NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A special ceremony at the Buddhist temple in Niagara Falls brought the community together to celebrate a group of monks. It also highlighted why the monks and the Buddhist community want to preserve their culture here in Western New York.
Every year on Kathina, the Buddhist community comes together to celebrate their monks. A temple in Niagara Falls, Wat Buddhakunaram, is celebrating for the second time ever.
Kathina is something that has been passed on for generations.
The Buddhist community gives their monks new robes, a festival tradition, to thank them for their hard work and dedication to their community.
All six monks at the temple received a new robe over the weekend.
The Wat temple opened three years ago and now that the monks have this community and facility, they look forward to sharing their culture with the rest of Western New York.
"It means a lot to us, that we can introduce our Buddha teaching to everybody else, so they can learn how to be peaceful," Bhante Kham said.
"The exciting part is that they are actually planting their flag in our community again. So we are again, a city of immigrants and we appreciate. This has been a fabulous today, experiencing all of this," Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls said.
Right now in Western New York, the Buddhist community is not that big compared to others, but they are ready to build it up.
You are invited to come, meditate and learn more about their community. They have a program from 6 to 7, mornings and evenings, every day. The temple is located at 2609 Niagara Falls Boulevard in Niagara Falls.