East Bay Buddhist Temple Strives to Maintain Relevance In New Land

April 8, 2010

Author: Matt O'Brien

Source: Contra Costa Times

http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_14833793?nclick_check=1

Many men who grew up in Laos have stories of how they became a novice Buddhist monk, donning the orange robes and leaving family homes for the temple.

They served for weeks, months or maybe years, but that was in another land. At the Wat Lao Rattanaram in downtown Richmond, children crowd the urban temple for monthly religious gatherings, but few of them will leap into the monkhood as their fathers or grandfathers did.

"Young people are losing interest in the religion," said temple board member Khammany Mathavongsy. "In Laos, the temple is the center of the entire community. Each village is named after the temple. But here, lifestyles have changed so much. People are working, people are busy, trying to build a career. They have less time to maintain the practice."

The loss of Lao traditions in the United States is a worry commonly expressed by elder members of the Theravada Buddhist temple in Richmond, but sometimes the next generation surprises them.