Construction Projects
Khmer USA, Construction Workers, and a Monk
A Khmer USA smiley face vehicle and a monk in a straw hat and work gloves adds a dose of crosscultural humor to this construction scene.
Monk, Worker, and Stupa
A monk supervises a man working on the construction of the Stupa in a hot July day in 2016.
Community Center
The community center under construction in April 2016. It will be used for plays, dancing, pageantry, teaching of Khmer, and guest housing for well attended festivals and ceremonies.
Finished Community Center
View of the front of the completed community center in the spring of 2017.
Watt Office Space
A furnished office space located inside of the community center, completed in the spring of 2017.
There are many construction projects in progress and being planned for completion in the near future. These projects include:
The Stupa: A pyramidal structure built to house several relics of the Buddha brought from Sri Lanka. The building will also contain 5000 statues of the Buddha, symbolizing 5000 years of Buddhism. The first 1000 of these were consecrated and installed for Visakha Puja in 2016. As of May 2017, most of the structural construction and interiors are finished, leaving only final exterior decoration and complete installation of all the Buddhas incomplete.
Reflection Pond: Construction on the Watt's large reflection pond near the rear of the property started in May of 2015. The pond was inaguarated in August of 2017 and now functions as a quiet and peaceful place to meditate, reflect, and pray.
Community Center: A large hall down the hill from the main temple. It will be used for the rehearsal and performance of plays, dances, pageants, classes (including the teaching Khmer language and other Buddhist topics to adults and children), and to house guests during the holidays. It also contains an office space for the Watt to use for administrative purposes. The space opened in the spring of 2017.
Meditation Center: Construction has not started on this project this project, but it is planned for 2018-2019. The Center will be built on the northern end of the campus and be used for daily practice and longer retreats. Ven. Vicheth Chum says he hopes they will invite monks and practitioners from across the country to meditate there.
When we think of the future, 20-30 years from now, and what we can do to maintain and keep our community alive and bright, that’s why we plan to build a meditation center. —Ven. Vicheth Chum
American monks (like Jackson Hawks) said that if the Watt builds a meditation center he would come and stay there and help them because “he is a doctor and he’s good at rhythm meditation, he can sit for two hours or longer”.2
The center will also be a resource for the younger generation of Cambodian-Americans and can help the monks in their mission to look out for the spiritual health of the community.
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Personal interivew, Ven. Vicheth Chum, 5/8/16 ↩
