Cambodian Temple Opening in Hampton
Asian American Press, June 21, 2007
Hampton, Minn. (USA) -- The Cambodian Buddhist Community in Minnesota and the Minnesota Cambodian Buddhist Society Inc. (MCBS) will organize a four-day celebration from Thursday, July 5th to Sunday, July 8th, 2007 to consecrate the newly built Cambodian Buddhist temple located at 2925 – 220th Street East, Hampton (approximately 3 miles east from Farmington on Hwy 50). This consecration ceremony involves also the sanctification of Buddha’s image and the placement of “Siima boundary” to mark the holy ground of the temple.
The Temple, the final product of MCBS’ s five-year project, represents the energy, enthusiasm, resourcefulness, and generosity of the Cambodian Buddhist community in the state. It will serve the spiritual and communal needs of people of Buddhist faith and as a center where Cambodian cultural values and tradition can be learned and preserved.
This unique community event will attract several thousand people from Minnesota and from other states. More than one hundred Buddhist monks from the United States, Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, India, and Cambodia will be attending the ceremony.
The Temple, designed to reflect the style of Buddhist temples in Cambodia, will be the landmark of Cambodian people in Minnesota. It will symbolize the loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity – the four qualities that shape the conduct of Buddhist people.
The beauty of the architectural structure of this temple, its expressive carving of the holy path should highlight its real function that is to radiate peace to all living beings.
