Buddhist Town Newsletter- June 2023
Reposted from Buddhist Town June 24, 2023
July 4th festival is on the calendar, and we are receiving enthusiastic responses. People from many countries are coming! As we are receiving inquiries into the project, we realized there are misunderstanding as to what Buddhist town entails. Many people thought Buddhist Town is the same as the True Dharma Temple. In actuality, the True Dharma Temple is the center focus of the Buddhist Town, and together with more than 30 temples and centers around the world surrounding the True Dharma Temple will form the Buddhist Town to create a venue of learning, exploring, experiencing all different aspects of the Buddhist culture around the world and through history. It would not only become a home base for all Buddhists around the world, it will serve as a fountain of resources of all things Buddhist for everyone. The development is in two phases, with the True Dharma Temple, Zheng Xing Garden, the Machang Yuan (monastery) and Fa Chan Temple being the phase one, and the remaining complexes to be the Phase Two. It will host many regular and seasonal activities and workshops including religious, educational and entertaining for the public to enjoy. It is a place created to benefit all beings!
Our Program – The lantern workshop
During the planning of the July event, sister Yi volunteered to create a large colorful lantern for the ceremony of dedicating our graditude! It was amazing that she single handily created the design for the lantern, welded the metal frames, and started the forming of the lantern with beautiful silk fabric. Time is running tight, and we created a lantern workshop and a group of volunteers jumped in the last minute to help cut and paste the colorful fabrics, and adorning it with rhinestones and laces. The transformation from the metal skeleton to a beautiful lantern is beyond amazement for all who participated! Thank you, sister Yi!
Busy groups working away at every corner around the lake, assembling the newly acquired picnic tables and benches, new trash bins, testing the booth canopies, vendor’s installing more power outlet for the sound track, creating a mobile stage, caring for the beautiful lawn. Day is getting closer and lotus flowers are quietly blossoming as if getting ready to welcome our friends from all over the world!