Activity

Following the dharma-teaching tradition of previous patriarchies and great masters of our Buddhist sect through many generations in our homeland of Vietnam, the residing monks of Dong Hung Temple in Virginia Beach (aka Buddhist Education Center of America) also want to bring the Dharma to the public in general, and particularly, to the residents of this Hampton Road locality.

By Prof. Steven Emmanuel

Brief Background

In 2006, a group of Pure Land Buddhist monks from Vietnam purchased a 4-acre property in the rural Virginia Beach community known as Pungo. The monks had previously been at another location in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach, but were forced to move when that property was reclaimed by the city as part of a project to widen the road. By moving to Pungo the monks hoped to establish a permanent root for their temple.

by Phap Trung

The  Dong Hung Temple is a religious institution dedicated to serving followers of the Mahayana tradition of Zen Buddhist practiced in Vietnam.

This Zen sect is based mostly on meditation, applying the strict rules and discipline(Sila and vinaya) as principles, and using the Pure Land tradition (Sukha’ vati), together with meditation practice, as the foundation for cultivating one’s virtue and wisdom.

“Serving Sentient Beings for a good cause in a Dharma way is offering to the Buddha.”  Buddha has taught us to always have compassion and love for others, especially the less fortunate, the poor, the indigents.  Nowhere better to serve than in our old country, Viet Nam, where there is tremendous poverty in certain under served areas.