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Wat Thai Washington DC (2006)
Theravada Buddhism (Thailand) (Buddhism)
13440 Layhill Rd
Silver Spring MD 20906
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Description
History
In 1971, the new Thai communities of the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area began to realize their need for a religious center. They felt that although their new life in America was rich materially, they faced a spiritual void that could only be filled by a Thai Buddhist Temple (Wat). They also knew a wat would provide the Thai people with a cultural center in the diverse city of Washington, DC. A group of Thai Buddhists in the area formed a group that was originally known as the Assembly of Buddhists. This group made a connection with the Wat Thai in Los Angeles, and monks from this wat visited Washington, DC to perform rituals and spend time with the Thai community. The group formally changed its name in November 1971 to the Buddhist Association of Washington, DC and contained members from the Royal Thai Embassy that served as advisors. The Association began the difficult task of raising funds to build a wat. The Association decided to use some of the funds they collected to establish a monks' residence. They rented a house, and two monks moved to the Washington area from Thailand. The first ceremony was held on July 5, 1974 and marked the official establishment of Wat Thai Washington DC. The congregation began to grow rapidly and the need for a much larger space soon became apparent. The first relocation of Wat Thai took place in 1980, to a site three times the size of the previous one. It soon became apparent, however, that the community was also going to out grow this space and so the temple moved once again. This time great care was taken to find a location with enough room for growth and expansion. The wat Thai moved to their present location in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1986. At this time, the Thai community worked with the local government to classify the temple as a place of worship under Maryland law. The main building of the site was built between 1993 and 1995. This building now serves as the main prayer hall for ceremonies and houses meditation and classes down stairs. The temple also consists of the monks' residence and a large kitchen with adjacent rooms. The grounds are also kept impeccably and often function as second dinning room. The site of Wat Thai Washington DC serves the Thai community of the DC area for many different events, and can house over five thousand people. The Buddhist Association in Washington, DC, presently still administers Wat Thai. The Association is divided into two committees in terms of governance of the wat: the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. The members of these committees are representative from the Royal Thai Embassy, Thai scholars, Thai professionals and other elected individuals. The Board of Directors elects the President of the Buddhist Association in Washington, DC, the Chairperson of the Board, and the Vice-Chairperson of the Board. The resident monks serve as the Advisory Committee, and are headed by the Abbott.
Activities and Schedule
The temple offers weekly meditation and study sessions. These classes are open to the public, but are attended regularly by small groups of Wat Thai members. The schedule of these weekly activities is as follows: Chanting (in Pali) takes place daily from 6:00-6:45 a.m. and from 6:00-6:45 p.m. Meditation and Dhamma Discussion takes place every Saturday from 3:00-5:00pm (in Thai) and from 7:00-9:00pm (meditation) 9:00-10:00pm (dhamma) Meditation and Dhamma Discussion takes place every Sunday from 2:00-4:00 pm (in English) Thai Language Classes take place every Monday and Thursday from 7:00-9:00pm Collecting Alms (Binda-Bata) takes place on the first Sunday of every month at 7:00am The most popular of these activities is the Saturday night meditation and Dhamma Discussion. This activity is regularly attended by ten to fifteen people and is lead by one of the monks. The same activity is conducted in English on Sundays but is only attended by about four to five people. Music and dance lessons are also taught at the temple, and students attend these classes about four times a week. There is also a large class for Thai music and dance as part of the Sunday school program. Recently, some of the monks of Wat Thai have established an open discussion session on the Internet. This allows members of the community to ask questions of the monks or express their opinions. Both children and adults participate in this Internet channel which takes place from 7:00pm-9:00pm every evening. The topics for discussion range from Dhamma (Buddhist teachings) for leading life to news in the community.
Education
Every Sunday, Wat Thai runs classes for children. These classes run from 1:00pm until 3:30pm and are designed to teach children born in America the rich traditions of Thailand. The classes cover Thai language, Thai culture, Thai traditions, and the Theravada Buddhism of Thailand. Through these lessons, the children are able to participate in temple services and ceremonies. They are also able to join celebrations by dancing and playing Thai instruments. The Sunday School not only provides Thai children born in the States with an understanding of their heritage, but also provides them with a peer community which is based at the temple. Wat Thai runs two summer camps, one for the boys of the Thai community and one for the girls. The camp classes are similar to the lessons taught at Sunday School, but are also incorporated with fun activities for the summer. The children learn how to play Thai sports and also enjoy field trips. The summer camp has a religious focus, as the children live together like novices (monks-in-training). The camp, which usually lasts for about fifteen days, forms a community in which Thai children can absorb Buddhism and Thai traditions, while having a great time.
Ceremonies and Rituals
Ordination Ceremony
The ordination ceremony for monks into the Thai order takes place every year. Novices (monks-in-training) must be over twenty years old, be willing to take the two hundred and twenty seven precepts, and have completed the training before they can become ordained. Each year at Wat Thai, there is a training program in the summer beginning with the ceremony of becoming a novice, which involves the acceptance of ten precepts.
Katina Ceremony
Every year, the monks of the Theravada tradition partake in the rainy season retreat. This is a three-month period that was originally designed to keep monks in one place during the monsoon of India. This ritual is still practiced by Theravada Buddhists all over the world, and in modern times, takes the form of a period of retreat and quietness in which the monks do not leave the temple. The end of this period is marked with a ceremony called the Katina Ceremony. At this ceremony, the lay community gives new robes to the monks as a way of commemorating the end of the rainy season retreat and a new beginning. In the Thai tradition, the lay community also makes small model trees with money as leaves and presents these donations to the temple. The ceremony involves a service of chanting (in Pali) and teaching (in Thai), circumambulating of the temple, and the serving of food to the monks before the whole community enjoys a feast.
