New Hartford Buddhist Temple Celebrates 30 Years

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NEW HARTFORD, CT (USA) -- More than 100 people were on hand on Sunday afternoon to celebrate 30 years for the Dae Yen Sa International Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center and the ordination of two new monks.

<< Master Dae San Dasa leads a monastic ordination to welcome two new monks. This ordination took place at the Dae Yen Sa International Buddhist Temple in New Hartford as the temple celebrated its 30th anniversary. John Berry - Register Citizen

The temple, which was founded in Torrington in 1983, moved to its current location 20 years ago.

A Korean Buddhist temple, Dae Yen Sa welcomed Eduardo Barrios and Aaron Doyle as monks during an ordination ceremony that included prayer, food offerings, acceptance of the five Buddhist precepts and singing with the more than 100 guests inside the building located on Kinsey Road. A food reception followed the ceremony, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the temple.

Doyle, who’s Buddhist name is Bo Kyung Sunim, said being ordained as a monk is a new beginning. Doyle is from New Hartford.

“I’m excited to be beginning again,” Doyle said. The ordination was the culmination of eight years of service to his temple, and he said he’s still realizing the reasons why he decide to become a monk. He called it a process.

He said his goals were, “to deepen my practice and increase my motivation,” and that he looks forward to practicing his religion with the community.

“The support is a wonderful feeling,” Doyle said, speaking about the many people who saw and enjoyed his ordination at the temple. “There’s a certain amount of nervousness in the air, but having that support really kind of made it even out.”

Simply translated, “Sunim” is Korean for “teacher” and title is bestowed upon monks once they are ordained.

“It was just 10 years ago today or so that I was here and ordained. It was a wonderful day,” said Ban Ya Sunim, a monk. “I look forward to seeing the new monks create more monks and spread Buddhism throughout Connecticut and the world. If there’s ever been a need for it, there’s a need now.

Ban Ya Sunim was one of several other monks who oversaw the ceremony, which lasted about three hours. The ordination ceremony was led by Master Dae San Dae Sa from South Korea.

“Don’t be like Buddha, but be Buddha,” Ban Ya Sunim said before receiving an applause from the audience.

Lorein Cipriano is a member of the temple and a volunteer, one of about 30 present during the celebration.

“Some of the (volunteers) are connected to a temple in upstate New York, so a lot of those members came,” Cipriano said.

Her Buddhist name is Kong Duk Hang, which she said means “one who takes care of everyone.” She helped sell t-shirts and welcome guests inside the temple. She is also a teacher at the temple. She teaches Qigong, a 13-part exercise that helps strengthen the body and mind, Cipriano said.

“A lot of these people, some of them are from Korea, came here for this anniversary and for the ordination,” Cipriano said.

A monastic ordination welcomed new members of the temple to complete the day’s celebrations inside the temple. A majority of the guests and members then walked outside to enjoy a vegetarian meal.

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Local Buddhist community mark four years since the planting of the Bonnyrigg Bodhi Tree

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Fairfield, Australia -- MEMBERS of the local Buddhist community have held a ceremony to mark four years since the planting of the Bonnyrigg Bodhi Tree.

The tree, located in the Bonnyrigg Town Centre Park, represents the Buddhist belief that Buddha found enlightenment under a bodhi tree.

More than 200 Lao Buddhists and members of local interfaith groups took part in the Contemplating Peace Under the Bodhi Tree event late last month.

"Prayers were made by members of the Christian, Muslim and Buddhist faiths, new robes were offered to the Buddhist monks and a parade was held in honour of the tree," a Fairfield Council spokeswoman said.

The council planted the tree in 2008 to coincide with the launch of the Bonnyrigg logo, which features a bodhi leaf alongside a gumleaf.

The Lao Buddhist Society of NSW has taken guardianship of the tree since then.

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Japanese Buddhists to mark 100 years in Utah

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Salt Lake City, Utah (USA) -- Japanese Buddhism arrived in the heartland of Mormonism more than 100 years ago with migrant workers who took jobs with Utah mines, farms and railroads.

And they brought their faith and desire for spiritual community with them.

By 1912, these Buddhists created their first congregation in Ogden, known as the "Intermountain Buddhist Church." A few years later, it moved to Salt Lake City.

Through the years, several additional Japanese Buddhist churches sprang up across the state, with membership ebbing and flowing with the times. World War II, for example, brought Japanese Americans to the Topaz internment camp in west-central Utah. Many brought their family shrines with them and stayed after the war.

In recent years, longtime members have been joined by American converts.

Now these Buddhists are celebrating their centennial on Sept. 15 with a daylong event, "Walking the Path of Enlightenment."

"Today, Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in Utah is not limited to Japanese Buddhists," writes event organizer Karie Minaga-Miya in a release. "There is a welcomed diversity of ethnicity, cultural background and community to provide a robust and optimistic future."

The day will feature an opening service conducted by the Rev. Kodo Umezu, bishop of Buddhist Churches of America. Workshops will include presentations on Taiko Buddhism and Jodo Shinshu as well as discussion of reasons to embrace Buddhist teachings.

The event will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Japanese Buddhists celebrate 100 years in Utah

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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (USA) -- Japanese Buddhist filled the Jodo Shinshu temples of Utah on Saturday to celebrate 100 years of Buddhism in the state.

Japanese Buddhism arrived in Utah with migrant workers who took jobs with Utah farms, mines and railroads. Over the years, many Japanese Buddhist church popped up across the state with increasing membership.

They gathered at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City to celebrate the centennial with the “Walking the Path of Enlightenment” event.

Japanese Buddhists say that while their religion stays the same, their diversity continues to grow.

“I think originally that most of them were Japanese Buddhists and now the diversity of Buddhists here…is a very welcomed diversity of people,” said Karie Minaga-Miya, Buddhist Centennial Celebration chair.

Some local Buddhists say they hope for a unique American form of Buddhism to evolve over the next century.

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