History of Temple

 

Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida

Venerable Phra Mongkolthepmolee (Supoj Chotibpalo, PhD.), was the President of Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida. He was also an assistant to the Abbot of Wat Suthathepvararam of Bangkok, Thailand. Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida is one of four temples in the U.S.A.
On 1980, Mrs. Prayong Reed donated an airline ticket for him to travel from San Francisco, California, to Tampa, Florida. Phra Mongkolthepmolee stayed at Mr. Visuth Chinsomboon and Mrs. Narumol Thaninthra’s house. The purpose of Phra Mongkolthepmolee traveled to Tampa was to organized all the Thais and set up a committee to open up a Buddhist Temple in the central part of the State of Florida in Tampa.

There were sixty four Thais from other cities in the State of Florida who came to the meeting at Mr. Jumroon and Mr. Amnuay Thummabundit’s Gilane, Thailand Restaurant and made the decision to open a Buddhist temple in Tampa, Florida. All the members selected five members to form an organization to register an Article of Incorporation of Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida, Inc. with the State of Florida.

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION FOR AN ARTICLE OF INCORPORATION OF WAT MONGKOLRATANARAM OF FLORIDA

The executive committee submitted an application for an Article of Incorporation of Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida, Inc. to the State of Florida via an attorney on April 30, 1981.
The executive committee members were:
1 Phra Mongkolrajamunee Chief Executive Officer
2 Mr. Visuth Chinsomboon Vice Executive Officer
3 Phra Maha Chalam Siriwunno Secretary
4 Mr. Jumroon Thummabundit Treasurer

This executive committee had worked together until obtaining the name, Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida, Inc. Thai Buddhist Temple, Interbay Area Florida, State of Florida, on May 19, 1981.

The First Missionary Monks

The executive committee prepared the place for the Monks who traveled from Thailand to reside in Tampa, Florida by providing beds, pillows, blankets, kitchen utensils, and cabinets, both Thai and English typewriters. Some articles were borrowed. And everyone had the intention of sustaining and maintaining the newly established Buddhist Temple.

Venerable Phra Monkolrajamunee designated Phra Maha Chalam Siriwunno of Wat Nagaglaang, Bangkok and Phra Maha Nopparutrana Chotevero of Wat Suthus Thepwararam, Bangkok to reside at Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida as the Missionary Monks on July 17, 1981.
The temporary residence was located at Mrs. Tussana Jones’s Residence on 5348 Wallace Circle, Tampa, Florida

PURPOSE:

Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida was established to teach Thai Buddhism. It is intended to be the place where the monks to perform Buddhist activities and a place where the Buddhists can come and worship and perform Buddhist rituals. In addition, it is a place where Thais in the U.S.A. can come to meet each others.
1 It will serve as a place to learn meditations.
2 To show the Thai Custom and Thai Cultures.
3 It will be a place for Sunday school to teach Thais and Buddhism.
4 It will serve as a meeting place for Thais and Americans.
5 It will serve as a center for all the Buddhists.

Purchased land site for the Buddhist Temple

Mrs. Luddawal Kinsey passes by the property on 5306 Palm River Road, Tampa, Florida everyday on her way home. She suggested this site to the executive committee who decided to purchase this property site on December 17, 1981 as the site for Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida. The monks moved from the temporary residence to this new address on March 6, 1982 with the help from the congregation.

On April 24 and 25, 1982, the official opening ceremony of Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida in honor of Phra Mongkolrajamunee, Chief of Group 3 and an assistant to the Abbot of Wat Suthutthepvararam of Bangkok, Thailand. All the Thais and Monks in Thailand and U.S.A. help establish the Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida.

The site for the new Buddhist Temple was purchased from Mr. Ted C. and Mrs. Dorothy Stanley. It is approximately 3.33 acres and it costs $ 132,500. The purchase includes a three bedroom house with a living room, an office, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a separate car garage building. The front gate in on Palm River Road and the property is situated along the Palm River bank with numerous old oak trees and palm trees.

THE MAIN BUDDHA IMAGE

His Majesty The Great King of Thailand had given permission to use His Majesty’s Initials and named “Phra Buddhamongkolratana Phumitadmahamunee” to the Main Buddha that was built on July 5, 1979. His Majesty the Great King had given the blessing to the Main Buddha on April 8, 1980 at His Majesty’s Palace. The Main Buddha was sent to Miami, Florida on August 20, 1981 and resided temporary at Mr. Thavorn and Mrs. Praphasree Padungphun. On April 24, 1982 the Main Buddha was moved to Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida to be permanently located. It was coin side with the 200 years anniversary of Bangkok. The celebration of Songkran Festival and the opening of Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida on April 24 and 25, 1982

“Phra Buddhamongkolratana Phumitadmahamunee” has 31 inches wide at the lap and 77.5 inches tall and the overall width of 42.5 inches, the overall height of 54 inches. The base is 28 inches wide and 45 inches long. This main Buddha Image was donated by Dr. Thavorn Pornprapa in memory of his wife, Dr. Usa Pornprapa.

Building the Buddhist Temple.

