Wat
Wat Buddhist Center Of New England
Wat Buddhist Center Of New England (វត្តពុទ្ធមណ្ឌល) is a Khmer Buddhist temple on Public Street in Providence, Rhode Island.[1][2] It is registered as the Buddhist Center of New England, Inc., and stands in an urban neighborhood.[1][3]
History
Directories of Khmer temples list the Buddhist Center of New England at 252 Public Street, Providence, RI 02905, in 2014 and again in 2026, with the telephone number (401) 454-4633.[4][2] A 2011 news report placed the temple on West Clifford Street.[3] In 2026 the directory listed three monks there.[2]
The temple
Inside, the temple is decorated in orange and yellow, incense burns in urns, and large Buddha images stand at the altar.[3]
Khmer school
In 2006 the monks began a program teaching the Khmer language and Buddhism to children. The lessons last about an hour and a half. Students learn the alphabet, with its 33 consonants, the sub-consonants written beneath them and the 23 vowels, and they use pictures of common animals and objects to learn words. Each class ends at the altar, where students bow three times and chant the Dharma with the monks.[3]
The program drew children from the neighborhood and later people from Pawtucket and other areas, including some who are not Cambodian, though attendance became irregular over time. In 2011 about a dozen students aged six to 20 attended a class led by the Venerable Sochettra Yieng and the Venerable Vichet Yan. Speaking about teaching young Cambodians their culture and religion in America, Venerable Vichet Yan drew a distinction: "Cambodia isn't Buddhism, and Buddhism isn't Cambodia."[3]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Roger Williams University, Spiritual Life
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wat Ratanarangsey blog, 2026 Directory of Wat Khmer or Cambodian Buddhist Temples in the USA
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Khmerican, Buddhist Temple Teaches Khmer and Buddhism to Children (September 4, 2011)
- ↑ Temple News, 2558 Khmer Buddhist Temples Directory (2014)