Sutra Library

The Sutra Library is the temple's library. It holds Buddhist scriptures and other important writings, preserving the teachings and passing them on.

Buddhism calls the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha the Three Jewels. The Dharma means, above all, the Buddha's teachings, which are recorded in the scriptures. So this is more than a building full of books. It is a place where those teachings are kept and their wisdom passed on.

In a traditional temple, the Sutra Library often stands behind the Mahavira Hall, in a quieter part of the grounds. The arrangement suggests a path: first pay respect to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, then study the scriptures and come to understand the teachings. Worship leads into learning, and faith into understanding.

Libraries in older temples often held the Buddhist canon, writings by past masters, woodblocks for printing scriptures and temple records. Some were also used for teaching, copying, checking and printing texts. They might hold precious ritual objects, paintings and calligraphy as well. They helped preserve the temple's cultural life as much as its books.

Put simply, the Sutra Library is the temple's treasury of wisdom.