By Quang Hoang
Chùa Niết Bàn, translated to Nirvana Temple from Vietnamese to English, is a Vietnamese Buddhist monastery aimed at teaching people how to live happily, how to practice mindfulness and meditation, and Buddhist philosophies and history. Located in Manassas, Virginia, Chùa Niết Bàn is an easily accessible monastery from William & Mary where visitors and Buddhists alike can come and practice Buddhism.
This Buddhist community primarily consists of Vietnamese people, and their main language is also Vietnamese, so people who are knowledgeable in the Vietnamese language and would like to practice Buddhism are more than welcome to come to this monastery. English is also spoken here too, but not as much as Vietnamese. People who do not understand Vietnamese or English may have a hard time assimilating into this Buddhist community.
Community’s Founder
The website does not publicly talk about who founded the Buddhist community. However, the current Venerable Abbot for this community is Thích Từ Trung. Thích Từ Trung is the head of the monastery and is very well respected within the community. There is not much public information regarding Thích Từ Trung.
Buddhist traditions and practices
It is no surprise that Chùa Niết Bàn practices Mahayana Buddhism, as this form of Buddhism is very prevalent in Vietnam. They practice meditation and pray to the Buddha for various wishes, including good health, happiness, well-being, and stability. When they pray, they recite verses from either their memories or from Buddhist books. Their recitations are akin to chants and rituals.
In addition to praying and meditating, they have “Buddha Sounds” or “Phật Âm” where the sounds are meant to bring you closer to Buddhism and act akin to subliminal sounds. These videos weave in Buddhist sounds with singing and melody to make the sounds enjoyable. Here is a Buddha Sound video, sung by a woman in Vietnamese, directly from their website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8djyqsBilY
There is also a video “Walking Amidst Impermanence” or “Đi Giữa Vô Thường” that is akin to the video above but brings us to the idea that nothing is permanent and intrinsic. Here is the video sung by a man in Vietnamese which is also directly from their website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL-o82rghaM
Relationships with other communities
There are other Vietnamese-dominated Buddhist communities, such as in California, Texas, and Virginia, but Chùa Niết Bàn is not necessarily associated with those communities. They do not try to collaborate with other temples as they see that their activities and practices are enough to practice Buddhism. Instead, Chùa Niết Bàn opted for a tight community where social interconnections and relationships are naturally valued more.
Community’s constituency
Chùa Niết Bàn is mostly, if not all, Vietnamese people. Judging from their public pictures and videos showcasing the community, there are approximately 200-300 active Vietnamese participants in the community as of 2022. Chùa Niết Bàn is a small and close-knit community where most people know each other well and share the same culture through religion and ethnicity.
Events
For such a tiny community, Chùa Niết Bàn provides a lot of activities and events for visitors and Buddhists to practice. In 2023, Chùa Niết Bàn planned and made an Activities Program page outlining their plan for the 2023 year filled with tons of events and activities.
In 2022, Chùa Niết Bàn held a Spring Retreat Ceremony named “Thousand Hands of Prayer” from March 9 to March 10. This ceremony was held to have many people pray to the Buddhas for good wishes. In addition, they went out to Washington, D.C. purely as a social event to get to know each other better and have fun and enjoy each other’s company.
Complementing the 2023 Activity Program, there are also Buddhist holidays Chùa Niết Bàn celebrates. On some holidays, they have ceremonies and events planned and organized to bring the Buddhist community together. On other holidays, they are only observed.
Understanding and Learning Buddhism
On their website, they have pages dedicated to Buddhist philosophy, history, and culture. The website includes texts from the Dalai Lama, currently Tenzin Gyatso, which they labeled “The Dalai Lama’s Words of Wisdom.” These “words of wisdom” include quotes from the Dalai Lama. These quotes all share similar ideas: loving-kindness to all, compassion and respect towards others and oneself, taking responsibility for one’s actions, and developing spiritual insight. These quotes are given in both English and Vietnamese on the website, and through these quotes, people alien to Buddhism may have a better understanding of what Buddhism is about.
Not only are there readings from the Dalai Lama, but there are also Buddhist texts (page labeled “Buddhist Texts”) under the tab “Buddhism” including teachings directly from the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. This page dedicated to the Buddha’s teachings includes parables and stories to illustrate his teachings and make his teachings clearer. The Buddha’s main goal was to teach living beings the truth about reality, and the page brings home the point that we must love each other and all creatures on this earth. Examples of the Buddha’s teachings on this page include the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha’s Words of Wisdom, akin to the Dalai Lama’s Words of Wisdom, karma, rebirth, dependent origination (cause and effect), the five aggregates, meditation and the Eightfold Path, mindfulness, nirvana, loving-kindness to all, and many more. Readers can have a very nuanced and sophisticated understanding of Buddhism and its science after reading these texts.
Alongside these texts, there is another page labeled “Buddhism” or “Phật Giáo” under the “Literature” or “Văn Học” tab, which is similar to the “Buddhist Texts” page, except it has articles from the Internet that talk more about what the Buddha taught as well as the different types of Buddhisms, such as Theravada, Mahayana, and Zen Buddhism (there is also Tibetan Buddhism, which is talked about in the “Buddhism” tab but is not necessarily talked about in this page). In addition to these various forms of Buddhism, there are also articles discussing the influence of Buddhism on Vietnamese life, how Buddhism became a cultural symbol in Vietnam, how women play a role in Buddhism, the role of teachers in Buddhism, and many more. This page, as opposed to the “Buddhist Texts” page, talks about the practicalities and applications that Buddhism has on the world. Readers who seem skeptical about how useful and practical Buddhism is may feel free to check out this page.
For those who are unfamiliar with Buddhist terminology and words, there is a page labeled “Buddhist Dictionary” under the “Buddhism” tab. Many volumes are added to the page as if there is an encyclopedia of Buddhist terms. These terms are in Vietnamese, with both Vietnamese and English explanations of the terms. There are no English terms, so this encyclopedia of Buddhist terms is recommended for those who are fluent in Vietnamese.
If you click on the “Buddhism” tab, you will find the general idea of Buddhism. For newcomers to Buddhism, this is the page to go to, as you will have a generalized idea of Buddhism after reading the page. Chùa Niết Bàn believes Buddhism was founded by Siddartha Gautama, and the page briefly discusses the most well-known and popular teachings of Buddhism: The Five Moral Precepts, The Four Noble Truths, and The Eightfold Path. The page discusses the ways and path to becoming a Buddha. There is a link to a PDF file titled “Buddhism as a Religion,” which discusses the roots, origins, and history of Buddhism.
Community’s Funding
On their website, they have a Donation section, where people can freely donate to Chùa Niết Bàn through PayPal. The monastery is supported by laypeople who take time out of their lives to support the monks financially whether it be through offerings of food, money, or items. Essentially, the community is funded primarily through donations and free labor – people who are willing to work for free and provide labor to pay respects to the community and the Buddha. Fundraisers are also prevalent in many ways through concerts, dinners, and festivals. In addition to donations, the monks borrow loans from banks and they pay back the banks through the help of laypeople. It is common practice for laypeople to visit weekly and donate food and construction materials in exchange for blessings from the Buddha via praying. With the help of the government providing welfare such as food stamps and financial assistance as well, none of the monks and priests work full-time. Sometimes, they would work, but it would be via religious teachings. Some younger monks would work a regular job, however. Laypeople would pay monks to take in Buddhist teachings from monks. Charities would also practice almsgiving to this community.
Contact Information
Address: 8105 Willard Lane, Manassas, VA 20112
Phone Number: ( 703) 791-5323
Website: https://nietbantemple.com/