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General Buddhism => General Buddhism => Topic started by: kris on November 03, 2012, 05:21:28 PM
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I get to know City of Ten Thousand Buddhas from a friend by chance. Anyone here know about this and has anyone been here before? I am really happy to find out this place and rejoice to know what has been achieved.
From their website: http://www.cttbusa.org/ (http://www.cttbusa.org/)
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Ten_Thousand_Buddhas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Ten_Thousand_Buddhas)
The City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas (pinyin: Wànfó Shèngchéng, Vietnamese: Chùa V?n Ph?t Thánh Thành) is an international Buddhist community and monastery founded by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, an important figure in Western Buddhism. It is one of the first Chinese Zen Buddhist temples in the United States, and one of the largest Buddhist communities in the Western Hemisphere.
The city is situated in Talmage, Mendocino County, California about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Ukiah, and 110 miles (180 km) north of San Francisco. It was one of the first Buddhist monasteries built in the United States. The temple follows the Guiyang Ch'an School, one of the five houses of classical Chinese Ch'an. The city is noted for their close adherence to the vinaya, the austere traditional Buddhist monastic code.
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The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is situated in Talmage, Mendocino County, about 110 miles north of San Francisco. It occupies an area of 488 acres, of which about 80 acres are presently been used. The rest of the land includes meadows, orchards, and forests. Large institutional buildings and smaller residential houses are scattered over the west side of the property. The main Buddha hall and monastic facilities, the educational institutes, the administrative offices, the main kitchen and dining hall, the vegetarian canteen, and supporting structures are all located in this complex. The environment is quiet and peaceful. The air is fresh and pure. It is the first large Buddhist Way-place in the States. It is also an international Way-place of Proper Dharma. It is said, "Welling up from the ground, the land of jeweled kingdom appeared." In the City, the light house of world Buddhism, there is no discrimination regarding religion, race, nationality, or age.
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It’s amazing to know about there is such a great Buddhist monastic community in US. It is established by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua who wanted to wanted to establish a center for propagating the Buddhadharma throughout the world and for introducing the Buddhist teachings, which originated in the East, to the Western world. He planned to create a fountainhead of world Buddhism and an international monastery of orthodox Dharma for the purpose of elevating the moral standards and raising people’s awareness.
It comprises about 70-80 buildings. Originally, it is a state hospital that closed down due to the water supply crisis. However, Venerable Master Hsuan Hua found the underwater source and solved the water problem.
It is an established educational Buddhism institute with has Instilling Goodness Elementary School, Developing Virtue Secondary School, Dharma Realm Buddhist University and Sangha and Laity Training Programs. It also has a gallery, a vegetarian restaran, monasteries, libraries and translation centre where over a hundred volumes of Buddhist scriptures have been translated into English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages here, laying a solid foundation for the dissemination of the Buddhadharma in the West.
Rejoice to know about this place where Buddhism are propagated and spread to the west.
The link to see the slideshow of The City of 10,000 Buddhas: http://www.cttbusa.org/cttbtour/cttb1.asp (http://www.cttbusa.org/cttbtour/cttb1.asp)
Official website in Chinese: http://www.cttbchinese.org/ (http://www.cttbchinese.org/)
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This is such a beautiful place. They have created a spiritual place blending nature with Chinese influenced Buddhist temples and building for people a place to learn and practice spirituality. This is a good example of how we can live together with the environment harmoniously. They provided everything for people there to experience and learn about Buddhism from vegetarian restaurant, and gallery to libraries, translation center and monasteries. Many people who go there for visit and to learn will be blessed and have the chance to transform their lives with all facilities and opportunities to involve in Dharma activities.
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This is a really beautiful place. The concept is A city within a city. There are 10,000 Buddhas in the main prayer room. What a beautiful sight. Hopefully there will be a resurgence of interest in Chinese Buddhism in the West.
Tame and friendly peacocks roaming around. As this place is huge, make sure you have a map of the place with you.
If you like vegetarian food, try out the restaurant!! They have some really great stuff. I'm usually a bit wary of fake meat, but the cooks at this place have fake meat down to a science! Also take note of the fun street names. Have fun visiting. I did, two years ago.
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Wow! This is the 1st time I heard of this place. Can you imagine the amount of merits from the circumambulation? :o
This would be a great place to visit and experience the peace. They practically have everything! From meditation to food to university! Master Hua is incredible! Bringing Dharma to the west and made it so big there! Rihanna, I envy you! From what you say, it sounds like a must visit! I wonder if one can stay there and do a retreat?
