th Anniversary of Quang Duc Monastery (2014)
- Meditation on Life and Death, A Practical Guide (2017)
In Vietnam, a Buddhist monastery is run and maintained entirely by its monks, however this monastery has very few monks (last recorded as having two in June, 2003). Most donations made to the monastery are also monetary, so the monks must operate by driving to stores and making purchases. However, their schedules are still spent much like any other Monks would be. The following schedule comes from an account in Harvard University’s Pluralism Project archive:
On Friday evenings a Dharma talk is given from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sundays there is an extended ceremony from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. The service consists first of chanting in English and then in Vietnamese. Afterwards, the community has lunch together and afterwards the members often help with the upkeep of the monastery.
The monastery has a separate youth ceremony dedicated not only to the instruction of meditation but also Vietnamese. Children often play volleyball after the service.
The two main events the monastery hosts are Parent Day in September and Buddha’s Birthday in May. Each of these days draws nearly 500 to 600 Vietnamese Buddhists from the Mid-south including Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Daily activities of a monk at the monastery:
5:30-7 a.m. chanting/ meditation
6-7 a.m. chanting
7-7:30 a.m. breakfast of rice or cucumbers and melons grown in the monastery garden
10:30 a.m. offering of rice at the altar
11:30 a.m. lunch
12-2:30 p.m. Sutra study
3:00 p.m. offering to hungry ghost
4-5 p.m. mindful meditation
5-6 p.m. teach English to Vietnamese elderly
6-7 p.m. dinner
7-8:30 p.m. chanting/ meditation
8:30 p.m. day’s reflection
Apart from the monk’s practices, the monastery provides services of instruction and teaching to its members. The services conform to the American (and Christian) practice of worship on Sunday. Small retreats are occasionally held at the monastery on weekends (and sometimes up to 5 days) as well. These are often workshop-like instructions for Tai Chi, Yoga, and Meditation, sometimes all at once. The retreats tend to also include vegetarian meals provided for the participants. The occasional five day long retreats are headed either by the resident monks, or by visiting monks from varying monasteries in Asia.
The monastery, just as much as it is a place of study and Buddhist practice, is a community gathering place. When it was first opening in 2002, the population of community members was roughly 85 Vietnamese to 15 Westerners. That number has now greatly shifted to include many more Western members, many of which are interested in meditation and yogic practices. The grounds hold a dining hall, where all are welcome to receive a meal prepared by the community, and play areas for the children, like a small playground and a basketball court.
