Planning you next trip to New York? If yes, I would suggest you not to miss Chuang Yen Monastery which is one of the country’s newest wonders. It’s the largest Buddhist monastery in the eastern United States and a part of 2,500-year-old living tradition of Buddhism.
The monastery is home the largest indoor Buddha in the West and Europe. There is Kuan-Yin Hall that houses a colored porcelain statue of Kuan-Yin Bodhisattva which dates from the Ming Dynasty. Also, there is the Woo-Ju Library, the only library in the US specializing in the Buddhist religion.
You can attend meditation service that consists of 30 minutes of sitting, either on benches along the wall or on cushions on the carpeted floor, inside the second large Buddha hall. Also, slow walking meditation takes place for 10 minutes. The meditation ends with a bell chime and a short talk by the host monk. The sweet smell of incense and the tinkle of bells will surely drift you away. The meditation programs are held on Sundays and the monastery is open to public. So, plan you visit on weekends.
Location: Chuang Yen Monastery is located on Route 301, two miles east of the exit from the Taconic Parkway, in Kent, Putnam county.
Scroll down for more pictures of the monastery.
Source: Gadling
