2025年10月29日，美國華嚴蓮社知客天嚴法師（Ven. Tian Yen）熱誠接待來自洛斯阿圖斯長者社區（The Terraces at Los Altos）的一行二十位訪客。該社區共有約181位住民，此次由牧師 Edna R. Andres 帶領。Edna 牧師服務該社區已十二年，長期致力於促進包容與跨宗教交流，經常帶領居民參訪不同的宗教場所，以增進對世界多元信仰的了解。多年來，她曾組織居民參訪伊斯蘭清真寺、錫克教寺院、聖荷西佛教中心、猶太會堂、天主教主教座堂、以及利佛摩市的印度教寺廟等。
Visit from The Terraces at Los Altos to Avatamsaka Buddhist Lotus Society
On October 29, 2025, Venerable Tian Yen, Guest Prefect of the Avatamsaka Buddhist Lotus Society (ABLS), warmly welcomed 20 visitors from The Terraces at Los Altos, a Life Plan Community with about 181 residents. The group was led by Chaplain Edna R. Andres, who has served as their spiritual leader for 12 years. Deeply committed to inclusivity and interfaith learning, Chaplain Edna regularly organizes visits to various religious institutions, helping residents appreciate the diversity of faith traditions in the community and the wider world. Over the years, her group has visited an Islamic mosque, a Sikh temple, a Buddhist center in San Jose, a Jewish synagogue, a Catholic cathedral, and a Hindu temple in Livermore, among others.
At ABLS, Venerable Tian Yen invited everyone to be seated in the Main Buddha Hall and began with a warm greeting, noting that ABLS had recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. She shared reflections on the meaning of life, explaining that it lies in cultivating Truth, Virtue, and Beauty and understanding the eternal nature of life through the practice of “Giving.” Giving, she said, is the most beautiful act in the world—especially when offered through kind words, goodwill, and a sincere smile. She also spoke of the “Four Kinds of Giving”: giving others confidence, giving others hope, giving others joy, and giving others convenience, encouraging everyone to practice them in daily life. Meanwhile, Ven. Tian Yen explained that if people wish to meet again in the next life—whether as friends or as husband and wife—they must cultivate four essential qualities. The first is moral conduct, the second is observing precepts, the third is wisdom, and the fourth is charity and compassionate action. When these four qualities are fulfilled, she said, the conditions are established for meeting again in the next life.
During the talk, visitors showed great curiosity, asking about the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the hall, the ritual instruments displayed at the front, and the book placed on the table. Venerable Tian Yen introduced the images of Shakyamuni Buddha, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Universal Sage Bodhisattva (Samantabhadra), Amitabha Buddha, and Medicine Buddha, explaining their meanings and demonstrating the use of Dharma instruments. The book, she explained, contained ABLS’s daily morning and evening liturgies and monthly Avatamsaka Sutra recitations.
At the end of the session, Venerable Tian Yen led everyone in a dedication of merit, reciting together three times:
“I vow to eradicate all evil, I vow to cultivate all goodness, and I vow to help all beings. May all beings be well, happy, and peaceful.”
Afterward, she guided the group to the second floor, where the Zushitang (Ancestral Hall) and the Library are located—a space devoted to the teachings of the Huayen (Avatamsaka) tradition. As the visit concluded, each guest received a bottle of water, snacks, and a wrist Mala as a token of appreciation. The visitors departed with bright smiles and warm hearts, grateful for the meaningful and enlightening experience at ABLS.
