美国德州佛教会成立30周年和佛诞2553周年庆典举行

2009年5月2日，由德州佛教会创建的美国菩提中心，在休斯顿 Westbranch 玉佛寺举行庆祝德州佛教会成立三十周年和纪念佛教创始人释迦牟尼诞辰2553周年庆典，约1500人参加。

汉姆斯代小镇——伴随着钟鼓声和佛教梵乐的回响，一位穿着红黄袈裟的僧人，举起一把金色的开启禅殿之门的钥匙，让他的两名弟子将在1200佛教徒前的美国菩提中心诸多建筑之一的禅室大门慢慢打开。

禅室，作为菩提中心的首期建设工程，结合了东西方建筑理念，坐落在沃勒县的森林里，占地515英亩，适合佛教静修。

经过近10年的建设规划，工程于三年前动土开工，而这项耗费约1000万美金的工程，资金全部来自当地以及海外支持者和佛教徒的捐赠。

菩提中心是佛教徒梦寐以求的圣地：远离城市的喧嚣，隐蔽于密林深处，供讲禅论道、沉思静修、郊野露营或短期居住。

Hempstead -- Amid echoes of drums, bells and Buddhist chants, a monk donning a red and yellow robe raised a golden ceremonial key and led two followers to slowly open the door of the meditation hall in front of a crowd of 1,200.

The hall, a hybrid of Eastern and Western architectural conceptions, is one of numerous structures completed in the initial phase of the American Bodhi Center, a 515-acre Buddhist retreat nestled in a forested part of Waller County.

Nearly a decade in planning with construction begun three years ago, the about $10 million project has been built entirely with funds donated by local and overseas supporters and followers.

One of the nation’s largest Buddhist developments, the center is everything a devotee dreams of: a site far away from the city’s hustle and bustle, the seclusion in a forest of pines and oaks, and a variety of facilities for study, meditation, meeting, camping and short-term living.

The center’s ribbon-cutting Saturday coincides with two other milestones for the Houston-based Texas Buddhist Association, which built the center: the 2,553rd birthday of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, and the organization’s 30th anniversary.

The group, which has a congregation of about 1,500 families, has held services at its Jade Buddha Temple, 6969 Westbranch in Houston.