181124 Hsi Lai Temple. Los Angeles

2018-11-24.

After Thanksgiving, go out for a walk and eat.

I have wanted to visit Xilai Temple for a long time. It’s not that I did anything wrong, nor did I ask Bodhisattva for anything. I just want to see something that calms my mind. In this world of strife, find a place to go and be extraordinary.

When you meet the Buddha, you should pay attention to each other and not pay attention to each other. Both parties are free and easy.

The following is an introduction about Hsi Lai Temple found on the Internet:

Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple is located on the hillside south of Hacienda Heights (Hacienda Heights) in Los Angeles, California, USA. "Xilai Temple" means "Buddhism comes from the West". That is to say, Buddhism was spread from east to west, thereby promoting cultural exchanges between the East and the West, allowing Westerners to correctly understand Buddhism, allowing Mahayana Buddhism to take root and develop in the Western world, benefit all living beings, and realize the "Buddha's Light Illuminates Three Times" as set forth by Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan. Thousands of realms, the water of Dharma always flows to the five continents."

The official name of Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple registered in the United States is the "International Buddhist Progress Society", and it is the first monastery established by Fo Guang Shan in the United States. Since its establishment in 1978, it has gone through six public hearings and more than 100 coordination meetings, and construction started in 1986. The consecration of the Buddha statue was held on July 24, 1988. On November 26 of the same year, the inauguration ceremony and the teaching of the Three Altar Precepts, the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, etc. were held.

The appearance of Hsi Lai Temple is a traditional and beautiful Chinese building. It is located on a hill, covering an area of ??15 acres, with a construction area of ??more than 100,000 square feet. It is commanding and majestic. The interior includes: Main Hall, Five Holy Halls, Zen Hall, Assembly Hall, Dharma Hall, Living Room, Zhaitang, Classrooms, Offices, Huai En Hall, Library, Chaoshan Hall, Fo Guang Yuan Art Museum, Dishuifang, Fo Guang Bookstore, Xilai School and International School Translation Center, etc., it is an international ashram that integrates Eastern and Western cultures, combines tradition and modernity, and has multi-functional Dharma propagation equipment.

Hsi Lai Temple adheres to Fo Guang Shan's four major purposes of "promoting Buddhism through culture, cultivating talents through education, benefiting society through charity, and purifying people's hearts through spiritual practice" and actively promotes various methods of promoting Dharma and benefiting living beings in the West. career and promote humanistic Buddhism. In order to allow the public to have a deeper understanding of Hsi Lai Temple, we would like to introduce the various constructions and activities of Hsi Lai Temple as follows: Mountain Gate, Five Holy Temples, Lingshan Scenic Spot, Buddha Avenue, Cihang Pudu, Main Hall, Bells, Drums, Others Facilities etc.

This is Master Hsing Yun who founded Xilai Temple. Yangzhou native. He has been a monk since childhood and is still alive and well, now in his 90s. He has a kind face and a kind heart, is unpretentious, informal, speaks plainly, and is approachable.

Like a smile? Like roaring? It all depends on your state of mind.

In fact, this is a waste collection tank

This is the entrance to a museum. It contains many very precious Buddhist items. It's a pity that you can't take pictures. A photography exhibition is being held inside. A doctor in the United States spent several years traveling in India and Central and South Asian countries and took many photos of Buddhism in these countries, which are very rare. At first glance, it's obvious that a lot of thought and effort was put into it. I had the opportunity to chat with the photographer for a while. I feel deeply that these photos are not easy to come by.

There is a bookstore inside the temple. Not very big, but quite elegant and clean.

The reading area in the bookstore

The layout of the temple is basically renovated according to the traditional Chinese pattern: everything is stable, rising layer by layer, surrounded by cloisters, and darkly filled with vitality.

Life in the corner

Surrounding cloister

Bells and drums are indispensable items in Chinese temple architecture.

18 Arhats

Guanyin and several of her men

The flowers and plants here all have a bit of Buddha nature

Various Buddha images< /p>

Mortal