Friday, March 29, 2024

Temple trouble

Lansing ordinances require Buddhist temple to relocate; decision unfortunate but proper

The Third Noble Truth of Buddhist principle tells us that suffering can be overcome, that true happiness and full contentment are not only possible, but available to those who seek it.

Buddhist philosophy also tells us that life itself is suffering, and that inevitable suffering is the result of human nature, without any good or evil undertones and regardless of your level of happiness. As long as we are humans, Buddhism says we will suffer. The goal to enlightenment, then, is in altering how we want, acquire and possess.

It's impossible to sum up any major religion or philosophy into two paragraphs. There are more than 300 million practicing Buddhists in the world - some on this campus - and it's a fair wager that our brief summation is oversimplified. But we hope the root is still there - the negatives will happen, and it is our personal responsibility to overcome them with optimism.

A Buddhist temple located at 2514 W. Jolly Road in Lansing is currently staring immense suffering in the face. The temple, for all intents and purposes, is a regular home in a residential neighborhood. It's sandwiched between private residences and a white statue of Buddha stands out front to greet temple visitors. Inside, mostly Vietnamese Buddhists gather to meditate, worship and share fellowship in the temple's limited accommodations. It essentially is a self-supportive community within its walls, the only irregularity being the housing in which the temple exists.

Members recently were notified by the city of Lansing that their temple could be in violation of a host of city ordinances. Before any house of worship is allowed in a residential area, it must receive a permit, which requires the building to be located on at least 2 acres of land. There also are concerns of parking - the temple hosts up to 100 people on special occasions - and accessibility for disabled people also remains an issue.

Given the circumstances and stripped down to the brass tacks of the matter, the temple basically is in the wrong neighborhood, without the means to bring itself up to required code. Members are fiercely proud of their community, however, and say that the Lansing home is the only relatively local temple available to them.

It's fair to say that these people are not troublemakers. Neighborhood residents seemingly have no problems with the temple, other than their gleaming dedication to it being located elsewhere. It's a case of "not in my backyard" in its purest form.

In this particular case, "not in my backyard" is a legitimate concern, and the actions taken by the city of Lansing are justified and rightful. No one is hindering an individual's ability to meditate or practice his or her religion - people are only following city ordinances with the best interests of members in mind.

The temple and its community certainly is a positive aspect of the social fabric. Religious diversity is a thing to be celebrated, and the rights of these individuals to practice their religion are unwavering. We feel, however, this is something to be done in a fashion that remains conducive to the laws of Lansing.

We hope the abilities to worship freely and maintain community ties will not be dampened by this suffering. Overcoming suffering always will be a struggle, but in this case, the ends justify the means.

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