Chuang Yen Monastery

Chuang Yen Monastery
2020 Route 301

Carmel, NY  10512

(845) 228-4288

www.baus.org/en

www.facebook.com/chuangyenmonastery

What’s there?  A glimpse into another world, with a 37 foot tall Vairocana Buddha, numerous other Buddhist sculptures and artwork, Tang Dynasty style buildings, library, lake, gardens, walking paths, literature, meditation sessions, retreats, programs.

Who is it for?  The monastery is the home of the Buddhist Association of the United States, and houses monks and nuns, but it is open to the public for the express purpose of furthering peace, wisdom and understanding among all people.  Visitors of all ages are welcome, but since it is a sacred spot for Buddhists, care should be taken with children to behave respectfully.  Some buildings might not be wheelchair accessible.

Where is it?  Located on Route 301 in Putnam County, 10 miles east of Rte. 9D in Cold Spring, 7.7 miles east of Rte. 9. 1.5 miles east of the Taconic Parkway, 11.9 miles northwest of Rte. 52 in Carmel. 

When is it open?  April 1 to January 1, from 9:00 to 5:00 daily.  Closed January through March.  Some buildings might also be closed to the public during retreats, so it’s always best to check ahead to make sure everything’s open.  The Woo Ju Library is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 5.

How much will it cost you?  There is no admission fee and parking is also free.  Books and literature are free, as is membership to the library.  Donations gratefully accepted. Weekend lunch is a suggested donation of $6.00.

While you are there…Clarence Fahnstock Memorial State Park is Chuang Yen’s next door neighbor; coming east on Route 301 you actually have to drive through the park to get to the monastery.  Fahnstock deserves a write up all its own, but if you’re in the area, you can stop at the park office, 2.5 miles west of the monastery, to pick up park literature and maps, and directly across from the office is Pelton Pond Picnic area, which features a marked nature trail.  The picturesque town of Cold Spring is 10 miles away, and offers shops and restaurants for all budgets, if you haven’t already eaten at the monastery.  

Why go?

With the first glimpse of the graceful buildings of the Chuang Yen Monastery, you might feel as if a little bit of ancient China was uprooted and transplanted right here in the rolling woods of Putnam County.  The sense of another time and place continues with pagoda shaped pavilions surrounded by weeping cherry trees and of course, statues of Buddha, bodhisattvas and arahants everywhere.  But in fact the monastery is the center of a modern and thriving Buddhist community, one that welcomes with open arms both those who come for serious study and those who wish merely to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the grounds and buildings.

The monastery is known for its Great Buddha, and most visits start there. 

Bodhi Path and Great Buddha Hall

From the parking lot, one approaches the Great Buddha Hall via the Bodhi Path, a wide paved walkway lined by 18 statues of Arahants, disciples of Buddha.  At the end of the path, a broad plaza opens up, flanked on one side by a humongous ceremonial gong and on the other by an equally gigantic drum.  These colorful and exquisitely decorated instruments are actually used rarely, only calling practitioners to prayer or meditation at important festivals or celebrations. (Smaller versions of the same thing are used for everyday in the Kuan Yin Hall).

Ceremonial Gong and Drum

Ascend the steps at the end of the plaza to reach the Great Buddha Hall.  The entrance is to the left; one must remove one’s shoes before entering. Inside, serenity and calm reign.  The Tang Dynasty style architecture, devoid of supporting pillars, produces a soaring ceiling and a great sense of open space. 

One doesn't even see the Buddha at first; it’s only when you walk to the back of the hall and turn around that you can look up at the enormous white statue on its lotus pedestal, surrounded by its 10,000 tiny attendant Buddhas. 

The face of the Buddha is striking in its utter tranquility; it is the Vairocana Buddha, the Buddha of highest truth and enlightenment.  It rises 37 feet high, the largest in the Western Hemisphere. 

Bas-Relief, Bodhisattva of Sound Discernment

Buddha’s lotus pedestal is decorated with 12 bas-relief Bodhisattvas, enlightened ones who have committed to guiding others to pure truth.  The 10,000 Buddha terrace is decorated with paintings depicting the Western or “Pure Lands.”

