Buddhist association marks 60 years

The Chinese Buddhist Association of Hawaii, known for its ornate green-and-red Hsu Yun Temple in Nuuanu, celebrated its 60th anniversary by bringing in 16 monks from China to carry out elaborate ceremonies every day this week.

"It’s been the dream of Rev. Dun Ru and Rev. Dun Min. Two years ago they decided to do something special on the 60th anniversary and go all out," said Jeanne Lum, temple spokes­woman and board president. Dun Ru is head abbot of the temple.

The celebration, which began Sunday, was planned to coincide with the annual Ching Ming festival, which honors Chinese family ancestors during the month of April, and the 10th memorial service for temple founder Jy Din Sakya, Lum said. The public is invited to enjoy a lion dance and firecrackers at 9 a.m. Sunday and stay for jai (monk’s food) at lunch.

The temple, at 42 Kawa­na­na­koa Place, has 100 to 200 members, who call their religion Chan instead of Zen Buddhism, Lum said.

"This is a big affair" for the temple, which brought in three monks from China a year ago, the first time it had done so, she said in an interview. "Never have we had 16 monks from China on the island at the same time.

"These are all high-ranking abbots. We call them dharma masters. It’s really an honor for the association because they came from so far away to this island just for this celebration."

The monks, including several from the Longhua Temple in Shanghai, performed the Liang Huang Bao Chan repentance service, consisting of nine parts that required many monks to perform over a seven-day period. They also conducted the "fan yan kou," or hungry ghost, ritual over three days, which gives offerings to the deceased, Lum said.

A history of the temple at www.hsuyun.org, the website of the Zen/Chan Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun, says the Chinese Buddhist Association was established in 1953 by 400 members. Lum added that it held services at the former Chun Hoon market on School Street.

In 1956 the association brought to Hawaii Jy Din Sakya, a close disciple of "Venerable Master" Hsu Yun of the Nan Hua Monastery, who gave him the simple directive to "spread the Dharma to the West," the website says.

Inspired by Sakya’s pioneering spirit, the Chinese Buddhist Association of Hawaii outgrew its original building and bought property at its current address for a permanent home. Sakya was instrumental in designing and building the Chinese palace-style structure. Construction of the main hall of worship started in 1964 at a projected cost of "a shocking $270,000" and was completed in 1967, the website says. It was later followed by two ancestor halls and a meditation hall, Lum said.

"The Main Hall of Shakyamuni was to be grand in all ways: it would occupy nearly 6,300 square feet; its two stories with a ceiling height of 34 feet would be fortified against earthquakes; the massive wooden planks would be imported from Hong Kong; and the ceramics and glass for the ceiling would be imported directly from China," the website says. To read the entire history of the temple, go to www.hsuyun.org, mouse over the "Resources" pull-down tab and go to "About ZBOHY."