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The History of Dharma Seal Temple
 In April 1975, Venerable Yin Hai, residing in Taiwan then, was invited by the Eastern Buddhist Association in New York to teach Buddhism in the United States. Consequently, Venerable Yin Hai chose the city of Monterey Park, a city populated by the majority Chinese in the greater Los Angeles, to build his foremost Buddhist temple, the Dharma Seal Temple, for teaching. In the early days, Dharma Seal Temple was located in a residential community at 318 North Garfield Avenue. The house was built with two units on one lot. The first unit was renovated as the main Buddha Hall for chanting. The second unit was built as a monastery dorm. Ever since then, Dharma Seal Temple had offered praying services and Dharma classes on a regular basis to serve the Chinese-American communities. From 1977 to 1990, Dharma Seal Temple had experienced numerous hardships of taking roots in a new country. As early as 1977, due to the lack of capacity, the earlier Dharma Seal Temple was unable to accommodate disciples even after having been renovated and upholstered three times.. Thereupon, Venerable Yin Hai considered purchasing a bigger facility to accommodate more disciples. In April 1990, with the blessings from the buddhas, bodhisattvas, dragon kings and devas as well as the supports from Dharma protectors and devotees, Dharma Seal Temple was able to purchase an old church building located at 3027 North Del Mar Avenue in the city of Rosemead and subsequently renovated it into the current Dharma Seal Temple. The new Dharma Seal Temple emulated the style of an oriental palace. The three statues solemnly placed in the main hall were Amitabha Buddha with Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva for disciples to worship.
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 Throughout the years of 1992 to 1995, Dharma Seal Temple had purchased adjacent properties for expansion. A dedicated new double storey was built as the center of the ¡§Buddhist Ortho Creed Association¡¨. The upper level of the center was primarily used as a public library, and a center for education and publication. The lower level is served as a dining hall for the public.
Dharma Seal Temple had become a spiritual home base among the Chinese Americans. Nowadays, disciples from countries such as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam are gradually increasing. The existing facilities can no longer accommodate the growing population. Venerable Yin Hai, therefore, sent forth the great vow of expanding the temple. With the full supports from the Dharma protectors and devotees, Dharma Seal Temple was able to purchase other adjacent properties for building dorms for monastic and the magnificent Great Hero Hall.
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The inauguration ceremony of the grand renovated Dharma Seal Temple was held on November 13th, 2005 (Lunar calendar of October12). With the completion of the splendid facilities, the staff of Dharma Seal Temple would strive to achieve the goal of propagating Dharma and fulfill the monastic mission of ¡§taking up the career of benefiting all sentient beings; undertaking the domestic chores of propagating Dharma¡¨.
November 2005
Genuinely,
The Dharma Seal Temple
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