(http://www.cttbusa.org/cttbphotos/rowsofbuddhas.jpg)
http://www.cttbusa.org/cttb.html (http://www.cttbusa.org/cttb.html)
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[imghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a2/CTTB_from_Air.jpg/275px-CTTB_from_Air.jpg]http://[/img]
Sites of interest
1. The Jeweled Hall of 10,000 Buddhas
2. Hall of No Words
3. Dharma Realm Buddhist University
4. Jyun Kang Vegetarian Restaurant
5. Tathagata (Rulai) Monastery
6. Great Compassion Courtyard
7. Bell and Drum House
8. Tower of Blessings
9. Wonderful Words Hal
10. Five Contemplations Dining Hall
11. Instilling Goodness Elementary and Developing Virtue Secondary Schools
12. Organic Farm
With so many interesting sites, this place is a community on its own.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/CTTBgate.jpg/250px-CTTBgate.jpg)
Bambi : they do have dormitories for guests and visitors but I would suggest that you contact them directly if you are interested to do your retreat there.
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Dharma Realm Buddhist Association purchase the City of the Ten Thousand Buddhas on 1974 and has established an international center thereby by 1976 the city comprises 488 acres of land,about 25 times the size of White House.
Originally,this has been the site of a large state hospital constructed by the Californian Government beginning in the 1930's.All the building and facilities were first class.There were over 70 large buildings,over 2,000 rooms of various sizes,three gymnasiums,a fire station,a swimming pool,a refuse incinerator,fire hydrants and various others facilities.
The venerable Master Hua personally visited the valley three times and negotiated with the seller many times.
He wanted to established a center for propagating the Buddhadharma throughout the world and for introducing the Buddhist teachings,which originated in the East,to the Western world.He planned to create a fountainhead of world Buddhism and an international monastery of orthrodox Dharma for the purpose of elevating moral standards and raising people awareness.
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Few years ago I was there upon invitation from a friend of mine who was attending a meditation class there then. The monastery is so gorgeous and is so vast, having all the necessary amenities of city within a city for visitors to go to. What attracts me was the roaming peacocks, pheasants, dear, squirrels amidst the living quarters of the monks. Was told that the peacocks came by themselves to the premise there! The monastery itself is wonderful and serene to be there too. There are schools for boys and girls. What more interesting is their street signs - Funny! A place worth going to.
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Born from the pure vision of Master Hsuan Hua, conceived with great compassion, realized with intense vigor, and dedicated to the spiritual upliftment of all beings, the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas became a reality in 1976 and the inauguration of the 10,000 Buddha images was held on October 31, 1982.
It is one of the largest Buddhist monastic communities in North America and the residents adhere to a strict/austere monastic way of life. It currently comprises approximately 700 acres of land with many buildings and the original site is a mental hospital. It is a beautiful serene place and is a city within a city. There are even peacocks roaming around and the fruits and vegetables are free from pesticides.
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In one of Master Hsuan Hua's Dharma talks, he described the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. To me, it sounds like a Buddha land.
"The states which occur at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas are inconceivable, to the point that all the birds and beasts, all the flowers and grasses, all the trees and herbs exemplify the Dharma, speak the Dharma, and practice the Dharma. Although grasses, trees, and flowers don't actually speak, nonetheless they embody the ineffable wonder of the Buddhadharma. They are,
Apart from the mark of language and speech,
Apart from the mark of the mind's conditions,
Apart from the mark of the written word.
In all four seasons - spring, summer, fall, and winter - they represent the Buddhadharma.
In the spring the white flowers bloom.
In the autumn the yellow leaves fall.
If you can understand the principle behind the myriad transformations of nature, you will become enlightened. That is how Those Enlightened to Conditions awaken to the truth. They contemplate the Twelve Causal Conditions - all of which exemplify the Dharma.
All the creatures here at the City are speaking the Dharma. Black crows caw and white cranes call, each with its own sound. Black crows and white cranes - isn't that a matched couplet? Then there are the bluejays, who are the thieves of the group....
Isn't it strange that before I made the announcement that everyone should take special care in protecting the wildlife here those foxes seldom showed themselves, but now that I've made that announcement, they are seen all the time in the most public places and don't seem the least bit afraid of people any more. If you walk past them, they will even parade before you. They'll greet you first! That's why it is said,
All living beings have the Buddhanature;
All can become Buddhas.
They are here accompanying us in cultivating the Dharma. In every single dust mote here there are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas cultivating the way. If you did not have great good roots from past lives, you wouldn't get to come and live here. So don't take it for granted! (From "Listen to Yourself; Think Everything Over", Vol. Two, by Master Hsuan Hua)
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Master Tsuan Hua was born in 1908 in Shuang Cheng County, Northeast China. He was the youngest of eight children. Shortly before the Master was born, his mother had a dream in which she saw Amitabha Buddha emitting light from between his eyebrows that illuminated the entire world system of one billion worlds. When she awoke, the room was filled with a rare fragrance.
