Vajiradhammapadip Temple
Vajiradhammapadip Temple situated in the West Bronx, New York City, was filed as a Not-for-Profit Organization under the Religious Corporation Law of the State of New York on July 22, 1975 (B.E. 2518). This founding date was both De facto and De jure. It now claims to be the first Thai Buddhist temple in the United States to be a full-fledged temple both legally and ecclesiastically.
The origin of the Vajiradhammapadip Temple can be traced to the Buddhist Study Center, which was founded by a group of Thai and American Buddhists in New York and was granted legal status as an association in 1965 (B.E. 2508). In 1973 (B.E. 2516), the Center invited a monk from the Thai Buddhist temple in London to come to advise them concerning the establishment of a Thai Buddhist temple in New York. After that, dating from the middle of 1974 (B.E. 2517), two monks were invited to come in succession to organize Thai Buddhist cultural ceremonies and services and to conduct other activities for the Center. This period of time witnessed increased participation in the Buddhist activities of the center and may be regarded as the crucial part of the plan for, and a big step towards the founding of the Temple.
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Vajiradhammapadip Temple
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