Buddhist conference in Bolivia
by Craig Reck, WECT, June 12, 2011
BOLIVIA, NC (USA) -- Tucked away in the town of Bolivia sits the Wat Carolina Buddhist Monastery. It's attracted Buddhists from around the state for more than 20 years, and a once-in-a-lifetime event has them pouring in from all over the United States.
The temple welcomed more than 80 Buddhist monks when it hosted the 27th Annual Dhammayut Conference from June 10 - 12. The yearly meeting allows the monks the opportunity to share their progress from their own temples and brainstorm how to further their service.
But the weekend gathering included more than just the monks. Regular Buddhists followed the monks from their temples all the way from San Francisco, Texas and Boston.
The hundreds of Buddhists even added a sudden boost to the local economy. Several hotels in Southport, NC reported a surge of reservations from June 10 - 12.
As the monks return to their respective temples, the Wat Carolina Buddhist Monastery will return to its regular schedule of events.
