Reasons for the Expansion
Buddhism is a religion of benevolence to all sentient beings. Its compassionate spirit embraces all classes and races of people. Over the years in the SA Zhu-Lin Temple (The SA Zhu-Lin Buddhist Association), we can see there is a gradual increase in the number of Buddhism followers and most of them are delighted to participate in various kinds of religious activities. As a result, we need more space and facilities such as a bigger worship hall and more indoor venues to accommodate more people.
Being aware of this necessity, the executive committee of the Zhu-Lin temple had raised funds to purchase about 76,000 square meters of vacant land opposite the monastery in 1999. At the end of 2003, another 16,500 square meters of land adjacent to the temple was purchased for temple expansion. We believe now the time for making good use of the land has come.
1. The Rushi Pagoda and Chinese Garden
Through the hard work of the temple construction team and the great support from the Buddhist followers, South Australia’s first Chinese style pagoda has silently arisen in the adjacent piece of land. It shows off the unique charm of oriental architecture with its streamlined eaves, exquisite reliefs and cascading beams and columns. The significance of this pagoda building in South Australia is not only for Buddhist services, but also adds value to the local cultural heritages.
The pagoda is called “Rushi pagoda”. In Chinese, Rushi means the way it is. The naming has three major connotations as below:
Firstly, “Dharma Rushi”, it represents that the truth is omnipresent and all pervading.
Secondly, “Rushi I have heard”, or “Thus I have heard”, it inherits and carries forward the teachings of the Buddha.
Thirdly, “Rushi Consistency”, it is compatible in harmony with the existing groups like Rushi Children’s School and Rushi Youth Group.
The Rushi Pagoda is located at the left rear corner of the Main Shrine Hall with a construction area of roughly 800 square meters, the height is 20 meters and there are four levels in total.
Its functions are:
The underground floor, named as “Assembly at Lotus Pool”. It is the ancestors worship hall where ashes and tablets are placed for relatives to pay respect.
The first floor named as “The Lapis Lazuli Pure land” enshrines the Medicine Buddha’s statue. This is the corridor of Buddhism education, showing the history and development of Buddhism, such as the life of Buddha, the formation and evolution of different sects, the basic teachings of Buddhism, the various ways of practice, as well as the history and aim s of the SA Zhulin Temple.
The second floor named as “Achieving the Dharma Eyes” is an exhibition hall presenting the culture and art. Buddhist artworks produced by the world’s different ethnic groups will be displayed here throughout the year. It also serves as a conference venue for international exchange visits.
The top floor named as “Entering Samapatti” enshrines the statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas and the relics of eminent monks.
The open space in front of the Rushi Pagoda is allocated for building a Chinese Garden with parking area. So far the construction of the exterior structure of the Pagoda and parking area has been completed.
Figure 1. The Rushi Pagoda
2. The Multifunctional Auditorium
It is planned to build a multifunctional auditorium with a capacity of 400–500 people at the back of the present Shrine Hall, the main worship hall. Inside there will be a meditation hall, a dharma discourse hall, a library, Monastics’ dwellings and there will be space for relocation of the children’s Sunday school. Since its establishment in 2003 the school has been using a primitive tin shed which is cold in winter and hot in summer. Although it has been continuously repaired and equipped with air conditioning, it is not a long term solution. We hope that the auditorium will be completed as soon as possible so that the children will have better environment for learning and activities.
Figure 2. The layout plan of the adjacent developing land.
3. Plan for the Vacant Land
Regarding the vacant land opposite the temple, part of it is planned to build a retirement village and a meditation centre. The rest of the land will emphasise on environmental greening. There will be meditation gardens in the green zone. Then a small portion of the land adjacent to the main road will be built as a car park.
As we all know that Ottoway is an industrial area with pollution from the local factories. It lacks large parks and green space. Our envisionment is to transform this piece of dusty dry land into a fresh natural green garden, a place for leisure and relaxation, enjoyed by the local community. The garden will be open to public all year round, except during the time of annual events held by Zhu-Lin Temple for Buddhism practice such as 7 Days Zen Retreat or 7 Days Buddha Retreat.
Figure 3. Schematic plan of the vacant land.
Looking for Sponsors / Partners
Donation Account：
The South Australian Zhu-Lin Buddhist Association
BSB 065-128
ACC.NO. 00900860
PS：After donation via bank transfer, please denote donation purpose. If a receipt is requested, please contact us either through email: zhulintemple@gmail.com or phone us on Sundays at: +61 (8) 8447 4022