Vajiradhammapadip Temple Part 2
Overnight, a new temple called "Vajiradhammapadip Temple" was established at 179th Street in West Bronx. The site is a house on a 4, 121.5 square-foot plot of land purchased with donated funds of $43,000. The two monks moved in to residence on July 21, 2518/1975. The following day the Temple was granted legal status and its official establishment marked. Since then it is this new temple that has been known to the public and has been serving Thai people and Buddhists of other nationalities in the Tri-State areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as well as in other neighboring States.
As the site of the temple was too small for the various activities of the large Thai community of the Tri-State areas, it was moved on July 17, 2526/1983 to the present site in Mount Vernon, a 2-acre plot of land purchased at the price of $310,000.
As for the other temple, though it remained inactive for years, without monks in residence and with problems unsolved, efforts continued to bring the problems to solution. On September 12, 2518/1975, the Temple was granted by His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand the honorary name of 'Usabudhyaram Temple'. Finally, its executives made a decision to abolish the Buddhist Study Center, Inc.; to transfer the Center's property to the Buddha-Sasana Temple, and to hand over all activities of and executive power over the Buddha-Sasana Temple to the monks who represent, or are authorized by, the Buddhist Order of Thailand. So far the transaction has not been carried out.
During the Vassa period of 2526/1983, five monks resided at Vajiradhammapadip Temple, including a visiting monk. Located in the principal Atlantic port of entry to the United States, the Temple is often visited by monks and groups of monks coming to the United States, who may stay for a short or long while before resuming their travels. Moreover, as New York City is the biggest city in the U.S. with a large Thai population, consisting of people of various professions and occupations (Thai medical doctors, Thai nurses, Thai businessmen, Thai taxi-drivers, Thai bartenders, Thai students, etc.), Vajiradhammapadip Temple has become, in New York, the main center and, in the United States as a whole, a focal center of Thai religious and cultural activities. It is frequented by many people and welcomes visitors, Thai, Americans and those of other nationalities, who come from the Tri-State area, from other more distant states and from Thailand. Merit-making ceremonies and festival have come into vogue here. Again and again, gatherings of friends and relatives are seen participating in merit-making ceremonies, held at the Temple or at the homes of the alms-givers, on auspicious occasions such as birthdays, weddings and house-blessings, and on funeral and memorial occasions. Almost all Buddhist holy days and yearly festive occasions like New Year's Day and Songkran are observed and celebrated, being attended by such large gatherings of people that the comparatively small building of the temple can hardly accommodate them.
However, it is the Buddhist Sunday school classes (with an enrollment of about 70 in 2520/1977) that is the main on-going activity of the temple. In addition to lessons in Thai language, morals and general social studies, the Temple's teaching staff, which consists of monk-residents and volunteers, offers its young students, at ages ranging from three to twelve, special lessons and training in painting, Thai dance and Thai sword play. Now and again, the Temple school is invited to send its young students to perform shows of Thai dance and Thai sword play at festivals and fairs held or sponsored by different Thai groups and associations. Classes in Pali and Thai language for English speaking people are held from time to time, depending on the number of students and space in the building. The Temple Library, roughly divided into English and Thai sections, plans to place its emphasis on Buddhist studies, Thai studies, Southeast Asian studies and Thai literature.
Meditation training is offered only if there is a meditation-master monk in residence at the Temple or a visiting master has been invited by the Temple to hold a training session. On invitation, some monks go at times to deliver lectures and engage in discussions on Buddhism and related subjects at other religious institutions, colleges and universities. The Temple issues a periodical called "Dhammapadip" which is published as part of the celebration on the occasion of annual Buddhist holy days and traditional Thai festivals. There are six numbers a year. Books, booklets and pamphlets are also published from time to time to realize the objectives of propagating Buddhism and publicizing the activities of the Temple.
About the Author:
Please visit Cheap phone cell Cheap contract phones 2010 games