City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (traditional Chinese: 萬佛聖城; pinyin: Wànfó Shèngchéng; Vietnamese: Chùa Vạn Phật Thánh Thành) is an significant international Buddhist community and monastery located in Talmage, California. Founded by Hsuan Hua, a pivotal figure in the spread of Buddhism in the Western world, it stands as one of the first Chan Buddhist temples established in the United States and ranks among the largest Buddhist communities in the Western Hemisphere. The monastery is noted for its rigorous adherence to the vinaya, the traditional Buddhist monastic code, and follows the Guiyang school of Chan Buddhism.

History and Establishment

The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association acquired the property in 1974, formally establishing the international center by 1976. The site itself was formerly the Mendocino State Asylum for the Insane, founded in 1889, which comprised over seventy large buildings and extensive facilities. Hsuan Hua recognized the tranquil surroundings as ideal for spiritual cultivation and envisioned the location as a major hub for propagating Buddhist teachings globally and introducing Eastern Buddhist traditions to the West. His aim was to create an orthodox international monastery dedicated to elevating moral standards and increasing public awareness.

Community and Facilities

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas encompasses 488 acres, with 80 acres developed to house a comprehensive range of facilities. These include institutional buildings, residential houses, the main Buddha hall, monastic quarters, educational institutes, administrative offices, and dining facilities. Notable structures within the complex are the Jeweled Hall of 10,000 Buddhas, adorned with numerous Buddha images and a large statue of Avalokiteśvara, and the Hall of No Words, which serves as a memorial hall containing relics. The community also hosts Dharma Realm Buddhist University, along with Instilling Goodness Elementary and Developing Virtue Secondary Schools, which offer a curriculum that includes Buddhist studies and meditation. An organic farm contributes to the community's sustenance.

Monastic Traditions and Practices

The community distinguishes itself through specific monastic practices. Monastics consistently wear long sashes over their robes and observe a single meal per day, consumed before noon. Many engage in overnight sitting meditation rather than traditional sleeping. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas emphasizes a strict separation between male and female monastic campuses and discourages social mingling between genders. Some monastics take vows of silence and adhere to principles of not owning personal wealth or touching money, aiming to enhance purity of mind. The guiding principles for all practitioners, set forth by Hsuan Hua, include "not to fight nor be greedy, not to seek nor be selfish, not to pursue personal advantage, and not to lie."