I’m going to be taking some time off from posting about Chinese Master Hsuan Hua’s commentary on the Lotus Sutra. (I’ll be using his commentary for Higan week in September.) For now, here’s some historical perspective on Hsuan Hua’s effort to propagate Buddhism in America. The discussion of the Lecture Hall comes from the glossary in the commentary volumes. The discussion of Madalena Tam comes from a story, Receiving Buddha Shakyamuni’s and Master Xuyun’s Sharira

Buddhist Lecture Hall, Ch. 佛教講堂 fojiaojiangtang.

Established in San Francisco in 1958 by the Venerable Master Hua’s disciples, the Buddhist Lecture Hall served as the hub of various Buddhist activities and as a Buddhist monastery until the founding of Gold Mountain Dhyana Monastery in 1970. As instructed by the Venerable Master, the Buddhist Lecture Hall was established by his Hong Kong disciples Madalena and Stella Tam, who were then studying in the United States. Founded originally as a branch of the Buddhist Lecture Hall in Hong Kong, it was to become the starting point for the proclamation of the Proper Dharma in America. Though it began in a couple of basement locations on Pacific Street and Clay Street, it was moved to the upper floor of the Kaiping Villagers Association in Chinatown not long after the Master’s arrival, as the basements were too damp for residence. In 1963, the Venerable Master moved the Buddhist Lecture Hall to Sutter Street. When conditions ripened in 1967, the Master moved it back to Chinatown, locating it on the upper floor of Tianhou Temple on Waverly Street.

Madalena Tam
Madalena’s journey in the Dharma began in Hong Kong when she was very young. At age eleven, she took refuge and made a vow to dedicate her life to supporting Master Hua’s teachings. Years later, after coming to the United States for college, she and her sister established the Buddhist Lecture Hall in San Francisco. It was through their efforts that Master Hua was invited to America in 1962, planting the seeds for the flourishing of Buddhism in the West.