Hsi Lai Temple

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The "Path To Buddhahood" courtyard, linking both the Bodhisattva hall and the Main Shrine.

Hsi Lai Temple (TC: 西來寺; PY: Xīlái Sì) (approximate pronunciation She Lye) is a traditional Chinese Buddhist mountain monastery. It is located on the foothill region of Hacienda Heights, California, USA, a suburb of Los Angeles. The name "Hsi Lai" means Coming West, by which they mean the "Great Buddhadharma Coming West."

The temple is affiliated with Taiwan's largest religious organization, the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order, founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. It is one of the first branch temples the order has built. Hsi Lai was the site of the founding of Buddha's Light International Association, which was established in 1991. The temple, like its mother temple in Taiwan, follows the Rinzai Zen school of Buddhism, and also follows the Pure Land School.

The current abbot of the temple is Venerable Hui Chi, and the current deputy abbot is Venerable Hui Sheng.

1 History
- 1.1 University of the West
2 Sites
3 Attraction and services offered
4 Dharma services
- 4.1 Larger Dharma functions held
5 1996 Presidential Election controversy
6 Claims of the largest monastery in the Western Hemisphere
7 Past Abbots and Abbesses of Hsi Lai
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

[edit] History

Hsi Lai Temple and its surroundings

In 1976, Master Hsing Yun represented a Buddhist group from Taiwan to participate in America's bicentennial celebration. Many American friends asked Master Hsing Yun to build a monastery in the US. Therefore, Fo Guang Shan asked the Venerable Tzu Chuang (Upon the inception of the temple, became the founding and first abbess of Hsi Lai Temple) and Yi Heng to plan and organize the construction of the temple in the Greater Los Angeles area. It was officially registered under the name of International Buddhist Progress Society. Until the temple was complete, Ven. Tzu Chuang bought an old church building, which was to be Hsi Lai's temporary headquarters. The original temple, located in the city of Maywood was called Bai Ta (White Pagoda) Temple.

The planning and construction of the temple in the 1980s was met with suspicion and resistance from local residents outside of the Asian/Buddhist community, many of whom knew little about Buddhism or had negative attitudes. Some main reasons for resistance against the building of the temple was the promise of weekly services, heavy traffic, and noise.

Originally, they had planned to build the temple in the South Bay, Los Angeles area, but was blocked from acquiring land. They also tried to acquire Pyrenees Castle in Alhambra (formerly the residence of Phil Spector), but to no avail. The building of the temple survived six public hearings and 165 explanatory sessions. Finally in 1985, the temple was finally granted a building permit. The groundbreaking ceremony was held the following year, and was completed on November 26th, 1988.

The temple was finished at a cost of $10 million. Such negative feelings about the building of Hsi Lai have diminished as the general level of awareness has been raised and as the temple and its residents have proven to be good neighbors. In addition, when the temple opened, the Master blessed the land from the highest point on the property, and some believe that the blessing brings good fortune and will raise property values.

Immediately after its opening, Hsi Lai was the venue of many important events. The 16th General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists and the 7th conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth was held from November 19th to the 26th, an international Triple Platform Full Ordination Ceremony for monastics was held for over a month, and a Liberation Rite of Water and Land, the first of its kind in North America, was held prior to the temple's opening.

[edit] University of the West

Main article: University of the West

In 1990, in conjunction to the completion of Hsi Lai Temple, Master Hsing Yun founded Hsi Lai University, one of sixteen Buddhist colleges and universities operated by Fo Guang Shan. The university was relocated in Rosemead, California in 1996. It is one of the first Buddhist colleges in the United States.

There are departments for Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Buddhist studies, comparative religious studies, and a Master of Business Administration program is also offered.

In 2004, the university changed its name to the University of the West and appointed Dr. Lewis Lancaster, a religion professor at UC Berkeley and longtime member of Fo Guang Shan, as president. Dr. Roger Schmidt became Lancaster's successor in 2006.

