An American Buddhist Temple

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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P0int
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An American Buddhist Temple

Post by P0int »

Namo Buddhaya

Hello friends,

There is an effort to establish and American Theravada Buddhist monastery. Buddhist temples in the U.S. have thus far been established by immigrant communities from countries with well established Sanghas, e.g., Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, China, Tibet, etc. These temples do not always have monks and nuns who speak fluent English, which makes it difficult for western people to hear and learn the Dhamma.

There is a call for the founding of an American Buddhist Temple. A place for this community of English speaking monks and nuns has not been erected. It will take the support of the people to build a monastery where the American Sangha can take root, grow, and give it's fruit to the community.

I ask that you help unite a body of people that will support a temple and Sangha. This can be a starting place for the conversation. This is a national effort. America needs a Sangha. This will be the first temple founded, supported and run by American people and American ordained Dhamma teachers.



There is a Facebook group coalescing: Networking Group to Establish an American Buddhist Temple

I hope to move to a broader forum so that non-Facebook users can join in the development and give their support.




With Metta,
Patrick O'Hearn
May you always find peace when remembering the good deeds you have done.

Be Observant.
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mikenz66
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by mikenz66 »

Welcome Patrick,

Some English-speaking organisations already exist, e.g. the Western Monasteries in the Ajahn Chah tradition.
http://forestsangha.org/index.php?optio ... 0&Itemid=9" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Would the organization you proposed make use of an existing ordination lineage?

:anjali:
Mike
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Nicholas Weeks
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

For non-Facebookers (there are still a few) kindly give us more information about the American Bhikkhus who would be running the temple.
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octathlon
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by octathlon »

Respectfully, what is the reasoning for using a Facebook page for this, when it requires people to create a Facebook account to access the site? Like many other people, I don't do Facebook for this and other privacy reasons. Why not use one of the many free web hosting services to create a website for this?
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Dhammakid
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by Dhammakid »

As others have said here, there are American monastic organizations currently operating. And Facebook will only reach facebookers, definitely something to consider. But in any case, it's a great idea and I'm all for it.

Check out the facebook link below in my signature. It's a group I created for Americans aspiring towards ordination in the States. That would be a great place to post your ideas and gain more members for networking. Actually, I think I'll just go ahead and post a link to your group on my page.

:anjali:
Dhammakid
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P0int
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by P0int »

I understand Facebook is not the most accessible place for this network. Thus, I have begun the discussion here at Dhamma Wheel as well. The network may begin in several places but it will centralize when it has some momentum.

Can you refer me to a hosting site, octathlon?

I am glad to discover there is a monastery already founded by someone from western culture. Many people don't know about it. I think that is why there is a sense of lacking when it comes to American Sanghas.

Will, I am working with and studying under the Venerable Bhante Kassapa who was ordained into the Vietnamese Sangha in Florida and is now Assistant Abbot of Buu Mon Temple in Port Arthur, TX. I am not working with anyone else yet. I hope we will find them through networking.

Yes, mikenz66. We must be taught from someone. Western monks and nuns who have been ordained into Sanghas of the orient are wanted to be the teachers at the temple, taking on students and ordaining monks and nuns into the American Sangha. Of course Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis from the East are welcome be present at the temple and give their teachings. I hope they are willing to let the American Sangha take the drivers seat though.

Thank you, Dhammakid. I will share your group as well. The temple I am at has room for people who are moving toward ordination. They can contact Bhante Kassapa.
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Reductor
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by Reductor »

P0int wrote: I am glad to discover there is a monastery already founded by someone from western culture. Many people don't know about it. I think that is why there is a sense of lacking when it comes to American Sanghas.
Perhaps you could prepend "North" to that "American"? Then you could include Birken, which was founded by Abbot Sona, a Canadian.
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by mikenz66 »

Hi P0int,

Thank you for explaining a little more about the background of your teacher. What you are trying to do sounds admirable.
P0int wrote: Yes, mikenz66. We must be taught from someone. Western monks and nuns who have been ordained into Sanghas of the orient are wanted to be the teachers at the temple, taking on students and ordaining monks and nuns into the American Sangha. Of course Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis from the East are welcome be present at the temple and give their teachings. I hope they are willing to let the American Sangha take the drivers seat though.
The ForestSangha monasteries that I linked to above http://forestsangha.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; are currently led by western monks who were students of Ajhan Chah in Thailand back in the 1970s. It seems to me that they are a good model to learn from. I believe that they have been successful for a number of reasons. I think that one important reason is that as Ajahn Chah students they have good status and therefore good support from immigrant Thai and Sri Lankan communities. Building enough support from westerners to run a monastery does not appear to be easy.

Best wishes for your success!

:anjali:
Mike
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P0int
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by P0int »

:anjali:
Thank you, Mike.

