Hsi Lai Temple is a hub for Buddhist disciples in Los Angeles. It offers a serene place for practicing meditation and learning the Dharma. I had a chance to visit it this past weekend to attend a lecture and was surprised by not only the natural beauty, but also the architectural wonders of the place.
The temple is placed on a hill and, when I arrived, I was greeted by a large red gate and decorative stone monks placed throughout a grassy ledge. Throughout the rest of the temple, there were halls filled with gold paper and statues of important Buddhist figures. I also walked by courtyards of waterfalls and scenes from Buddhist scripture.
The lecture, presented by a professor at University of the West, focused on the Buddhist perspective on megatrends in economics. The lecturer emphasized causality, how one thing can influence another. He also advocated for removing blame from events and simply working to restore the environment. Lastly, he believed it was necessary to find complex solutions rather than simple, short-term solutions in dealing with future issues.
After attending the lecture, I had lunch in the dining hall where they have a vegetarian buffet. To promote environmental conservatism, the dining hall has reusable plates, cups and utensils. I ladled my plate with veggies, tomato rice, and stir-fried noodles. For dessert, I bought a bag of red bean pastries. It was interesting to watch the pastry being made; the batter was first mixed, layered the batter into the hot pan, and finished with red bean filling. Then, the baker would wait for it to cool a bit and then flip the pastry on to its other side so there would be an even griddle mark.
For those interested in learning more, you can attend other events and lectures at Hsi Lai Temple. The temple is located at 3456 Glenmark Drive, Hacienda Heights, California, 91745 USA. The visiting hours are 9am-5pm daily. There is no admission price, only a donation to eat at the vegetarian dining hall.
