Chua Bo De
( vi, Chùa Bồ Đề) is a
Vietnamese Buddhist temple
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...
in
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
History
The Chùa Bồ Đề temple was built in 1983. The monk who founded the temple had left the temple, and handed over the temple to another monk named Thích Thông Đức.
The temple was only mildly affected by
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, and in the storm's aftermath was used as a refuge site for people displaced by the storm and subsequent flooding. In 2012, Abbot Thông Đức left the temple in order to take care of his temple in Houston. There is no official abbot residing in the temple, there are only two female nuns that live in the temple and a monk that visit the temple every few weeks. The temple name "" is a Vietnamese transcription of the
Bodhi Tree's name, the tree that Buddha sat under when he reached
enlightenment
Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to:
Age of Enlightenment
* Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...
.
Architecture and activities
The Chùa Bồ Đề temple is located on the Westbank in the
Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans near
English Turn
English Turn is a bend in the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Etymology
In 1699, French explorers Sauvolle and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville
Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville (; ; February 23, 1680 – March 7, 1767), ...
. The temple reflects the features and decorations of traditional Vietnamese architecture. The area surrounding the temple is mostly undeveloped, but trimmed carefully with many benches. The main temple is a square building the size of a four-bedroom house. There are two guardian
lions
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...
at the entrance to the temple.
The interior part of the temple consists of a large prayer room, a large room for classes and social events, a kitchen, and two small praying rooms for worship of ancestors and Quan Công (a Vietnamese name for
Lord Guan
Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on ...
). The temple has two attached living quarters for the resident monks.
The temple serves as a community center for the local
Vietnamese community and a few non-Vietnamese. It holds regular services on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 11:00 a.m and other special Buddhist ceremonies such as
Vesak. The temple also provides Vietnamese language and the Buddhist teaching classes for children on every Sunday.
References
External links
* chua bo de also holds vovinam lessons
{{coord, 29.905804, -89.976636, type:landmark, display=title
Asian-American culture in Louisiana
Buildings and structures in New Orleans
Buddhist temples in Louisiana
Overseas Vietnamese Buddhist temples
Overseas Vietnamese organizations in the United States
Religious buildings and structures in New Orleans