This is not an exclusive group, nor will it be an exclusive temple. I feel there needs to be a place we can call our own. It is to be a landmark to show that Buddhism is not just for Asian cultures. It will be a place where American/ English speaking people can feel at home when they visit the Sangha and temple; a domicile for the teachings; a temple to pay homage to the Great Teacher, His Noble Teachings, and the Exemplars on the Path- past, present, and future; and a refuge for those who wish to learn the Dhamma and enter the Sangha.

I recognize Buddhism is becoming more accessible in the west. Thank you, Thereductor. I hope to discover more English speaking Sanghas.

Namo Buddhaya :anjali:
May you always find peace when remembering the good deeds you have done.

Be Observant.
Speak Truth.
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P0int
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by P0int »

Hello friends,

I have taken some advice and created a new site so that all people have access to the group.
http://abng.webs.com/

Also the effort has received some attention:
http://daily.lawton-constitution.com/Re ... kin-custom

Namo Buddhaya
May you always find peace when remembering the good deeds you have done.

Be Observant.
Speak Truth.
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Goofaholix
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by Goofaholix »

Here's a couple more with american/canadian abbots;

http://www.watmetta.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.tisarana.ca/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This one doesn't have an american/canadian abbot but I think it ordains quite a few westerners;

http://www.bhavanasociety.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Most of these we've supplied links to are quite well known.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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P0int
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by P0int »

Thank you for sharing Thai temples with us. Let's see if we can create an American temple. One that will allow American people to meet the Dhamma in a comfortable place. Where they don't feel as though they are walking into another country when stepping through the door. Where they can clearly see how their own people are upholding the teachings of the Buddha. A foundation for an American Dhamma tradition to form.

How is Dhamma going to be recognized as universal if one has to go to Asian cultures to learn anything of it? The Dhamma was brought to lands by traveling monks who taught the people. The people from those lands began interacting with those teachings and spreading them throughout their own society, through their own cultural traditions. The Dhamma is here. Monks from Thailand, Laos, Burma, Sri Lanks, Tibet, Vietnam, Japan, China, etc., have been learning our language and teaching through their own means. The message has been transmitted. Now it is our turn to show that we see the Dhamma and to teach it to our kin.
May you always find peace when remembering the good deeds you have done.

Be Observant.
Speak Truth.
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mikenz66
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by mikenz66 »

Hi Point,

You don't seem to be investigating the institutions that have been mentioned in this thread very thoroughly. These are all institutions led by western people, and mostly populated by western people. Hardly "Thai Temples".

Abhayagiri, in fact, appears to have no Thai monks or nuns at all:
http://www.amaravati.org/abmnew/index.p ... s/index/C9" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.amaravati.org/abmnew/index.p ... s/index/C8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Quite a few from the UK, though...

No Thais here either, just white westerners: http://www.tisarana.ca/includes/server.php?act=resident" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanissaro Bhikkhu, the most famous resident here: http://www.watmetta.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is American. I'm not sure who else is resident.

Oh, there is one Thai here at this Wat in my country: Anagarika Sinjira: http://www.bodhinyanarama.net.nz/default.aspx?PageId=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; but the other people in the picture are Western. The Abbot, Ajahn Tiradhammo is Canadian...

I applaud your aim to establish more western-friendly temples in your country, but I urge you to look carefully at the current ones first.

:anjali:
Mike
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P0int
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by P0int »

I understand there are western people living and practicing at these temples but they are of the Thai Forest Tradition. They practice as the Thai have taught them to. There is nothing wrong with living in a rural area secluded to the forest to practice the Dhamma peacefully. It is not the only way to practice and may not be the ideal setting for all people.

It is a great blessing from the Thai Saṇgha to share the teachings of the Buddha with western people. It is a great blessing from the Thai Saṇgha to found temples that allow western people to practice the Dhamma.

It is a great blessing from all the immigrant Saṇghas to share the teachings of the Buddha with western people. It is a great blessing from all the immigrant Saṇghas to found temples that allow western people to practice and learn the Dhamma.

There are no western, Theravada temples that practice the Dhamma in their own uniquely western way. Our aim is to open a space for western people to develop their own way of meeting with the Dhamma, to have an American tradition form in that space.
May you always find peace when remembering the good deeds you have done.

Be Observant.
Speak Truth.
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Goofaholix
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Re: An American Buddhist Temple

Post by Goofaholix »

P0int wrote:There are no western, Theravada temples that practice the Dhamma in their own uniquely western way. Our aim is to open a space for western people to develop their own way of meeting with the Dhamma, to have an American tradition form in that space.
How would a western/american temple differ from one that draws it's lineage from asia?

If we are looking for an indigenous Buddhism that is free from most asian trappings then I would have thought IMS and Spirit Rock fulfilled that.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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