Hsi Lai Temple

Hsi Lai Temple is a traditional Chinese Buddhist mountain monastery in the United States.

It is located on the foothill region of Hacienda Heights, California, USA, a suburb of Los Angeles.

The name "Hsi Lai" means Coming West in the sense of the "Great Buddhadharma Coming West."

The temple is affiliated with one of Taiwan's largest religious organizations, the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order. It is one of the first branch temples the order has built, and is often called the "torch of Dharma" by order members. Hsi Lai was the site of the founding of Buddha's Light International Association, which was established in 1991.
The order also calls itself the International Buddhist Progress Society.

The temple, like its mother temple in Taiwan, practices Humanistic Buddhism, which incorporates all of the eight traditional schools of Chinese Buddhism - especially the Linji Chan and Pure Land schools - to provide guidance deemed most useful to modern life.

In 1976, Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the order, represented a Buddhist group from Taiwan to participate in America's bicentennial celebration. Master Hsing Yun was asked by American friends to build a monastery in the United States. Therefore, Fo Guang Shan asked the Venerable Tzu Chuang (who, upon the inception of the temple, became the founding and first abbess of Hsi Lai Temple) and Yi Heng to plan and organize the construction of the temple in the Greater Los Angeles area. It was officially registered under the name of International Buddhist Progress Society.

Looks so beautiful!!!
And what a peaceful atmosphere!!!

The Bodhisattva Hall is he first shrine before entering the temple.

It is a large hall that honors five Bodhisattvas: Samantabhadra, Ksitigarbha, Maitreya, Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin), and Manjushri (Wenshu).





I was not suppose to take pictures of things inside, but I did...

It looks just amazing People of what nationalities are most frequient visitors?

Outside the shrine, on each side, honors the Bodhisattvas Skanda (Weituo) and Sangharama (Qielan).

leo wrote:

Looks so beautiful!!!
And what a peaceful atmosphere!!!

Yes, it is!!!

Main Shrine is the heart of the temple's activities.

It contains the statues of the historical Sakyamuni Buddha , Amitabha Buddha, and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha.



Again, I was not suppose to take pictures of things inside......but you know me...

The main shrine:

next to the main shrine

Avalokitesvara Theme Garden



This theme garden represents the disciples of Avalokitesvara, also known as Kuang Shih Yun Pu' Sa.