[edit] Sites

The Arhat Garden in the temple

The Bodhisattva Hall (五聖殿): The first shrine before entering the temple. It is a large hall that honors five Bodhisattvas, Samantabhadra (Pǔxián), Ksitigarbha (Dìzàng), Maitreya (Mílè), Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin), and Manjushri (Wenshu). Outside the shrine, on each side, honors the Bodhisattvas Skanda (Weituo) and Sangharama (Qielan).
The Arhat Garden (十八羅漢): Located on the left of the temple, it contains 18 statues of the earliest known disciples of the Buddha.
The Avalokitesvara Garden (慈航普度): Located on the right of the temple, it is also known as the "Salvation Garden". It contains the acolytes of Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin) and statues of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Founder's Statue (創辦人星雲大師雕像): A statue of Venerable Master Hsing Yun. It is a bronze effigy of the master in a very lifelike pose, stepping forward with a heroic stride. The statue is behind the Bodhisattva hall, facing the main shrine.
Main Shrine (大雄寶殿): The heart of the temple's activities. It contains the statues of the historical Sakyamuni Buddha (Shijiamounifo), Amitabha Buddha (Omituofo), and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha (Yaoshifo). Thousands of niches containing an image of the Buddha can be seen on the walls. Outside, a large bell and drum can be seen on either side. Traditionally in many Chinese Ch'an temples, they are played daily to ready monastics for daily practice. Hsi Lai does not use these instruments regularly because of their loud volume when played, and there are residential areas at the foot of the temple. The bell and drum are only used to mark special occurrences.
Requiem Pagoda (懷恩堂): Located at the summit of Hsi Lai, it honors those who have died. In the past, it was also a mausoleum, but since there was no more room for urns to be interred, the urns were moved to a new Buddhist mausoleum built by Hsi Lai Temple in 1999, located at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier. The Requiem Pagoda is now for people who entered their loved one's names in the pagoda, and can only be accessed by request.
Meditation Hall (禪堂): Located on the back of the main shrine, and next to the monastic dorm rooms, meditation classes are held here.
Dining Hall (五觀堂): Vegetarian buffets are served here every day for lunch only, and sometimes dinner on special days. Each person can make a voluntary donation for their lunch.
Translation and Publishing Center (佛光山國際翻譯中心與佛光出版社): The Fo Guang Shan International Translation Center and Buddha's Light Publishing are located on the very top of the temple complex cross facing to the Requiem Pagoda. BLP was established to publish Buddhist books translated by F.G.S.I.T.C. as well as other valuable Buddhist works. BLP is committed to building bridges between East and West, Buddhist communities, and cultures.

[edit] Attraction and services offered

A bell within the grounds of Hsi Lai. It has been only used during special services, since loud ringing might disturb the neighbors at the foot of the temple.

Because of the temple's beautiful surroundings and various facilities, Hsi Lai is a popular venue for tourists interested in knowing more about Chinese culture and Buddhism, even being coined the "Forbidden City of America". Over the years since its foundation, Hsi Lai has been a favorable site for school field trips, business trips, organization meets, and a center for interreligious dialogue. The temple facilities have been utilized for over ten thousand occasions and group activities with favorable feedback.

Not only does Hsi Lai have workshops on Buddhism, the temple also holds workshops on a wide range of topics including taxation, legal issues, education, immigration, marriage, family discipline, etc. Many of the temple's invited speakers or members are experts in their respective fields who are willing to share their knowledge for the benefit of others.

[edit] Dharma services

Regular Dharma services are held on some Sunday and weekday mornings, usually chanting various sutras such as the Diamond Sutra or the Amitabha Sutra. Meditation sessions, retreats and Buddhism classes, are held on some days of the week, which are offered in both English and Chinese. Monks and nuns who reside at the temple speak a variety of languages besides Mandarin, primarily English and Cantonese, are available to perform weddings or funerals services.

