How to Visit Buu Mon Buddhist Temple
Five Temple Tips at Buu Mon
Serenity, tranquility and greenery surround you. With a big smile and a little bow, The Rev. Tri Quang welcomes guests to Buu Mon Buddhist Temple and Gardens in Port Arthur. With koi ponds, bamboo clusters and colorful lotus blooms all around, he’s familiar with visitors pausing to frame up photos. Sometimes, he’ll offer to take your picture for a happy memory of your time in Port Arthur.
Gardens are open from sunrise to sunset and visitors are invited to stroll through and explore. The Buu Mon stop on the Port Arthur Faith Trail has an extra bonus each spring in the form of an annual garden festival. Music and traditional Vietnamese foods are celebrated, along with lotus blossoms.
Coming for the 2025 Buu Mon Garden Fest on May 31-June 1? Read about it here.
Buu Mon’s gardens are designed for reflection and will connect you to nature. Statues around the gardens reflect Vietnamese culture. If you’ve never been to a Buddhist temple before, read on for some tips on how to visit and some temple etiquette. You’ll feel welcome here.
1. Learn Lotus Lore
The lotus is pretty in pink – and hues of white and yellow. This bloom has its own story in the floral language. In Buddhism, the lotus represents enlightenment, purity and a spiritual growth. The lotus forms beauty from mud and water, and this activity represents overcoming challenges.
Lotus is yoga position, too. The double-crossed-legged posture, or double lotus position, is associated with the Buddha’s moment of enlightenment. Palms are resting on the knees. Sounds relaxing. So does gazing at the big, sturdy lotus leaves dancing in Port Arthur sea breezes.
2. Buu Mon Basics
Bamboo catching the gentle winds and pots of lotus are regular highlights. Gardens change with the seasons. There could be fruit in spring and golden flowers around holidays, such as Lunar New Year. If guests spot a saffron-robed monk, ask if it’s a good time to get an inside view of the temple.
The pagoda-style structure has been a Port Arthur landmark for decades. Buu Mon started in Beaumont in 1980 and is named for that city (Beautiful Mountain). The organization moved to Orange, then found a home in Port Arthur in 1986. The current building has been a Baptist Church and a Vietnamese Catholic Church. The temple was dedicated August 15, 1987, with a four-tiered pagoda tower symbolizing tenets of Buddhism. Then-Abbot, Venerable Huyen Viet established noted water lily gardens in 1988.
3. What to Wear
Dress as you would to to be respectful of any spiritual place. Avoid sleeveless tops, tank tops and skirts and shorts considered tight or revealing. A shawl or scarf could come in handy to throw over one’s clothing, if in doubt. Wear comfortable shoes. Be prepared to remove them inside the temple. Socks could come in handy!
4. Noble Thought
Tri Quang notes the Eightfold Path as a guide toward ending suffering and achieving enlightenment. In short, the disciplines include:
1. Right Understanding (Samma Ditthi): Develop a view of reality. Consider the nature of suffering and its causes.
2. Right Thought (Samma Sankappa): Cultivate positive intentions. Avoid thoughts such as greed, hatred and harmful intent.
3. Right Speech (Samma Vaca): Speak the truth, kindly. Avoid gossip and harsh words.
4. Right Action (Samma Kammanta): Engage in ethical conduct; avoid causing harm or suffering.
5. Right Livelihood (Samma Ajiva): Avoid professions that involving stealing or deception.
6. Right Effort (Samma Vayama): Create positive mental states, kindness and compassion.
7. Right Mindfulness (Samma Sati): Practice mindfulness. Be present in the moment.
8. Right Concentration (Samma Samadhi): Develop concentration and meditation skills.
5. What’s on the altar?
At Buu Mon, the altar area features red carpeting, a big golden Buddha and a shiny golden background. Typical altar offerings include incense, flowers and sweet treats. Orchid, apple and orange are frequent offerings in the Port Arthur temple. The Rev. Tri Quang says a flower’s beauty can symbolize the cycle of human life and the conditions for human existence. This includes the freshness of youth and transformation of aging and decay, according to the natural law of impermanence. A resonant gong and singing bowl surround visitors with sound. These notes are to remind the listener to “wake up” and develop “good virtue.”
Purifying fragrant incense reminds the prayerful to focus during meditation.
No Mud, No Lotus
Vietnamese Buddhist Monk Tich Nhat Hahn uses the lotus as spiritual reminder, He writes the following in “No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering:”
“Most people are afraid of suffering. But suffering is a kind of mud to help the lotus flower of happiness grow. There can be no lotus flower without the mud.”
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