In 2000 the Venerable Thich Tri Hoang founded the Dharma Teacher Order at the Hai An Pagoda Buddhist Temple near Hartford, Connecticut. The decision to initiate the order came out of a desire to bring the benefit of Dharma practice and knowledge to the West. The guiding principles are quite simple:
- Deepen the members’ Dharma practice;
- Make the Dharma available to all interested persons;
- Provide a resource for teachers of Dharma;
- Train people to perform various ceremonial functions.
- The Vietnamese tradition of Buddhism is particularly suited to the modern world because of its emphasis on the “spirit” of Buddhism and its high tolerance for differences in interpreting the mundane aspects of the Dharma.
The DTO is the sponsor of The Buddhist Institute. More information about the Dharma Teacher Order can be found on the DTO site.