Williamsburg, Virginia –
On Friday, April 24, the William & Mary community formally welcomed a collection of sacred Buddhist objects with the help of the venerable monastics from Đông Hưng Temple – Buddhist Education Center of America in Virginia Beach and Đông Phước Temple in Newport News. The event commemorated the generous donation of several pieces of Buddhist craftwork – including Tibetan scripture tables, a hand-painted cabinet, and a ritual stand for a Buddha image – that will now be on display in the Sadler Center and the Wren Building at William & Mary.
The ceremony featured the consecration of a 19th-century Burmese Buddha image for its new home in the Sadler Center, where it will be on view amid the daily rhythms of student life: eating, studying, gathering socially, and coming together for prayer and meditation. Remarks by Venerable Chúc Thanh encouraged students and community members to look within themselves for the peace of the Buddha, emphasizing that such images serve as reminders of our own inner awakened qualities.
The event also included welcoming remarks by Monique D. Williams, director of William & Mary’s Student Center for Inclusive Excellence; Eric Margiotta, director of Student Unions and Engagement; and Professor Kevin Vose of William & Mary’s Religious Studies department. The ceremony concluded with food and refreshments generously provided by the Student Center for Inclusive Excellence.
This invaluable gift, and the ceremony marking its arrival, were made possible through the generosity of Sandy Song, whose donation has enabled these pieces to find a new home at William & Mary. It is our hope that their presence on campus – and their reverent reception through this event – will allow them to serve both as educational cultural heritage objects and as sources of spiritual sustenance for members of the university community.
Ben Steinman, William & Mary Class of 2026
