AMIDAJI INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE 阿弥陀寺: I installed the altar of Amida-ji Temple

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE NEW UPGRADES AT THE TEMPLE

Dear friends in the Dharma,

I am glad to inform you that I have just installed the altar in the small Hondo (Dharma Hall) of Amida-ji.

As you can see in the pictures, it is a simple altar made from an old piece of furniture covered with cloth. On this, it is placed a statue of Amida Buddha which was donated a few years ago by the Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation (CBBEF) from Taiwan. This statue was previously used at Tariki Dojo Craiova and now moved to the temple. It is not a Hongwanji style statue of Amida, but it is the only statue we received until now, and with so much generosity.

In the back of Amida statue I placed the Myogo (Namo Amida Butsu scroll) offered by my friend Che’usa Wend from USA. You can read details about this old Myogo from 1785 here, at this link. Soon, we’ll frame it for better preservation.

On the right and left of the main altar are the images of Shinran and Rennyo, with Myogo in ten characters (Ki Myo Jinjipo Mugeko Nyorai) and Myogo with nine characters (Namo Fukashigiko nyorai) above them. Under the images of these two Masters, there will be placed, in near future, small altars dedicated to them.

This Hondo (Dharma Hall) of Amida-ji could not have been built without the help and donations of Dharma friends from all over the world. Thus, when conducting the religious service of installing the altar, I mentioned all their names in gratitude before the Amida statue. I also offered the first incense in their name and the names of their friends or relatives for whom they made their donations. My gratitude to these people from so many backgrounds and countries will always be expressed in the Dharma activities that will be held at Amida-ji, for the benefit of all beings.

It is important to know that although the altar was installed and now the small Hondo will be used for services and Dharma talks, the construction work of Amidaji is far from over. The Hondo itself still does not have insulation on the inside walls, which means that in summer is very hot and in winter will be very cold. Sooner or later, also a small stove must be placed inside, too.

Next, there is the need to build a wooden fence to surround the property of the temple, and to continue with the other buildings, like bathroom, toilets, accommodation places for visitors and a library. But most important and most urgent are the insulation for the inside walls, the stove and the wooden fence, exactly in this order. I hope that with the continuous help of my Dharma friends from all over the world I will be able to finish at least the first two of these three most important elements, this year - the insulation for the inside walls and the stove. So, any small help and donation will be very much appreciated and needed, especially now, before we enter into the cold season. (Please click here, if you wish to donate )