"Buddha sows seeds and the roots spread far and wide."
Our Mission
The mission of the Mid-America Buddhist Association (MABA) is to practice, preserve and promote the teachings of the Buddha in the mid-west of the United States, especially the St. Louis and Chicago areas. As part of this mission, MABA supports a monastic community and its lay followers and supporters.
MABA's spiritual objectives are to follow the Middle Path and to live in accordance with Buddhist teachings concerning morality, meditation, and wisdom.
Our History
In 1991, a small group of Buddhists living in St. Louis, Missouri, organized meetings in each other's homes to study the Dharma. Soon they formed an organization, the St. Louis Buddhist Association. The Association discovered it needed a home for its meetings, and so in 1994, the Mid-America Buddhist Association (MABA) was established and became a nonprofit organization.
In 1994, land was purchased in Augusta and a Chinese Buddhist Retreat Center was created in that same year. At the group's invitation, two renowned Chinese monks, Venerable Jan Hai and Venerable Ji Ru, became Chairman and Vice Chairman.
Over the next four years, MABA grew under the leadership of these two monks. In 1998, Venerable Ji Ru became abbot and Venerable Jan Hai moved on to another monastery. Under Master Ji Ru's direction the monastery grew to include a Guan Yin Pavilion and a mausoleum, Dizang Hall.
MABA's Goals
1. To promote Buddhism in America, specifically the mid-west.
2. To promote Buddhism through beneficial spiritual and social activities.
3. To support Buddhist and academic organizations in the study of Buddhism.
4. To provide an environment for the practice and study of Buddhism.
5. To support the Sangha in its commitment to the Dharma.