Birth Rituals
The birth of a child is a time for parents to visit the temple. At Wat Thai, Thai parents are able to make merit for their newborn child. This ceremony involves the giving of gifts to the monks, usually in the form of flowers or food. The monks will begin a session of chanting at 10:30am and then will proceed to be served lunch by the parents of the child at 11:30am. This ceremony is designed to give merit to the new child to build up his or her good karma.
Marriage Rituals
Members of the Thai community get married at Wat Thai in a traditional Thai ceremony. The day begins with the monks chanting in the temple. The monks then give the couple the five precepts of all Buddhists: to not kill, steal, involve in sexual misconduct, lie, or become intoxicated. The couple accepts the precepts and then the monks continue with a service of prayers and chanting. The couple then gives gifts to the monks in order to gain merit, and in return the monks bless them. The couple then serves the monks food, before they sit themselves to enjoy lunch together.
Death Rituals
The family of the deceased invites a monk to pray for the deceased relative at the funeral home. The monk also stays at the funeral home for some chanting. At the temple, there is a merit making ceremony for the deceased. Family and friends bring food and gifts for the monks to gain merit in the hope of a better rebirth for the deceased.
Special Events and Festivals
All Thai Buddhist festivals are celebrated in a similar way with a ceremony that involves chanting, teaching, circumambulating of the temple, and other merit making activities including feeding lunch to the monks. Dhamma Day is in March and marks the day when 1250 monks were ordained by Buddha. Also known as Macarpoocha, Dhamma day focuses on the teaching of rules for monks and Buddha's discourse on how to teach. The people also learn about the history of Buddha. Buddha Day (also known as Vesak) commemorates the birthday of the Buddha, his day of enlightenment, and his day of pari-nirvana or death. This is a joyous celebration that involves a dancing and music program as well as chanting, circumambulating the temple, and the giving of food to the monks. The day falls in early May and is an important festival for Buddhists everywhere. It serves as way to celebrate the life and greatness of Buddha. Sangha day is a festival marking the day of Buddha's first sermon. The community hears the story of the five followers of Buddha that originally doubted him but upon hearing his sermon, they were instantly enlightened by his words. This day takes place in July, nearing the rainy season retreat. The Songkran festival celebrates the Thai New Year and is the biggest event at Wat Thai. Between five thousand and six thousand members of the Thai community come from all over the region to attend this big celebration. Beginning at 7:00am, the day involves a number of religious activities including the pouring of lustral water to honor the Buddha image and to honor the monks, chanting by the monks, and a sermon given by the Abbot in Thai. The day also involves many cultural events including a Thai music and dance show. Local Thai stores and restaurants come to sell their merchandise and food, creating a fair like atmosphere in the grounds of the temple.
Community Relations
Wat Thai participated in the local celebrations for the King of Thailand's 50th anniversary of his ascension to the throne. They also worked with the Thailand Social Welfare Department to organize a celebration event for the Queen of Thailand's 60th birthday. In July of 1994, Wat Thai were involved in part of a Smithsonian Festival exhibiting Thai culture called "Satid Chevit Thai." Members of the Thai Royal Family were also present at this event. The Royal family of Thailand is of the utmost cultural importance to the people of Thailand, and Wat Thai embraces this tradition. Wat Thai participates every year in local community events such as the Layhill Community Parade and Festival. Wat Thai promotes keeping good community relations in Silver Spring and friendship in their neighborhood. Every year, Buddhist communities form all over the Washington DC area come together to celebrate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha at the International Visakha Festival. The festival attempts to unify all the various forms of Buddhism in their honor of Lord Buddha. The event was held at Wat Thai Washington DC in May of 1999, and was organized by the Buddhist Association of Washington DC in collaboration with the international Buddhist Committee of Washington DC. This Committee is comprised of representatives of the twenty-three religious communities involved in the festival.
The Wat and Thai Buddhism in America
Thai Buddhism has inevitably changed in its American context. In Thailand, the wat is the center of the community and monks are not only spiritual leaders but also community leaders. The monks and the wat are intimately involved in the daily life of the community, and because Buddhism has been in Thailand for over a thousand years, Buddhism is a part of daily life. This is not the case in America, as there are so many other factors to consider. The Thai community in the United States has become secularized to a certain degree, as so much of life is unrelated to the wat of Buddhist practices. Despite this Wat Thai of Washington DC tries to remain as close to the traditions of the Thai wat as possible. Wat Thai has also changed in the sense that it now also functions as cultural center for the Thai community. The wat now serves as an educational center for Thai culture and traditions, not just for Buddhism. With most of the children of the Wat Thai community being born in America, great emphasis is placed on this aspect of the Wat. The monks take great care to ensure that children understand Thai Buddhism, and realize that it is flexible and open to them. They feel this a necessary emphasis to create a balance between Thai tradition and American culture.
Date Center Founded
1974
Religious Leader and Title
Phra Maha Surasak Jivanando, Abbot since 1975
Membership
over 2200 families in the greater Washington DC area
Ethnic Composition
Mostly Thai, some other South East Asian Buddhists (from Laos, Vietnam, etc) and some Euro-American