Chuang Yen Monastery

Chuang Yen Monastery
Kent, New York
The tallest structure in the Chuang Yen Monastery, the Great Buddha Hall, houses the largest indoor statue of a Buddha in the Western Hemisphere.

Chuang Yen Monastery (Chinese: 莊嚴寺; pinyin: Zhuāngyán sì) is a Buddhist temple situated on 225 acres in Kent, Putnam County, New York, in the United States. The temple is home to the largest indoor statue of a Buddha (Vairocana) in the Western Hemisphere. The name "Chuang Yen" means "Majestically Adorned".

In November 1975, the Buddhist Association of the United States (BAUS) leased 125 acres of land in Putnam County from Dr. C.T. Shen (one of the co-founders of BAUS and late Vice President of BAUS) for the development of Chuang Yen Monastery. According to the temple, the lease was for ninety-nine years with an annual payment of one dollar. As suggested by the local government, Dr. Shen donated the land to BAUS in 1989.

Much of the temple buildings are built in the architectural style of China’s Tang Dynasty, and was designed by architect Edward A Valeri RA. On May 23, 1981, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the first building, the Kuan Yin Hall. The other buildings that make up the monastery were added over the years: the Dining Hall, the Thousand Lotus Memorial Terrace, the Tai Hsu Hall, the Yin Kuang Hall, the Woo Ju Memorial Library and the Great Buddha Hall. The Great Buddha Hall's opening was presided over by HH the 14th Dalai Lama.

The first President of BAUS, Venerable Lok To, laid the foundation of BAUS. Venerables Ming Chi and Xian Ming, together with Dr. Shen, took on the challenge and assumed the responsibility of building and serving Chuang Yen Monastery.

World Peace: Ever since the inception of Chuang Yen Monastery, visitors have been a melting pot of religious faiths. Weekends, especially Sundays, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike visit CYM for programs including sitting and walking meditation, lectures, book discussion programs, and they enjoy a vegetarian lunch at the Dining Hall. Interfaith Prayer has been held annually on New Year’s Day to promote mutual understanding among all the religions.

Community Service: Every year, events such as Chinese New Year Blessing Ceremony, Garden Party on Mother’s Day, Ritual for the Deceased, and Summer Camp have been put together. Donations are made to senior centers, fire departments, and food banks when possible. Volunteers take the initiative and coordinate events for public awareness when disasters occur around the world.