One vow,
one quiet place of practice
Welcome to Pao Fa Buddhist Temple. The American Lotus Buddhist Association (A.L.B.A.), Pao Fa Buddhist Temple is located in Irvine, California. It shares the same Dharma roots as the Pao Chieh Chan Temple in Wugu, Taipei, and the Pao Xiang Monastery in Puli, Nantou, Taiwan. All of these temples were built to share the Buddha's teachings in the Pure Land and Chan (Zen, or Meditation) traditions, and to offer a place where devotees can practice and realize the Buddha's truth.
The Vow
To fulfil the Buddha's compassionate vow of teaching and saving all sentient beings, Venerable Master Jen-Yi worked tirelessly for more than thirty years to share the Dharma and guide devotees in proper cultivation. In 1990, following the advice of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, he founded the A.L.B.A. in Irvine, California, as a religious and educational center for understanding Buddhism and Buddhist practice.
So that the Buddha's teachings might reach more people, so that the seeds of Bodhi (true wisdom) might take root in America, and so that local and visiting devotees might have a quiet place to practice, Venerable Master Jen-Yi began his plan to build Pao Fa Buddhist Temple in 1993.
In 1990, on the advice of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, Master Jen-Yi founded the American Lotus Buddhist Association in Irvine.
- 1990A.L.B.A. founded
- 1993Plan to build the temple begins
- 19953.2-acre site purchased in Irvine
- 1996City public hearing approval
- 1998Groundbreaking, May 15
- 1999Construction begins, April
- 2002Construction completed, June
Causes & Conditions
In the fall of 1995, the A.L.B.A. purchased a 3.2-acre lot and the office building formerly used by Pacific Bell from the Irvine Company. With the conditions now ripe, planning for Pao Fa Temple began.
Irvine is a city that values its many cultures, and it too had hoped for a Buddhist temple of its own. The project received public hearing approval in November 1996. Ground was broken on May 15, 1998, construction began in April 1999, and the work was completed in June 2002.
Building
The main building can accommodate up to 800 people. It includes the Precious Great Heroes Hall, classrooms, a library, a dining hall and conference rooms, with a floor area of over 41,000 square feet. Some of the special building materials were imported, while the steel frames, tiling, kitchen equipment and fire prevention equipment were all made in the United States. The funds for purchasing the property and building the temple came mainly from devotees in Taiwan.
The temple's unusual structure and design made construction a difficult undertaking. Venerable Master Jen-Yi planned and carried out the whole project himself, from design and contracting to on-site supervision, until its completion. In Taiwan, Master Jen-Lien, Abbess of Pao Chieh Chan Temple, gave vital support behind the scenes. Throughout the building of the temple, the Masters showed remarkable perseverance and determination, an example for us all.
Opening
When the work was complete, the temple held its opening ceremony. Elder monastics, Dharma Masters, devotees and guests from the community gathered beneath the ceremonial umbrellas to witness the birth of this place of practice.
Every brick and tile carries the vows of many people; every flower and stick of incense, their reverence for the Triple Gem.
A Place of Practice
Pao Fa Buddhist Temple is a place for the study of the Buddha's teachings, recitation of the Buddha's name, worship of the Buddha, repentance ceremonies, meditation, and Dharma assemblies. Its main purpose is to offer local and visiting devotees a quiet place to practice the Buddha's teachings, and to support them in finding purity and peace amid busy lives. Its ultimate goal is to help all beings reach the other shore of liberation.
With sincere gratitude to the Triple Gem for their compassionate blessings, and to all whose devotion made this possible.