Lotus Monastery – Ni Vien Lien Hoa

Council Bluffs residents who practice Buddhism will soon have a temple in the city to worship and gather. The Lotus Monastery – Ni Vien Lien Hoa, 829 Ave. A, will host a grand opening celebration at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. “The grand opening is to celebrate the new Buddhist temple, and it is a chance for local residents to visit the temple with a vegetarian meal provided,” said Nina Hoang, spokesperson for the temple. “We also would like to express the mission of the temple to everyone at the grand opening, to ‘promote individual peace of mind, compassion for all beings, spiritual growth and an ethical way of life based on Buddhist principles,’” Hoang said. Buddhist nun Lien Tri recently moved to the building to teach and practice. Tri became a nun at the age of 15 in Vietnam, and further studied Buddhism in Vietnam and India with a desire to “devote her life to the benefit of others.” “Buddhism is one of the most popular religions in my homeland of Vietnam and I became a nun so I can devote all of my time for others,” Tri said. The building was originally constructed as a Danish Church 150 years ago. It was converted into a restaurant and a catering service before the recent transition. “The church building was in a bad shape when we bought it, but after eight months it has been retooled and styled to serve as a proper Buddhist temple,” Hoang said. “A lot of people around this neighborhood were really happy when we remodeled this place.” The building was purchased in December 2018, transferring ownership in January 2019 with renovation starting soon after. “We didn’t have a Buddhist temple in Council Bluffs, and we have quite a few Vietnamese people who are Buddhist,” Hoang said. “That’s what got us to start thinking about opening a new (temple) here.” This was one way to provide a place of worship and gathering space for Vietnamese people and other Buddhist practitioners. A service will be held 10 a.m. to noon every Sunday after the grand opening. Classes in meditation, Buddhists research and Vietnamese language and culture for Vietnamese children born in the U.S. to learn about language and culture will be added in the future, Hoang said.