Trifter

A wonderful City that I knew is The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (萬佛聖城, Wànfó Shèngchéng). It is situated in Talmage, Mendocino Country, California, about 180km north of San Francisco, and about 2 miles east of Ukiah. This site had been a hospital established by the California Government in 1930’s. However, it was forced to close down due to insufficient water supply.

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Later, the founder of this City, Venerable Master Hsuan Hua had bought it. Finally, the Venerable solved this water crisis by tapping his cane on the ground.

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There are seventy large buildings established here with over 2,000 rooms of various sizes that can accommodate up to 20,000 persons. Tall street lamps and trees over a hundred years old lined along the road. The entrance to the City, Mountain Gate was marked with yellow roof tiles and red brick walls.

Mountain Gate, the entrance to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

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Inside the City, many cottages are engulfed with green trees. The air here is fresh, inspiring and refreshing. All the flowers, grasses, trees, peacocks, squirrels, deer and other animals create a peace and tranquility atmosphere. Just like a saying by Venerable Master, “Don’t come to the mountain treasures and return empty-handed.”

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A twenty feet high Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, with thousand hands in the front and back, each with a compassionate eye in its palm is a distinctive feature in the hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

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There are more than one thousand large and small Buddha images adorned the interior walls of the Jeweled Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

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Another interesting place is the corners of the Buddha Hall. It is adorned with four twenty-foot high Murals of Great Heavenly King. They are Heavenly King Virupaksha (“broad eyes”) of the West, Heavenly King Dhrtarastra (“one who upholds the country”) of the East, Heavenly King Virudhaka (“increasing”) of the South and Heavenly King Vaishravana (“widely learned”) of the North. When you walk into the Ordination Platform Hall, there are four sides covered with mirrors which resulting in endless reflections.

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In the City, there are elementary and secondary schools for boys and girls teaching them to respect elders, parents and teachers.

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The establishment of a university also aims at educating students to become wise and virtuous leaders in the world. A course of Chinese brush calligraphy is also offered to members of the local community in the university. Besides that, there is also a big library providing students, teachers, and the residents of the City with lots of publication in English and Chinese. For the elders, a Tower of Blessings is a home for them. Virtuous elders are honored in the celebration of Respecting Elders Day each fall.

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There are many interesting sites to visit at the City. You may experience yourself by spending your time at the City.

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