The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

Hello everyone! Yesterday, we visited the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas ( or 萬佛聖城 in Chinese), located in Talmage, California. A peaceful and monastic society, this city is the home to one of the first Chinese Zen Buddhist temples in the US. It was founded in 1973 by Hsuan Hua. When I entered the city, I was overcome with a feeling of boredom(from being trapped in a van from about 3½ hours), excitement, and awe(I had just spotted a male peacock). The Temple __________________________________________________________ As for the community's main attraction, the name says it all. Miniature, identical idols of Buddha are placed in individual cases and take up almost every square inch on the wall in the temple. Situated in the front of the temple is an enormous gold-colored idol of Buddha. Outside the temple are the Chinese guardian lions. Just in front of the temple's entrance is a burner ( used for offerings), crafted with Chinese text and lotuses.

Quick Quiz ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Notice that I haven't told which lion is female and which is male. If you are the first to guess it right, you have the opportunity to choose the topic of my next post!:-)

{ Use the comment box below to enter your answer} 

Wildlife _____________________________________________________ The city's next main attraction are the peacocks. We all know their majestic pigment attracts many from near and far. Surprisingly, these peacocks don't mind being close to humans( unless if you try to feed it). When we had just arrived at the city, we immediately tiptoed toward of them and snapped a picture. Alongside peacocks, animals like squirrels and deer roam free on these premises. During special Dharma assemblies, pheasants and chukars are sometimes brought from hunting preserves and set free.

The Trip Back ____________________________________________________ The city truly was a sight to remember. The quietness of the temple and the elegancy of the peafowl had calmed our tired minds. We took one last look at the peacocks and the city itself, a long drive awaiting us. On the way back home, My brother and I snacked on some chips and hot cocoa. I leaned back on my seat, wondering what to write ☺...