Many larger services Hsi Lai holds annually mostly revolve around filial piety, the Buddhist and Taoist philosophy of love and respect for one's parents and ancestors. In the spring, they hold a large service in commemoration of Ching Ming, a traditional Chinese festival where many pay respects to deceased relatives by cleaning their graves. In the summer, they hold a large service in commemoration of Ullambana. During this time, they also hold a ceremony known as Sangha Day, where devotees gather to honor the monastics by offering food to them, as well as offer a public cultural performance, performing classical and traditional Chinese music or elegant solo dances.

Annually, they also have retreats and services for those who wish to take refuge in the Triple Gem, retreats and services for those who wish to receive the five precepts, and even offer a short-term monastic retreat.

[edit] Larger Dharma functions held

Main Hall.

Water Repentance Service (水懺法會): A one day repentance service for filial piety. Held during the Qingming Festival.
Emperor Liang Repentance Service (梁皇法會): A week long repentance service held during Ullambana.
Amitabha 7-day Retreat (彌陀佛七): Seven days of mindful recitation of the Amitabha Sutra and Amitabha's name.
Yogacara Flaming Mouth (瑜伽焰口): A Tantric ceremony inviting and feeding sentient spirits. Held in the afternoon after Sangha Day, and at the end of the Emperor Liang Repentance service.
Great Compassion Repentance Service (大悲懺法會): Monthly service held in the evening on the second Friday. A popular service at Hsi Lai, it involves the recitation of the Great Compassion Mantra, elaborate bowing, offering, and circumbulations.
Grand Offering to Celestial Beings (供佛齋天): A ceremony of Taoist origin. Pays homage to the deity Sakra (Otherwise known as the Jade Emperor in Chinese mythology). Held on Chinese New Year's eve and Chinese New Year day.
Bathing the Buddha Ceremony (浴佛法會): Celebration of the Buddha's Birthday held outside Hsi Lai, and is hosted by other temples in Southern California.
Thousand Buddha Repentance Service (禮千佛法會): Bowing to a total of 3,000 Buddhas; held during the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Waterland Dharma Function (水陸法會): The largest Buddhist ritual in Chinese Buddhism. Held every four years, Hsi Lai last held this service in 2000 to celebrate the millennium. However because of lack of staff, Waterland has yet to have been initiated and planning of the ceremony was postponed several times. This service involved the invitations of beings of the higher realms to help the beings in the lower realms get out of their sufferings.

[edit] 1996 Presidential Election controversy

Main Article: 1996 United States campaign finance controversy

Vice President Al Gore with Maria Hsia (left), Master Hsing Yun, Ted Sioeng (right), and John Huang (2nd from right in background)

During the 1996 presidential campaign, Vice President Al Gore held a fundraiser at the Hsi Lai Temple. The temple fundraising luncheon attended by Gore was organized by Democratic National Committee fund-raisers John Huang and Maria Hsia. It is illegal under U.S. law for religious organizations to donate money to politicians or political groups due to their tax-free status.

The U.S. Justice Department alleged Hsia facilitated $100,000 in illegal contributions to the 1996 Clinton-Gore re-election campaign through her efforts at the Temple. Hsia was eventually convicted by a jury in March 2000.^[1] The Democratic National Committee eventually returned the money donated by the Temple's monks and nuns. Twelve nuns and employees of the Temple refused to answer questions by pleading the Fifth Amendment when they were subpoenaed to testify before Congress in 1997. ^[2]

[edit] Claims of the largest monastery in the Western Hemisphere

Since 1988, members of Hsi Lai and others have claimed that their temple is the largest temple in the Western Hemisphere. However, the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas situated in Talmage, Northern California has over 80 acres of built-up land on 488 acres of property as compared to Hsi Lai Temples' 15 acres, but rather than a temple complex as is Hsi Lai Temple, the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is more of an entire community with several large buildings clustered together. Therefore, it is unclear which is the largest, as there is a significant difference between the structure and location of the two Buddhist organizations.