SoCal Buddhist Leaders Unite as Sacred Bodhi Tree Takes Root at USC

Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple
February 27, 2025

University of Southern California (USC) Office of Religious and Spiritual Life hosted a Bodhi tree planting ceremony on February 21, bringing together representatives from various Buddhist traditions in the greater Los Angeles area. Attendees included delegates from Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara representing Theravada Buddhism, Land of Compassion Buddha representing Tibetan Buddhism, and Zen Center of Los Angeles representing Japanese Zen Buddhism. Representing Chinese Mahayana Buddhism were Venerable Hui Ze from Hsi Lai Temple and Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Los Angeles Chapter President Echo Tsai. Over 50 participants, including USC faculty staffs, students, and Buddhist monastics, attended the event.

The solemn ceremony began with Venerable Bhante Walpola Piyananda, an elder monastic from the Theravada tradition, leading the assembly in a meditative walking procession across Trousdale Parkway to the Bodhi tree planting site. Upon arrival, representatives from each Buddhist temple took turns watering the Bodhi sapling with Great Compassionate Water while chanting their respective scriptures to bless the tree. Venerable Hui Ze guided six members from the BLIA Los Angeles Chapter and University of the West in chanting the Heart Sutra, offering prayers for peace and wisdom.

Following the blessing ceremony, Varun Soni, USC’s Dean of Religious Life, delivered a heartfelt remark, reflecting on the profound significance of planting the Bodhi tree on the USC campus. He shared a personal story about his life-changing encounter with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya exactly 30 years prior. Inspired by the Dalai Lama's teachings, Soni embraced Buddhism and dedicated his career to advancing religious education and interfaith dialogue, eventually becoming a faculty dean in USC.

Joshin Sacha, a USC physics student and ordained Buddhist monastic, spoke about the symbolic meaning of the Bodhi tree, recalling Buddha’s enlightenment and his declaration that “all beings possess the wisdom and virtue of the Tathagata.” Sacha emphasized that the Bodhi tree, as a symbol of awakening, belongs to all beings, transcending boundaries of race and nationality. She also referenced Buddha’s earth-touching gesture following his victory over Mara, the tempter, highlighting the universal interconnectedness of all beings and the earth itself.

After the ceremony, Mark Miller, Director of USC’s Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, invited attendees to a vegetarian luncheon at the University Religious Center. The gathering featured a spirited performance by the USC Kazan Taiko Collegiate Drum Ensemble, celebrating Japanese cultural heritage and fostering a sense of community and harmony.

The event facilitated meaningful connections among the Buddhist temple representatives, who exchanged contact information and expressed hopes for future collaborations to promote the growth of Buddhism in Southern California.

This interfaith gathering underscored USC’s commitment to cultural diversity and spiritual inclusivity, symbolized by the Bodhi tree's roots taking hold on campus, promising the flourishing wisdom and compassion of the Buddha’s teaching in Southern California.