Hoa Nghiem Temple, a Vietnamese Mahayana temple situated in Melbourne’s southeastern suburb of Springvale, has recently completed the first of two phases of construction of its new community and cultural center. Phase one comprises the community hall, complete with kitchen and a dining hall with a capacity for five hundred, and a Dharma school with ten classrooms.
Hoa Nghiem Temple's main shrine and Buddha Hall. From Andrew J. Williams
Phase two, which will be completed by the end of this year, is a 35-meter stupa with seven stories. Level one will house a public library and level two, a public museum and gallery; level three will be for ancestor veneration, while level four will be the new home of the Buddhist library; level five will be a meditation hall, level six, the patriarch veneration hall, and level seven, the sanctum where the Buddha’s relics are enshrined. There will also be a Thousand Buddha Sanctuary, with one thousand Buddha statues. The stupa is an architectural work of great artistic merit, and will serve as a permanent symbol of Buddhist culture in Australia. Construction for both phases began in early 2014.
Hoa Nghiem Temple was established in 1987 when a residential house was converted to a small temple. The first abbot was Venerable Thich Nhat Ton, who moved to Taiwan in 1990. Since then the abbot has been Venerable Thich Thien Tam, who was ordained by Australia’s first Vietnamese monk, Venerable Thich Phuoc Hue, at Phuoc Hue Temple in Sydney.
Hoa Nghiem Temple's main shrine room. From Andrew J.Williams
The land for Hoa Nghiem’s current location was purchased in 1995. Construction of the new temple began in 1998 and was completed in 2003, with a beautiful main shrine and Buddha Hall, a monastic residence, and a community hall, as well as many multi-purpose rooms. The temple’s elaborate Buddhist library was also established at this time, and became totally computerized in 2004.
Hoa Nghiem Temple’s members and supporters have worked tirelessly to build the Buddhist community that they have today, and have played a vital part in the development of Buddhism in Melbourne. The vibrant and friendly community has been of great benefit to the wider public, as well as to the many Buddhist communities in the area.
Hoa Nghiem Temple's new stupa with Reclining Buddha in the foreground. From Andrew J.Williams
“The motivation of our abbot Thich Thien Tam, as well as our monastic and lay members, is to service not only the Vietnamese Buddhist community but the Australian community as a whole, the best way we can,” said Hoa Nghiem spokesperson, Chanh Nguyen, who moved to Australia in 1992 and is also a temple mentor. “We have also put plans in place to establish government-accredited Dharma schools—both a primary school and a high school—rooted in and guided by Buddhist principles.”
Regular activities at the temple include evening chanting and meditation sessions, Dharma talks, bimonthly repentance ceremonies, a monthly one-day Eight Precepts chanting and meditation retreat, and yearly one-week retreats for both adults and children. Also offered are Vietnamese- and English-language classes, as well as classes in mathematics and computer skills. In addition, children and youth can enjoy regular Dharma and meditation classes, and other activities like martial arts.
The temple also helps people struggling with low incomes or unemployment, providing financial aid and advice on preparing tax returns and the like, as well as free computer maintenance and whatever else is needed. It is also actively involved in community training programs with the Victorian Council of Churches Emergency Ministry and other such relief and interfaith organizations.
In addition, the temple holds vibrant festivals to celebrate Vesak, Ullumbana day, and the lunar new year.