Original Site-Sanger
Funding is needed to complete the driveway, parking, water tower and fire hydrant, water supply system, landscaping, and irrigation before we will be allowed to open the temple in Sanger to the public. This will need to be finished before we can proceed too far with the second site.
Until such time as it is auspicious to move the Holy Vajra Poles to the Ancient Buddha site, you can continue to visit them and receive their blessings at the home of their original location near Sanger, California. You can continue to make offerings that will be installed in the “Walkway of Blessings” under the twenty-one prayer wheels that will be part of the Vajra Pole Pavilion even though this will now be developed at the site of the Ancient Buddha Temple. The requests that have been received to date are being stored in their gold, silver, or other appropriate colored envelops next to the Holy Vajra Poles which is in a safe in a secure location right next to the Holy Vajra Poles. You can also come and visit the Abbot who will continue to live at the temple until her second home is finished and join her and the temple nuns in their daily chanting and meditation practice and listening to discourses by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. Click for the current schedule.
Ancient Buddha Site-Hesperia
We are still in the planning stage at the second site and will need to obtain the appropriate permits and approvals to proceed, but the following represents our thinking to date: Because we want to emulate the isolated hermit caves high in the mountains of Tibet and still orient this temple to its American roots, we hope to use natural materials and a style that is indigenous to the area. We also want something that is suitable for the extremes in climate that prevail in the high desert. Most auspiciously, the California Institute of Earth Art & Architecture (Cal Earth), founded by Iranian architect Nader Khalili (1936-2008), is dedicated to developing just this type of architecture AND it is located in Hesperia, less than 20 minutes from the site of the Ancient Buddha Temple. We hope to be able to use the ancient technology and techniques developed by Cal Earth, many of which are shown as prototypes on this website.
There are many ways you can help develop and participate in the Holy Vajrasana Temple & Long-Term Retreat Center at the site of the Ancient Buddha Temple in Hesperia, CA. To help make it a reality, you can contribute to the cost of constructing the monastic residences, the Holy Vajra Pole Pavilion, the Stupa of Vajra Manifestations, and the new temple as well as the overall cost of site development. You can learn the art of building the adobe structures and help in constructing the temple and other structures. You can even build your own private meditation cave at the site. You may also want to build and operate a small shop on the banks of the river-canal that will connect all of the activities at the site to the Ancient Buddha Temple itself. And when the projects are complete, you can come and worship in the temple and at the Stupa and Holy Vajra Pole Pavilion as well as attend long-term retreats and other events at the center to deepen your practice and meditation experience.
Build Your Own Private Meditation Cave
There are several ways that Members of the Xuanfa Institute can build their own private meditation “cave” at the site of the Ancient Buddha Temple.
Straw-bale Holy Vajrasana Temple
A small temple designed to serve the local community of Hesperia and the non-Chinese speaking disciples staying at the site will be built using straw-bale techniques
Monastic Residences at the Holy Vajrasana Temple & Long-Term Retreat Center
Both monks and nuns and dedicated lay people will be needed to operate the small temple and maintain the facility as well as support and monitor those who come to take long-term retreats. The plans call for separate double ecodome buildings for men and women with four small sleeping domes in each plus a small common kitchen and bath. A large common dome could also accommodate others for special events held at the Ancient Buddha Temple and/or the Holy Vajrasana Temple.
Holy Vajra Pole Pavillion and Stupa of Vajra Manifestations
Special care will be needed to move the Holy Vajra Poles to southern California just as it was when the Magnolia tree that rained nectar was moved from southern California to Hua Zang Si in San Francisco. A pavilion will be constructed around the poles that will house the “Walkway of Many Blessings” and the twenty-one prayer wheels with the donor’s various colored merit cards. They and the stupa will be located in the most auspicious location as determined by the Dharma protector guardians of the land, to protect the unique holiness of the entire site and especially the Ancient Buddha Temple.