Editors Note: This is the 23rd of a series about the 36 Chinese Buddhist temples of the Philippines. Much of the information is from a thesis of Venerable Chuanmiao (Hsuan Chuang University, 2008), a Buddhist monk affiliated with the Thousand Buddha Temple in Quezon City.
23. Tsi Tiok Lin Vihara (紫竹林精舍)
Rm. 702, 7th Floor, China Plaza Bldg., 1017 Tambacan Street
Sta. Cruz, Manila | Tel.: 704-4102
This monastery in a condominium building was established by blood sisters – the nun Yonglin (永霖) and the lay sister Huiqing (慧清). Both were born in the village of Yongning in Shishi City (石獅市永寧鎮), Fujian, to a devout Buddhist family.
In 1997, Yonglin, 37, became a nun in Hong Kong, and had her ordination ceremony in India the following year. She is based in Hong Kong, but in 2000 helped her sister to start this as a place for private practice. Their family has relations in the Philippines.
Main buildings. The shrine hall has a 7.2 meter-tall seated Guanyin robed in white. The couplet at the unit entrance to the hall was composed by Venerable Ruijin (of Seng Guan Temple). The other rooms are living quarters.
Leadership and primary activities. Huiqing resides here and helps in chanting services of other temples. No major chanting services are held here but devotees are welcome. In 2010, a fund drive was organized in Manila to help build a five-storey Buddhist hall in Yongning. — First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 25, no. 23 (May 7-20, 2013): 15.