When he was nineteen, his mother died. He became a monk and observed a three year mourning beside his mother's grave. He cultivated dhyana samadhi, reciting the name of Amita Buddha, eating one meal a day and always sitting, never lying down. One night, many people observed a brilliant light shooting up into the air from his hut as if it had caught fire. But the hut was unburned and the Master was sitting in meditation.
One day, the sixth patriarch Hui Neng of the Tang Dynasty came and told him that he would go to the West. After the Second World War, the Master travelled to Pu Tou Mountain where he received the complete Bhikshu precepts. When he arrived at Nan Hua Monastery, he received the mind-seal from Master Hsu Yun and became the Ninth Patriarch of the Wei Yang Lineage. In 1950, he resigned from the post of Director of the Nan Hua Institute and left for Hong Kong where he lived in the mountainside and later helped other sangha members to establish new monasteries in Hong Kong.
In 1962, he went to the United States and lived in San Francisco. In 1968, he declared that the flower of Buddhism would bloom with five petals. That year, he conducted the Surangama Sutra Dharma Assembly which lasted 96 days. Five of the people who attended that session became monks and nuns.
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Wow! Such an amazing place. With compassion, The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua had developed a heaven for all the sentient beings not just human, yes, it is a place for all the animals as well.
"Isn’t it strange that before I made the announcement that everyone should take special care in protecting the wildlife here those foxes seldom showed themselves, but now that I’ve made that announcement, they are seen all the time in the most public places and don’t seem the least bit afraid of people any more. If you walk past them, they will even parade before you. They’ll greet you first! That’s why it is said,
All living beings have the Buddhanature;
All can become Buddhas.
They are here accompanying us in cultivating the Dharma. In every single dust mote here there are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas cultivating the Way. If you did not have great good roots from past lives, you wouldn’t get to come and live here. So don’t take it for granted!"
Master Hsuan Hua
So as a human being, rejoice because we are be able to receive Dharma directly, we should make use of every day and strive to be better, not only in samsara but more so in spiritual!
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What a wonderful monastery that 1st set up in America.
Although Buddhism spread throughout Asia it remained virtually unknown in the West until modern times. The early missions sent by the emperor Ashoka to the West did not bear fruit.
Knowledge of Buddhism has come through three main channels: Western scholars; the work of philosophers, writers and artists; and the arrival of Asian immigrants who have brought various forms of Buddhism with them to Europe, North America and Australia.
The 'come and see for yourself' attitude of Buddhism attracts many Westerners. They are not asked to believe in anything, but to follow the Buddha's advice of testing ideas first.
With the growth of easy travel and communications, the West has been able to find out more about Buddhism in this century than in all the time before. The informality and emphasis on practice of Buddhism appeals to many Westerners.
Buddhist attitudes of peace, mindfulness and care for all living creatures have come to be the concern of many groups in the West. Buddhist believe that all things should be looked after: the earth, plants, birds, insects and animals. This is close to the feeling among many people in recent years that the human race should stop polluting the atmosphere and destroying the surface of the earth by cutting down forests.
It was not until the second half of the twentieth century that Buddhist ideas reached a wider section of the American society. American servicemen returning from East Asia after the Second World War and Korean War, brought with them an interest in Asian culture which included Nichiren Shoshu and Zen Buddhism. The latter gained considerable popularity in the nineteen-sixties among literary and artistic groups in America and this helped to popularise Buddhism. When Tibetan refugees began arriving in America after 1959, they brought with them Vajrayana Buddhism. Soon it gained a substantial following there. During the postwar period, academic interest grew. Many new departments of Buddhist studies were established in the American universities.
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I rejoice for such accomplishment. As the world is progressing but individual spirituality is degenerating. Many of the spiritual organizations have developed their organizations in a way to provide education to people instead of just a temple to make offerings. Unlike the olden days, people rely on making offerings and talking to statues or mediums for advice.
With today's generation, we debate what is logic and right and this is where many are attracted Buddhadharma because of its logic and philosophy behind. As the monastery studies and texts are opened to the public, many of the Buddhist organizations were building institution for learning. And through this way can reach out to many. I pray that more of these kind aroses to benefit the beings.
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I had the opportunity to visit the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) in 2004 for the 10,000 Buddhas Bowing Repentance retreat in 2004. It was a liberating experience. On top of what was written and explained above by other members, I am most impressed with the 10,000 Buddha's Hall which was previously a gymnasium. The 1,000 arms and 1000 eyes Avalokiteshvara statue is most impressive and that hall is surrounded by 10,000 buddha statues known to be hand made by Master Hsuan Hua himself and his disciples.
