The Medicine Buddha in LA

Our trip to learn about Buddhism in Taiwan began in L.A.  Not too far from Biola University (though undoubtedly not connected) there is a Buddhist temple, finished in 1988.  When I say "temple," I mean "temple complex," a number of buildings, halls, and exhibitions on what is a virtual Disneyland of Buddhism.  Wait!  Make that "Hsing Yun Land," and you're not far from the reality.

The actual name of the temple is "Hsi Lai," which means "Coming West" or "Moving West," an appropriate name for this mission from the East to the West.  From a material point of view, it definitely seems to be a success.  What we saw there is a phenomenon we encountered all along the way: a revised or adapted form of Buddhism that maintains traditional forms of thought and practice, but attempts simultaneously to appeal to a twenty-first century outlook.  This particular order is called Fo Guang Shan (Buddha's Mountain of Light), and, like most Chinese Buddhism today, its roots straddle early Chan (Zen) and early Pure Land Buddhism.  But don't confuse these Chinese versions with their later Japanese offspring.  This order was convoked by a monk named Hsing Yun in 1967, and its goal has been to establish a Pure Land on earth.  ("I really am for world peace!")

For me the most intriguing item of interest was the importance of the "Medicine Buddha."  As is true for most Dhyani Buddhas, his role in Buddhism is highly variable, depending on geographical setting and historical linkages.  In the context of this particular tradition, he is called Amitayus, and he is the Buddha of the East, corresponding to Amithaba, who created the Pure Land of the West.  In other contexts, e.g. Tibetan Buddhism, Amitayus is a projective form of Amithaba, while the Eastern quadrant of the universe is governed by Akshobya, who built his own Pure Land of the East, providing a second opportunity alongside that given by Amithaba.  Regardless of his identification in the mythology, there is no question that the Medicine Buddha plays an important role in the lives of the common people.  He is usually pictured holding an object associated with immortality: a pagoda, a bowl filled with an elixir, or an orb.  

I decided on this, our first temple visit as a team, to be totally honest and let Wyatt and Ncho know as soon as I was too tired to go on and set up a pattern that I would find a place to rest while they could move along further to associated museums, gift shops, or whatever.  We were able to maintain that practice pretty much the whole trip, for which I was very thankful.