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Mahayana Buddhist Temple |
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133 Canal Street New York, NY 10002
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| Mahayana Buddhist Temple in New York |
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The Eastern States Buddhist Temple of America, Inc., found in 1962 is the oldest Chinese Buddhist temple on the eastern coast of the United States. It was found by Mrs. Annie Ying, and funded by her husband Mr. James Ying. Both served as the Founding Co-Chairmen.
Eastern States Buddhist Temple, or The Temple, was initially founded to fulfill the needs of Chinese Buddhists in the greater New York area and held its first services in a 20 by 20 space at 1544 Broadway in the rear part of Mr. Ying’s store. Lunch and other activities were held in the basement. In 1962, Eastern States Buddhist Temple was officially registered and then rented its own space at 64 Mott St.. 40 years later, The Temple is still located there and had become a landmark and a community fixture.
The choice of 64 Mott Street was dictated not only by the fact that this is a convenient place for Chinese Buddhists to gather each week, but also because Mrs. Ying saw a particular need in Chinatown.
What she saw was many elderly Chinese men sitting on the sidewalk all day and drinking coffee. Upon inquiry, she discovered that these elderly men were laborers from China who planned to leave their family for perhaps one or two decade, earn some American dollars, and then return to their home and family. What they did not count on was the communist revolution. That war essentially scattered their all over China and terminated all communications. Now that these men are old and retired, they have neither a Chinese home to return to nor have they gotten sufficiently Americanized to consider United States their new home. So they sit all day on the sidewalk and drink coffee and chat and wait. What they need is a place to gather and read and chat.
So the new home of the Eastern States Buddhist Temple was designed by Mrs. Ying to be both a social club for these men as well as a temple. As one enters the premises, before actually going into the temple proper, one is in an 8’ by 18’ vestibule with a rectangular table in the middle off to one side and book cases forming one of the walls. These elderly men then came and sat and played chess or read newspaper. Free hot tea was also supplied by the Temple. This ‘social club’ became a smashing success from day one. However, we discovered, that they did become sort of ‘acclimated’ after all.
As one walks a few steps through the vestibule and then under a red wooden archway, one enters the temple proper which has many rows of seats on both sides. At the far end, sits a statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion. And again from day one, The Temple too was a smashing success. As the first (and only) Chinese Buddhist temple on the eastern coast of the United States, this is where all the Chinese Buddhist functions in Greater New York are held. And in addition to serving the Chinese parishioners, there were lectures every Saturday night for the general public. |
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133 Canal Street New York, NY 10002 |
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Phone: 212-925-8787 |
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