Groundbreaking Ceremony
The Groundbreaking Ceremony was held on September 8, 2018 for the Earth Store Renovation Project at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Nearly 150 monastics and laypeople with their utmost sincerity offered auspicious wishes to this long-awaited renovation project. The day before the Earth Store session, auspicious clouds formed in the beautiful sunny blue sky. Immediately after the Great Compassion Repentance ceremony, Bhikshus led the assembly walking and chanting “Nan Mo Di Zang Wang Pu Sa” (“Namo Earth Store Bodhisattva”) towards the construction site. Many laypeople living near the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and those who came for the Earth Store session attended this ceremony. Upon arriving in the current building structure, they circumambulated while reciting Great Compassion Mantra to “purify the boundary.” Then, a volunteer drilled a hole into the foundation of the site to symbolically initiate the renovation construction. The ceremony was completed with the chanting of “Nan Mo Di Zang Wang Pu Sa.” When this campus served as a state hospital, the future Earth Store Hall served as a boiler building, a mechanical shop, and an auto body shop. Many years ago, the Venerable Master said to his disciples while pointing toward the deserted boiler building, “That will be the future Earth Store Hall.” It is located in the heart of CTTB’s West Campus, on the northeast side of the CTTB Buddha Hall. The building’s exterior has a beautiful design with a very tall ceiling, perfect for the placement of a large Earth Store Bodhisattva statue. This project also features many designs to make the building user-friendly for CTTB practices, including: features for noise reduction and echo suppression have been added to the design to allow for good acoustics for recitation and chanting; gender separation, a crucial part of CTTB daily life, has been integrated into the floor plan layout so that the two genders need not cross paths to access the facilities (restrooms, drinking fountains, or supply closets). Ample storage spaces are planned so that all of the necessary books, furniture, and supplies can be stored within the building. The renovation construction work has been progressing since the completion of the 2018 Earth Store session at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The fourfold assembly of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association anticipate seeing this construction work completed as soon as possible with their best wishes. |