Seattle man irritated by chanting, drumming, leaf-blowing monks loses appeal

By VANESSA HO, SEATTLEPI.COM, March 17, 2011

Seattle, WA (USA) -- A South Seattle man irritated by the chanting, drumming, gonging, prostrating, leaf-blowing activities of the Buddhist monks next door to him has lost his appeal against the monastery's plan to expand.

In 2008, the Duoc Su Monastery, a Vietnamese temple in Rainier Valley, requested permission to expand its 31,000-square-foot lot. The monastery, which houses up to eight monks in a single-family zone, wanted to roughly double in size. It wanted to tear down four houses, put up a three-story building, and add 28 new parking spaces.

But neighbors complained.

"Concerns were raised about noise, including: 'lost peace of mind,' loss of sleep, failing grades, shaken nerves and ringing in the ears," the Department of Planning and Development wrote in its approval of the project last year.

The monks mostly pray, meditate and tend to a large, neat garden of vegetables and plum and apple trees. But they also made a lot of noise, often in an outdoor courtyard. Residents said they chanted, drummed, used a gong, and often wielded a loud leaf blower.

Plus, they hosted three big events a year, to celebrate Buddha's birthday and honor ancestors. Each time, about 250 people crowded the neighborhood, filling it with traffic and more noise.

The department imposed some conditions on its permit approval. It told the monks to use the blower only in the afternoons and to install some sound-muffling plywood on the temple's fences. It also wanted the monks to tell neighbors in advance of any courtyard services.

But that wasn't enough for Juanito Ucol, who lives east of the temple, in the 6900 block of 42nd Avenue South. Ucol filed an appeal with the city in January.

Noise had become 'unbearable'

The noise had become "unbearable" for Ucol and his housemates, according to a decision issued by Seattle hearing examiner Anne Watanabe last week. Ucol had complained about barking dogs at the temple, even though the dogs belonged to other neighbors, she said. And he was bothered by the smell of burning incense and sight of "monks prostrating in the courtyard area.

"(Ucol) resides immediately next to the site, so it is understandable that his tolerance for noise from the monastery is low, and that every noise is unwelcome," Watanabe wrote.

But the city had found the monastery's noise within acceptable limits, and similar to noise generated by other allowed uses, such as a daycare. Watanabe affirmed the city's permit approval.

But Ucol did score one small victory. The monks were ordered to stop using gas-powered leaf blowers in favor of quieter electric ones, and only for 15 minutes a day.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

Search Buddhist Channel

Seattle man irritated by chanting, drumming, leaf-blowing monks loses appeal

By VANESSA HO, SEATTLEPI.COM, March 17, 2011