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Monastery Hours?
Where I live, many houses of worship are open all day for worship. Some have hours others don't. Do monastaries have hours where the laity come to worship if you're familiar the eastern part of the US? I know where I went they have Dhamma talk weekly on Wednesdays. I think they have worship on Sunday but since everything is in Vietnamese it's hard to know for sure. I am asking you guys too so are you guys familiar with "worship hours"?
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Most places I have been do maintain hours, as they wish to have less distraction and more peace for the resident monastics. But that was in CO and HI.
Most monasteries in the Theravadan tradition I've come across are open to the public between 10am and 1 or 2pm.
As @karasti mentioned, this is so that the resident lay and monastic folk have quiet time to practice.
Call and ask.
Of course. One problem. We have a language barrier. I speak no Vietnamese (and Cambodian, Thai, and Japanese). I've researched this. So I am asking you guys too and seeing what you all say.
My local temple keeps a weekly schedule, there is a Tara puja and a few other opportunities to be involved in the community. But it's a small temple without resident monks, so it's understandable. The few monks that care for the place reside elsewhere.
Aah. I see. Most temples I came across are also the same property the monks reside. One of the monks said I can sleep over the night anytime or when there are ceremonies. The other temples are Theravada so from my small experience, I wouldn't know how to approach the differences.
What is Tara Puja? I went to a Hindu Puja ceremony once but I didn't know that phrase was in Buddhism. Is it a ceremony to Tara?
@carlita -- If the temple shows no desire to have someone who speaks the tongue native to where it is located, this suggests either that they are incompetent or that they prefer to remain insulated and insular. If you suspect they might enjoy a wider clientele but cannot put forward an English-speaker for phone duty, perhaps the thing to do is go and knock on the door and see how they cope with the issue face-to-face.
Since temples need funding -- and no doubt will say they hope to 'spread the Dharma' -- I find it hard to believe they would not attempt to discuss things with you.
Best wishes.
There's only one temple, Nichiren SGI that have receptionist. With the temples, some people I speak with have severe broken English. It's not that they aren't being nice. Most temples cater to people of the same ethnic group. So, when I took the refuges only the headmaster, one nun, and two other lay Buddhist new English and there were a good hundred of us there eating. All spoke Vietnamese.
The reason the temples "are still in business" is that they are on residential property. So, I assume they have a zoning or permission to have a house of worship on their property. Lay buddhists of their given culture feel an obligation to help the monks as our duties rather than donations as one sees passed around at a church. One temple used to be a full house. The monks added on to the house and completely remodeled it into a temple. So now they have different classes and ceremonies. I went there once with my friend to bridge the Vietnamese gap. I read people come there daily to worship.
I notice the people who actively spread the Dhamma are evangelical Buddhist schools. Nichiren Shoshu and SGI are evangelist schools. I practiced in both. Shoshu temple is on residential property. SGI is an organization building. A lot of monks and buddhists don't really say much. Probably because we live in a very heavy christian environment.
In person, we try our best. Over the phone, it's a give up situation. They don't shut the door in my face but I don't know enough about temple manners to know where to go and when.
My Theravadan temple here is pretty much open any time. They welcome with open arms...literally. Once a week I join them for their evening chanting and meditation.
On a more serious note...My 'Temple" is open all hours....I never leave home without it
In this part of Europe Buddhist monks are a bit of a rarity, so they travel. One I know of cares for his parents and stays with them when he is not at the Temple.
Yes it is, it includes a prayer as well. There are a variety of different ones within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Hmm. Here is something you may like. Tara's Qualities
This is a beautiful site.