Did you know that Tịnh Xá Tòng Lâm is more than just a temple? It is the spiritual birthplace of a unique Vietnamese Buddhist tradition. This tradition seeks to recreate the original Buddhist sangha. Monks walk barefoot and beg for alms.
Tịnh Xá Trung Tâm was founded in 1965. It stands as a testament to Vietnamese Buddhism. The temple is at 7 Nguyễn Trung Trực Street in Bình Thạnh District.
Now let’s delve deeper into the story of this special place. The founding patriarch of this tradition was Thích Minh Đăng Quang. He was born Nguyễn Thành Đạt in 1923. He came from a peasant family in the Mekong Delta. In 1944, he vowed to transmit the correct dharma of Sakyamuni. This vow became the motto of the Khất Sĩ tradition.
Although Thích Minh Đăng Quang disappeared in 1954 his followers expanded the tradition. They went on to open Tịnh Xá Trung Tâm. Construction began in April 1965 and took ten years. A Buddhist layperson named Nguyễn Văn Chà donated the land.
Initially the complex had a main ceremonial hall. It also had a patriarch hall and two compounds for the sangha. There were also huts for solitary religious practice. From 1966 to 1980 the temple was the headquarters of the Khất Sĩ Sangha Association.
In 1980, Abbot Thích Giác Toàn and Thích Giác Phúc expanded the temple. They built a two-storied octagonal compound. Architect Nguyễn Hữu Thiện designed it. The tower is 4.40 meters tall. It has 13 miniature levels representing the 13 realms of existence. The tower was constructed from wood. Lotuses decorate the exterior walls.
Twelve paintings depict events in Gautama Buddha’s life. These include his birth enlightenment and first dharma talk. They also show his entering nirvana. Quotes from the Dhammapada in Vietnamese are also on the walls. Thiện Ngộ and artists from the Art School of Long An created the artwork between 1982 and 1984. The main lecture hall has wooden benches. It can house hundreds of people. A large statue of Thích Minh Đăng Quang stands at the front.
The main ceremonial hall on the second level features a Gautama Buddha statue. It is 6 meters tall and enclosed in glass. A ceramic statue depicts Prince Siddhartha’s birth. It shows him taking seven steps resulting in seven lotuses. Siddhartha points to the sky declaring this his last life in samsara. Eight murals of Gautama Buddha’s life by Minh Dung and Hai Long adorn the internal wall.
Behind the Buddha Hall is the patriarch’s alcove. Thích Minh Đăng Quang left no remains. Only his begging bowl and robe are present protected by glass. The bowl is small. The robe is saffron-dark orange. Behind the patriarch’s alcove is a statue of Ksitigarbha. The statue holds a wish-granting gem. Photos of deceased monks nuns and lay Buddhists are displayed. Their ashes are stored in urns below the altar.
In the front courtyard stands an Avalokiteshvara bodhisattva statue. It is 9 meters tall on a 3-meter lotus seat.
In 1998, the Buddha Gem Tower was built. It is octagonal and nine stories high. The tower has a symbolic Torch of Wisdom at the top. The bottom four floors are a library and repository for Buddha’s relics. The top five levels enshrine monks’ and nuns’ ashes.
To the left of the gate is a bookstore run by lay disciples. The publications are not free. Next to the bookstore is the Tue Tinh Duong medical clinic. It offers complimentary services.
The Triple Gate is accessible to pedestrians and vehicles. It is decorated with lotuses lanterns and swastikas. A Bodhi tree symbolizes Buddha’s enlightenment. Eight samsara-wheel-shaped signs represent the Noble Eightfold Path.
The temple also has a reception office administrative block monastic quarters meditation halls and a kitchen. The monastic quarters can accommodate hundreds of monks.
Today Tịnh Xá Trung Tâm faces challenges. Urban sprawl has brought noise. However, the temple continues to thrive. It offers social outreach programs and maintains its spiritual rigor. It preserves the Khất Sĩ tradition. Tịnh Xá Trung Tâm stands as a beacon of Vietnamese Buddhism. It embodies resilience and devotion.