10,000 Buddhas detail

Monks and laity come and go, unselfconsciously bowing before the great teacher. Take your time looking around.  Everything here is a delight both for those who already love Chinese art and artifacts, and for those who are discovering them for the first time.

The monastery was founded not just as a place for practicing Buddhists to gather, but as a place to teach and reach out as well.  Make sure to check out the table at the far end of the hall, where you can find many free books on Buddha and Buddhism, in English and Chinese (and a few in French and Spanish). In general, the staff and volunteers are friendly and informative without ever being pushy or intrusive. Visitors of all backgrounds and religions are warmly welcomed and treated respectfully.

Gift Shop

There is a splendid little gift shop located at the back of the Great Hall.  The store itself looks like a mini-museum, stuffed with enough colorful statues, prayer beads, jewelry, books and artifacts to satisfy anyone’s material interest. All proceeds go to support the Buddhist Association of the United States, its charitable works and the monastery.

Once you leave the Great Hall, you can go next door to the Kuan Yin Hall, a smaller, more intimate but no less impressive structure also built in the Tang style. This is where the monastery residents, and guests at retreats, gather on a daily basis for prayer and meditation. The centerpiece of this building are the four statues at the front of the room, three of the Bodhisattva Kuan Yin, and one of the Shakyamuni Buddha. 

Inside Kuan Yin Hall

Though not as massively impressive as the great Buddha, the more approachable dimensions of these statues and this space have their own special appeal.  The porcelain Kuan Yin dates to the Ming Dynasty (700 years ago) and the gorgeously restored wooden Kuan Yin to its left dates to the Tang Dynasty (1000 years ago).

Ceiling detail, Kuan Yin Hall

After you’ve explored the Kuan Yin Hall, it’s time to stroll the grounds.  You can pick up a pamphlet with a map in the monastery office, downstairs from the Great Buddha Hall. 

The path around the Seven Jewels Lake provides some of the nicest scenery as it winds around weeping cherry trees, a rock garden, over red painted wooden boardwalks and through several areas left in their natural state. 

Chinese style pavilions dot the landscape and provide pleasing places to stop and take it all in.  Picnicking is allowed here, although be aware that visitors are asked to refrain from bringing meat, fish or egg products onto the grounds (see the website for specifics).  

Woo Ju Library, view from Seven Jewels Lake

On the eastern shore of the lake is the Woo Ju Memorial Library, (www.facebook.com/woojumemoriallibrary), also built in the spacious Tang style. It houses a collection of about 6000 volumes in Chinese, English and Pali (Buddha’s original language).  Anyone over 16 years old can obtain a library card and check out up to three books at a time.  The library also has a number of artifacts on display and features a living Bodhi tree, the seed of which came from Buddha’s birthplace. There is even a children's section.  Parents can read here with their children or, on Sunday mornings in the Spring and Fall, they can leave the children at the Chinese School while attending the public meditation session.

If you’re here on the weekend, you can check out the 100% vegetarian lunch served from 12 to 1.  The suggested donation is $6.00; during my visit I stayed to lunch and found the food delicious.  On weekends volunteers also are available to talk to visitors about the monastery and Buddhism; if you want a free tour, you can call ahead to arrange one for groups of 5 or more.  On Saturdays at 1 pm there is usually a free tour in the Buddha Hall (check ahead to make sure since it is run by volunteers) and on Sunday mornings there is the public meditation session.

The public retreats, workshops, lectures and meditation sessions are too numerous to cover in detail here.  Take a look on the website or the Facebook page to find out what’s going on.  One thing I will mention—on May 12  the monastery will be hosting its annual Mother’s Day Bathing Buddha Ceremony and Garden Party, a gala event that is both festive and uplifting.

Overall, visitors are free to enjoy the monastery in whatever capacity they wish.  Whether you come for the art, the Buddhism, or the natural beauty, you’ll find something here that you might otherwise have had to travel halfway around the globe to experience. A trip to the Chuang Yen Monastery is an excursion right in our own backyard.