The Mid-America Buddhist Association (MABA) monastery and retreat center is in Augusta, Missouri, an hour away from St. Louis. On sixty acres of Missouri rolling hills there are gardens, a meditation center, temples and a lake thick with lotus.
Since 1994, MABA has been holding ethnic, primarily Chinese Buddhist services that welcome everyone. Visitors and members can join meditation and chanting sessions in their meditation hall and listen to Dharma talks given by Buddhist monastics and lay leaders.
Around the meditation hall are stretches of manicured lawn, well-tended flowers and statuary, and a vegetable and flower garden that provides food and beauty for the monastics and visitors. A large statue of a walking Buddha is the centerpiece in front of the hall. All around the grounds are images of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas keep watch over the site.
Dizang Temple at MABA
The Dizang Temple is a striking mausoleum. Three immense sticks of incense in a stone urn burn near the entrance. It honors Ksitigarbha, a Bodhisattva who vowed to attain enlightenment once the hell realms had become vacant. In Chinese Buddhism he is known as Dizang.
Each year, in September a special ceremony is performed. The public is welcome to attend the ceremony at Dizang Temple.
MABA's Guan Yin Pavilion
On a hillside above the lake is a pavilion dedicated in peace and compassion to Avalokitesvara, in Chinese she is known as Guan Yin, which is sometimes translated as "The One Who Hears the Cries of the World".
The pavilion is the embodiment of mercy, compassion, love, healing and wisdom. A lantern burns eternally there as an offering for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Universe.
The Master Ji Ru of MABA
Master Ji Ru is the spiritual leader of the Buddhist monastics at MABA. Born in Malaysia he first studied in Thailand and was ordained in Theravadan Buddhism. In 1986 he was further ordained in the Chinese Buddhist tradition.
Services at MABA
On a Sunday visit to MABA, visitors may hear the sounds of monks and laity chanting the Heart Sutra. They can walk the grounds, take time to sit quietly in the Guan Yin Pavilion, take in the beauty of the various gardens and pools, and experience the ancient traditions of Chinese Buddhism.
Each Sunday after services a complimentary vegetarian buffet is served in their dining area. They are dishes contributed by MABA members or prepared using vegetables from the garden.
Go to the MABA website to learn about upcoming events at MABA, information on retreats and to access an easy-to-follow map of the site.
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