Source: The Times-Picayune

On September 2, 1999, The Times Picayune reported that 150 people gathered at the Bo De Buddhist Temple in Algiers, Louisiana on Sunday, August 29th to celebrate Vu Lan, the Buddhist day of appreciation for parents and grandparents. Youth group members took part in administering the ceremony and preparing the celebratory feast. The youth group, which includes between 50 and 100 young adults, meets weekly to study the Buddhist faith and Vietnamese language and culture. Dien Nghiem, assistant scoutmaster with Bo De's youth group,...

Source: The Indianapolis Star

On August 24, 1999, The Indianapolis Star reported that 800 people representing a multitude of faiths attended the Interfaith Vigil for World Peace at the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Bloomington, Indiana. The vigil was part of the Dalai Lama's 12-day visit to Bloomington, where he was leading the Kalachakra for World Peace. In the 70-minute vigil, there were 20 minutes of silent prayer and meditation before a globe placed in the center of the church. Sister Mary Margaret Funk of Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech...

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

On August 23, 1999, The San Diego Union-Tribune published an article on the Dalai Lama's visit to Bloomington, Indiana. As many as 5,000 people are expected to converge on Bloomington to watch him perform the Kalachakra for World Peace, which is a "series of Buddhist rituals and teachings intended to bring personal enlightenment and foster world peace." People from all over the country are going to Indiana to attend the events, which cost $40 to $50 for daily admissions. The Dalai Lama's current trip to the United States...

Source: The Courier-Journal

On August 21, 1999, The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky published an article on the universal themes that the Dalai Lama expresses in his writings and speeches. Speaking to a capacity crowd of 8,700 at the University of Indiana at Bloomington on August 18th, the Dalai Lama stated: "Without hesitation, the purpose of our life is happiness." In his newest book, Ethics for the New Millennium, the Dalai Lama writes that "my impression is that those living in the materially developed countries, for all their industry,...

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On August 20, 1999, The Columbus Dispatch published an article describing the Kalachakra, which means the "turning of the wheel of time." The Kalachakra consists of 11 days of public prayer, meditation and teaching that has the goal of creating world peace and harmony. Buddhists believe that the Kalachakra teachings "pacify conflicts, develop peace and welfare, reduce suffering and increase love, kindness, compassion, joy and happiness." This is the 25th time the Dalai Lama has lead the Kalachakra since 1954 and the fourth time...

Source: The Arizona Republic

On August 15, 1999, The Arizona Republic reported that Wat Promkunaram, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple west of Phoenix, Arizona, held two days of memorial ceremonies on the 8th anniversary of the murders of 9 Buddhists at the temple. Over 70 monks and dozens of Buddhist followers participated in the ceremonies to honor the slain victims, 6 monks, a nun, novice, and acolyte, who were murdered while praying. In the 8 years since the murders, the temple has changed a great deal, adding an 8-foot monument with a bust of one of the...

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On August 14, 1999, The Houston Chronicle published an article on the 20th anniversary of the Jade Buddha Temple in Houston. In 1979, the temple began with 10 Chinese Buddhists. Now, the temple is a 2.5 acre Buddhist campus that supports 1,400 members. Most of the members are of Chinese descent, but there are also people of Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, and other origins. About 5% of the members are Americans who began in other faith traditions. The temple features a grand hall for weekly services, a smaller meditation hall, a...

Source: Akron Beacon Journal

On July 31, 1999 Akron Beacon Journal featured an article on the research of Northern Ohio's religious diversity by Pluralism Project affiliates. The "growth in religious diversity has been examined by two Kent State University researchers... Dr. David Odell-Scott, associate professor of philosophy... and Dr. Surinder M. Bhardwaj, a professor of geography... received a 1998 grant through the Pluralism Project at Harvard University to map the religious diversity of Northern Ohio... As a result of that work, the researchers have...

Source: The Buffalo News

On July 24, 1999, The Buffalo News reported that the Chau Tu Hien Buddhist Cultural Center in Buffalo, NY will be dedicated on July 25th. The Center will serve the growing Vietnamese Buddhist community in the Buffalo area, which numbers about 400 to 500 families, and 70 to 100 American families. The Center consists of a main worship hall, a reception area, a kitchen area, a small room for praying to ancestors, living quarters for monks, a hall used by the Buddhist Youth Association, and a room that will eventually become a library...

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

On July 24, 1999, The San Francisco Chronicle published an article on the upcoming Day of Mindfulness to be held in Oakland, California in mid-September. As many as 5,000 people are expected to flock to Lakeside Park on the shores of Lake Merritt to experience the first-ever day of meditation in an urban setting. The event will be lead by Vietnamese meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh and will include walking and sitting practice and a discussion on how to employ Buddhist practices in everyday life. Mayor of Oakland Jerry...

Source: The Courier-Journal

On July 19, 1999, The Courier-Journal of Louisville reported that the Dalai Lama will visit Indiana in August for several events. On August 16th, he will be greeted in a welcoming ceremony in Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. On August 17th and 18th, he will speak at two separate events at the Indiana University in Bloomington. On August 19th, he will lead daily teachings for the Kalachakra Initiation, an eight-day Buddhist ritual to create peace and harmony, at the Tibetan Cultural Center. The Tibetan Cultural Center was...

Source: The Seattle Times

On July 14, 1999, The Seattle Times published an article on the efforts of Le Duy Hong, a retired custodian who has built a garden of Buddhist statues in the yard of his Redmond, Washington home, where he also runs a house temple. The garden, which overlooks a busy street near the headquarters of Microsoft, was constructed by Le in order to fulfill a promise he made to himself while working as an interpreter in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Le prayed that he would neither be killed nor have to kill in the conflict. His prayers...

Source: The Denver Post

On July 13, 1999, The Denver Post published an article reflecting on the growth of the Zen Buddhist-based Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado on its 25th Anniversary. Soon to become Naropa University this Fall, the Naropa Institute has more than 800 students, with about two-thirds in graduate programs, pursuing degrees in Buddhist studies, psychology, gerontology, and writing and poetics. Naropa now boasts satellite campuses in Mexico, Germany, and Oakland, California, with another to come in the Czech Republic. The Institute was...

Source: Los Angeles Times

On July 10, 1999, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Orange County Buddhist Church in California will begin to celebrate the traditional Japanese holiday of Obon on Sunday, July 11th. The festival will include English and Japanese services, Odori dancing, a bazaar, and a carnival. The traditional Obon dance, "which expresses joy for Buddhist teachings," depicts the livelihood of Japanese villagers, such as fisherman, coal miners, and farmers.

Source: The Seattle Times

On June 28, 1999, The Seattle Times reported that the Thai Buddhist Temple opened near Auburn, WA. The 24,000-square-foot facility is the largest Buddhist temple on the Pacific coast and will serve Buddhists from Portland, OR to Vancouver, British Columbia. The temple cost $2.7 million and includes classrooms and housing for five monks.