From Ruins to A Temple & Many Trials and Tribulations

 

This section reveals facts and unfortunate incidents Jinyin Temple has encountered since its establishment on the property in October 2017. 

 

Prior to October 2017, the property had been abandoned for many years. The majority of the buildings and equipment here were heavily damaged and decayed. Every roof leaked, some walls were smashed, and piles of waste were visible all over the land. The entire place was covered with garbage, animal corpses, feces, and moldy carpets. The Master himself led his disciples through an arduous struggle to restore the natural environment and habitable spaces. It took the organization nearly a year to clean up the mess which filled more than 30 rented garbage containers.

 

While facing a difficult renovation and construction situation as such, the disciples of the Temple and the Tangmi lineage have maintained a positive attitude and worked very hard to build this home of peace and great love. Although it was a physically and mentally tiring process, every disciple felt that their efforts were worthwhile, for the happiness and relief in their hearts witnessing this formerly mistreated, derelict wilderness becoming pure and beautiful by the day.

 

Yet, upon the completion of the design plans for the Temple and the designated disciples were ready to move forward with the construction projects, Jinyin Temple’s construction underwent an unexpected fire in 2018, during which the previous event center was razed to the ground overnight. This building had a capacity of approximately 3,000 people and had been used as the Main Prayer Hall after renovation. In addition to the total destruction of the original building, many objects within were destroyed in the fire, including 13 boxes of Buddhist decorative art pieces inlaid with precious stones, over 100 pieces of mahogany furniture, a bronze bell, many books and scriptures, numerous paintings and calligraphic works, a painting and calligraphy mounting machine, Mandala Vajra statues unique to Sino Esoteric Buddhism, more than 500 chairs, air conditioners, audio equipment and a large quantity of building materials. All these precious materials had all been donated by devout believers from all over the world. This news saddened every one of them. 

 

This colossal damage brought extreme grievance and pain to all disciples of the lineage and interrupted the initial planning of the Temple. With this renovated prayer hall burned to the ground, the organization faces the challenges of funding and designing a new prayer hall, and negotiations with the insurance company about the claim settlement. To date, Jinyin Temple has yet to receive the payment from the Temple’s insurance claim. This is a serious financial hardship for the religious institute and it has directly affected the development of the Temple and delayed the opening of Jinyin Temple as a whole to the public. 

 

After the fire, people from the organization learned that the Temple had imposed the sewage charge for the entire property based on the calculation method for how this property was previously used as a commercial space - a hotel. With only 9 long-term residents (5 adults, 4 children) at the Temple, the Temple’s property, a non-profit organization space, is now imposed a nearly $30,000 annual sewage fee, which is recalculated and reduced from $80,000 after 4 years. The cost is measured by the number of Equivalent Dwelling Unit - the total number of rooms, which includes the limited spaces those long-term residents are using and all the unrenovated former hotel rooms that are currently inhabitable. Instead of being calculated depending on the usage, the calculation method of cost based on the number of EDU is inappropriate for the current functions of the property and the unreasonable charge is shocking. 

 

Besides the 2018 fire and exorbitant sewage fee, the organization encountered another serious matter. Jinyin Temple was registered as a nonprofit organization qualified for tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). Yet, the organization has been imposed a hefty amount of tax for unified schools as well as other taxes. 

 

Even for the two buildings which were destroyed, one dismantled in early 2018 and the former prayer hall consumed by the 2018 fire, the local government is still levying tax on the Temple for these nonexist buildings as of 2021. The tax issue has been costing the organization a lot of resources, in human, material and financial terms. 

 

People from the organization applied for local property tax exemption but the communication process has been difficult. What is puzzling is the vastly different attitude shown by the hearing committee from that of the local residents. From the personal interactions between people from the Temple with local residents, communities, and institutions, the organization and Tangmi Buddhist community received warm and friendly welcomes. People from the Temple also actively participate in dialogues between local faith organizations and different communities to address ways to eliminate violence, hatred, fear, and discrimination between different religions, races and cultures, and to strengthen mutual understanding. The mission of Jinyin Temple is aligned with the philosophy of all participants to such exchanges. Yet, the members of the hearing committee seemed to be on a different page. The question thus arises: if the hearing committee doesn’t represent the interests and opinions of the residents, then whose interests does it represent? 

 

Now, the property has not only been transformed from the previously abandoned wasteland into a beautiful park, temple, and home for all Sino Esoteric Buddhists, but also cultivated and will keep cultivating an environment of purposeful inclusion, respect, harmony, and boundless compassion where all sentient beings are valued, cared for, and given an opportunity to form meaningful connections with others. People from the Sino Esoteric Buddhist lineage have invested their time, effort and resources into establishing Jinyin Temple out of sincerity. The application of local tax exemption for Jinyin Temple is not merely a matter of money, it is also a matter of trust, a matter of principle, and a matter of respect.