Did you know that the story of Soc Tan Buddhist Temple is deeply rooted in family and faith? This temple stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of Chinese Buddhism in the Philippines. Welcome to Soc Tan Buddhist Temple. Here, the echoes of devotion resonate through generations.
In 1941, a woman named Wenlian had already gathered women around her to practice Buddhism. But the origins of Soc Tan Temple trace back even further to Yangjia born in 1872 in Jinjiang. Widowed at 22 she dedicated herself to spiritual practice. She established the first Soc Yan Temple. Later her widowed daughters and granddaughters joined her forming a lineage of lay practitioners.
Wenlian a granddaughter went to Manila and under the guidance of Xingyuan abbot of Seng Guan Temple continued her practice. After World War II she returned to Fujian to repair her grandmother’s temple. Wenlian went back to Manila in 1949 to start building Soc Tan Temple. It opened in 1952. Wenlian became the first abbess.
Soc Tan Temple became known as a women’s temple especially devoted to Ksitigarbha. Huangji joined Wenlian after a two-year stopover in Hong Kong to arrange her travel papers. Huangji invited Ruijin of Seng Guan Temple to be honorary abbot of the temple.
Let’s explore the temple’s layout. The building has three floors. On the ground floor you’ll find the Maitreya shrine ancestral hall and refectory. The second floor houses the main shrine to the three Buddhas plus a chapel to Ksitigarbha. Living quarters are located on the third floor.
The temple community opened a charity clinic in 1978. It was named Soc Yan Temple Bon Lian Charity Clinic in memory of Wenlian’s compassion for the poor. It stood in a four-story building.
Today Soc Tan Buddhist Temple continues to be a place of devotion and community. The monthly devotion day is the sixth of the lunar month. The Guanyin feast days are observed. The end of the lunar new year is marked with three days of chanting.
As you leave Soc Tan Buddhist Temple remember the intertwined stories of family faith and community. This temple remains a beacon of Chinese Buddhism. It honors the women who shaped its legacy in the heart of Manila.