Mission Statement

"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity"
-Albert Einstein (http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism.htm)

Welcome to our blog! We are planning to produce a short documentary on the Wat Carolina Buddhist Monastery in Bolivia, North Carolina. Opening as the first of its kind in North Carolina in 1988, Wat Carolina has grown to be one of the most important Buddhist communities in the Southeast. The following is a brief history of its founder:

“Abbot Phrakru Buddhamonpricha came to Oak Island in l986 to visit his two sisters, Suntaree Hemvong and Suban Potijinda, and a brother, Sounthone Hemvong, who owned the Ocean Crest Pier and Motel in what was then Long Beach, N.C. In l987, the four of them founded the Buddhist Association of North Carolina, and after his siblings donated 21 acres of land, Phrakru returned to America from Indonesia to establish the Wat Carolina Monastery, which opened later that year.” (http://www.wat-carolina.com/history.php)

Buddhist religion consists mainly of practicing ways of life in order to achieve enlightenment. Through many rules and guidelines, one could essentially become free from the stresses of everyday life simply by taking it for what it is. Percieving everything at face value sets you free from the suffering or sorrows of life.

Buddhism continues to attract followers worldwide and is considered a major world religion. According to one source, "World estimates for Buddhists vary between 230 and 500 million, with most around 350 million." However, estimates are uncertain for several countries. According to one analysis, Buddhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism)

Most of the congregation is Thai but the Wat welcomes visitors from all walks and ways of life. Services are held every Sunday consisting of Thai chanting and meditation sessions, and they also celebrate several Buddhist holidays.

Wat Carolina is located in Bolivia, a small rural town 20 minutes outside of Wilmington, North Carolina. Lacking ethic diversity and predominately Baptist (with a Baptist church right next door), Bolivia makes for an ironic location for Wat Carolina. However, Wat Carolina has seemed to successfully found a home in Bolivia.

Our goal with this documentary is to illustrate how this particular Buddhist community functions within itself, interacts with outside communities, as well as what it means to be a minority religion in the Bible Belt (the monastery is adjacent to a large Baptist church).

We plan on using 35mm still photographs, 16mm film, as well as digital resources to create our documentary. Included will be personal interviews detailing the lifestyle and traditions of the Wat Carolina. Hopefully our experience will culturally open our eyes as well as others. Being in a “Bible Belt” state can provide for a lack of diversity in ethnicity as well as religion. We are looking forward to sharing our experience with you.

-Posted by Genevieve, Christy, Calli