Hsi Lai Temple

Hsi Lai Temple
click photo to enlarge	We visited this temple once before in 2003 and as we were leaving discovered they had an audio headset you could get to tell you about the place. So this time we got it. Don't waste your time as it did not work well at all. The Hsa Lai Temple is the largest in the western hemisphere and is affiliated with Fo Guang Shan, a Buddhist new religious movement from Taiwan. 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.
click photo to enlarge	The temple was finished at a cost of $10 million and according to Wikipedia had much resistance in finding a location to build due to fears of people not knowing anything about Buddhism, traffic and environmental impact. It can be difficult to find a place to park when visiting and surrounding neighborhoods have blocked streets from going through. Like many of the different temples of differing faiths in Southern California it is well work visiting. It is always interesting visiting, learning about and seeing other beliefs.
click photo to enlarge	click photo to enlarge