A day in the retreat which I went through:
5am - morning recitation and prayers
630am - breakfast
8am - start of retreat (bowing while praising the buddhas)
845am - break
9am - retreat resume
945am - break
10am - retreat resume
1045am - break
11am - food offering and prayers
1145am - Lunch
2pm - retreat resume
245pm - break
3pm - retreat resume
345pm - break
4pm - retreat resume
5pm - end of retreat for the day
6pm - dinner
730pm - dharma talk
10pm - rest
It is a two weeks retreat to recite all 10,000 Buddhas and prostration. Each day it would be about 500 prostrations being done in the prayer hall. It is a purification process. I remember the first day I started the retreat, I had massive headaches each time I bow down. But as the days progresses, the headaches were lessened.
It was my first experience living amongst Sangha members and that way of life is simple and nice. There were hundreds of people doing the retreat with us from all over the world. And it is a yearly retreat.
I also had the opportunity to visit the other centres established by Master Hsuan Hua in Berkley University, San Jose, San Franscisco and Sacremento. It is amazing that Master Hsuan Hua has established many centres around the world. Rejoice that Buddhism is growing.
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Anyway, Master Hsuan Hua is actually a Zen teacher. He is also a lineage holder for the Chinese schools of Buddhism.
6th patriarch (this is what the Chinese call their lineage masters) Hui Neng --> Hsu Yun --> Hsuan Hua
the centerpiece teaching of Master Hsuan Hua is the Shuragama Sutra - a sutra that that resembles the lamrim in many ways. He emphasized on that teaching very much all the way until he passed on. What is extremely interesting is that the mantra version of this sutra is known as Sitapatra Dharani, which is Dukkar herself.
Doctrinal orientation
The ??ra?gama S?tra contains teachings from Yog?c?ra, Tath?gatagarbha, and Esoteric Buddhism.[3][8] It makes use of Buddhist Logic, with its methods of syllogism and the fourfold negation (Skt. catu?ko?i), first popularized by N?g?rjuna.[9]
[edit]Main themes
Some of the main themes of the ??ra?gama S?tra are the worthlessness of the Dharma when unaccompanied by sam?dhi power, and the importance of moral precepts as a foundation for the Buddhist practice. Also stressed is the theme of how one effectively combats delusions that may arise during meditation.[3]
Ron Epstein and David Rounds have suggested that the major themes of the ??ra?gama S?tra reflect the strains upon Indian Buddhism during the time of its creation.[11] They cite the resurgence of tribal influences, and the crumbling social supports for monastic Buddhist institutions. This era also saw the emergence of Hindu tantrism and the beginnings of Esoteric Buddhism and the siddha traditions.[11] They propose that moral challenges and general confusion about Buddhism are said to have then given rise to the themes of the ??ra?gama S?tra, such as clear understanding of principles, moral discipline, essential Buddhist cosmology, development of sam?dhi, and how to avoid falling into various delusions in meditation.
[edit]??ra?gama Sam?dhi
The ??ra?gama S?tra teaches about the ??ra?gama Sam?dhi, which is associated with complete enlightenment and Buddhahood. This sam?dhi is also featured extensively in the ??ra?gama Sam?dhi S?tra, another Mahayana text. It is equally praised in the Mah?y?na Mah?parinirv??a S?tra, where it is explained by the Buddha that this sam?dhi is the essence of the nature of the Buddha and is indeed the "mother of all Buddhas."[12] The Buddha also comments that the ??ra?gama Sam?dhi additionally goes under several other names, specifically Prajñ?p?ramit? ("Perfection of Wisdom"), the Vajra Sam?dhi ("Diamond Samadhi"), the Si?han?da Sam?dhi ("Lion's Roar Sam?dhi"), and the Buddhasvabhava ("Buddha-nature").[12]
[edit]White Parasol Crown Dh?ra??
In addition to the s?tra's contents, the Sanskrit ritual speech contained in it is known in Chinese as the Léngyán Zhòu (???), or Shurangama Mantra. It is well-known and popularly chanted in East Asian Buddhism. In Sanskrit, the dh?ra?? is known as the "Sit?tapatra U????a Dh?ra??" (Ch. ???????). This is sometimes simplified in English to "White Canopy Dh?ra??" or "White Parasol Dh?ra??." In Tibetan traditions, the English is instead sometimes rendered as the "White Umbrella Mantra." The dh?ra?? is extant in three other translations found in the Chinese Buddhist canon [j], and is also preserved in Sanskrit and Tibetan.
According to Venerable Hsuan Hua, the dharani contains five major divisions, which "control the vast demon armies of the five directions":[13]
In the East is the Vajra Division, hosted by Ak?obhya Buddha;
In the south, the Jewel-creating Division, hosted by Ratnasa?bhava Buddha;
In the center, the Buddha Division, hosted by Vairocana Buddha;
In the West, the Lotus Division, hosted by Amit?bha Buddha;
In the North, the Karma Division, hosted by Amoghasiddhi Buddha. These five divisions .