When the permit was granted by the State of Florida for the Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida. The monks, Phra Maha Chalam Siriwunno and Phra Maha Nopparutana Chotiviro and Mr. Visuth Chinsomboon had built a 21 feet wide 35 feet long building to house the “Phra Buddhamongkolratana Phumitadmahamunee”, with His Majesty the Great King’s Initials located on the base of the Main Buddha. The property has eight(8) Rai which is adequate for the monks to reside and perform the Buddhist Religious Rites and Ceremonies. All the monks and the congregations in Bangkok, Thailand and the U.S.A. concluded that to perform the sanctification of the Temple by burying granite stones as a demarcation on July 9 and 10, 1983.

PURCHASING ADDITIONAL LAND

After five years of establishing the First Thai Buddhist Temple in the State of Florida, U.S.A., there are many Thais, Laotians, Khmers, Vietnamese and Americans who come to the Temple to celebrate Songkran Festival , Loy Krathong, Kathina Festivities and religious rites of Maga Puja Day, Visakha Puja , Buddhist Lent. The land of 3.33 acres was too small to accommodate the large congregation. The Committee decided to purchase Mrs. Erma E. Smith’s property on the West side. The property was 3.34 acres with a house for $ 125,000. on May 1, 1986.

The Temple received $35,000 donations from the congregation to purchase this property. The committee placed $ 30,000. as a down payment for this property with the free service of Mr. Jirawat Poongasem. The monks and the congregation helped remove the fence between the property line and cleared out the brushes from Palm River Road all the way to the Palm River shoreline and added additional parking spaces.

Building a Hall

The executive committee came to the conclusion that since the combined land is approximately 6.77 acres and there is enough land to build a Hall to accommodate all the Festivities that the Wat has each year. The final decision was to hire a Building Contractor to build a Hall with 50 feet in width, 100 feet in length and 45 feet in height. Due to the proximity of the Hall to the Palm River, the Hillsborough County required that the finished elevation to added 7 feet of fills and 100 feet by 100 feet squares. Phra Maha Pin Puttapunyo and Phra Maha Preecha Dhammajaree and Mr. Visuth Chinsomboon were in charge of the project.

Sunday, December 15, 1991, Phra Mongkolthepmolee, President and Phra Maha Jumnian Yanasapo, Vice President, Phra Maha Perm Sithiputtho, Secretary, Mr. Somsak Sakmanarithi, Treasury and others nominated Mrs. Nisa Vichaigul to be in charge of construction in adding 25 feet to the West of the Hall. Which also including two additional bathrooms. The total cost was $ 146,000. Mr. Pullop Vichaigul and Mr. Umnuay Thummabundit helped raising funds for this 25 feet addition to the Hall and arranged for additional parking spaces.

Sunday Market

There are many people who come to worship at the Temple every Sundays. Sunday Market was started in 1993. Phra Maha Jumnian Yanasapo, Phra Maha Somkuan Suntigaro, Secretary, Phra Maha Chaiwhut Thissaro, Phra Maha Woraphaak Thanawaro, Treasury and Mr. Umnuy Thummabundit came up with a solution to allow people who was interested in bringing merchandises to sell on Sunday. The Temple set up its own food stands with volunteers who prepared the foods and sold them to benefit the Temple. Sunday Market has been continuing until present days. There are many people come to Sunday Market.

Summer School
Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida, was established on May 19, 1981 by Venerable Phra Mongkolrajamunee for Thais and Americans who are interested in practicing Buddhism.
One of the main goal in establishing a Buddhist Temple in Florida is to teach Buddhism and Thai cultures to young children who were born in U.S.A. The committee designate Ms. Wanida Kimbal to be in charge of setting up Sunday School in 1984. Mr. Sompop Khunduang was a volunteer teacher who taught Thai Language and Thai Cultures and Thai Sports. The goals of establishing Sunday School are:

1 To teach Thai Cultures, Customs, Arts, History and to be proud of Thai Independence.
2 To teach Thai Children the language, custom, arts the same academic systems as they are offered in Thailand.
3 To teach children to learn to listen, speaks, read and write and communicate in Thai.
4 To teach children to learn to behave and learn Thai etiquette in accordance with the Thai customs and Thai cultures.

The Summer School has been teaching Thai language, Thai customs for several years. There were many students that have been taught Thai languages, Thai customs, Thai cultures and Thai arts. These students were also taught how to worship the Buddha in Bali chanting. The school has a record of its accomplishments as follows:

In 1989, it was the first year that Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida in cooperation with Chulalongkorn University established a summer teaching program to teach children Thai language and Thai customs. There were Mrs. Jaruwon Prasertdhum. Principal, and three volunteer teachers. Many parents had sent in their children to attend the Summer school.

In 1990 through 1994, the summer schools were teaching Thai language and Thai customs to all the children who attended.

In 2001, the Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida in cooperation with Chulalongkorn University again set up the summer school to teach children Thai language and Thai customs after the first collaboration in 1989.

In 2002, Mrs. Suphaporn and Mr. John Barry donated $ 120,000. to add three rooms and bathrooms to the existing school building. In addition they donated a standard basket ball court to the school. “Buddhasilpa” School was name in the honor of Mrs. Suphaporn Barry’s mother.

Daily Schedule for The Buddhist Monks:

7:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Morning Chanting, Meditation
9:00 a.m. Clean up , Office Duties
11:00 a.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Office Duties
8:00 p.m. Evening Chanting, Meditation

Note: Every Saturday Clean up around Temple.
Every Sunday 1:00 p.m. Thai Translated Chanting, Meditation and Dhamma Talk in Thai.